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Bow thruster leaking


cutandpolished61

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3 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

And can also make life easier even if you are confident at the helm.

 

Yes, mine is coming up for 16 years

 

Yes, but you've still got the welding costs. It might not be much cheaper than fixing the oil leak.

 

Really? Just to fix an oil leak at the motor bearing? I'm not sure if it has to come out of the water for that? I'm pretty sure I can take the motor off mine without taking the boat out of the water.

Yes you can take the motor off, it will reveal the flexible drive key leading to the sealed bottom end.

The leak is not in the motor, it is in the underwater drive unit.

Therefore boat or at least bow out of water.

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Thanks for all your suggestions. I agree with Tony, bow thruster, inverter, central heating and much other stuff is not vital for boating.

I'm happy not having central heating, just stove with back boiler. One thing less to worry about.

As for the thruster i have called Vetus in Southampton, apparently no spares available for 20 + year old thrusters.

I will wait for my next blacking schedule in 2022 to get it checked out.

 

Edited by cutandpolished61
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40 minutes ago, cutandpolished61 said:

Thanks for all your suggestions. I agree with Tony, bow thruster, inverter, central heating and much other stuff is not vital for boating.

I'm happy not having central heating, just stove with back boiler. One thing less to worry about.

As for the thruster i have called Vetus in Southampton, apparently no spares available for 20 + year old thrusters.

I will wait for my next blacking schedule in 2022 to get it checked out.

 

 

In that case (no spares) I think Bizzard's suggestion must be worth a try but I would use stern tube grease rather than the LM or water pump grease we used in the garage. I can't see it doing much harm to a ruined system and if it gets lubrication into the bearing it may do less harm than running it dry. Plus you can keep using it for now if it works. Get the grease really hot but not so hot it catches alight.

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5 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

I don't think that comment was unhelpful and I do think yours is a bit OOT.

 

Bow thrusters are a comparative recent fitment to leisure boats, especially inland boats and narrowboats in particular. Bow thrusters are far from vital equipment so when one is faced with a large bill its logical the consider if the faulty equipment is really needed. I would suggest Tracy's comment was spot on advice that the OP is free to accept or reject. By your logic if a light fitment fails one should replace it  whatever the costs rather than do without it. If a fridge fails one should replace it even though its October so it won't be needed for months and even then it's not absolutely vital, its only convenient so a bit like a bow thruster.

 

One thing is for sure, its only leaking oil out, not water into the boat so the next time its out for blacking welding over the tube would almost certainly cost less than the repair or replacement.

Whether my comment is a bit OTT or not is a matter of opinion - you have your and I have mine and there is room for varying views on what I am  often reminded is a discussion forum. As for the ret of your comments, I don’t disagree particularly with anything you say but was merely trying to answer the original query which was for the OP to get a flavour of what might be involved in sorting it out. As often happens, however, whenever bow thrusters are mentioned, the discussion quickly morphs into the merits and demerits of having one on board, which is always guaranteed to bring out a variety of views. I have my own opinions but to some forum members I must be considered totally beyond the pale having not only a bow thrust but also a stern thrust! Ah well, one day I might learn how to use that tiller thingy. ?
 

Howard

 

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2 hours ago, blackrose said:

Or could it be that it's just the BT users you notice are the ones who are over-using them?

 

Indeed, I rarely use mine unless it is a tricky reverse or particularly windy when turning the boat around

 

When it packed up it took me 3 years to get around to fixing it!

Edited by cuthound
To cut out the irrelevant bits of the quote
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33 minutes ago, howardang said:

Whether my comment is a bit OTT or not is a matter of opinion - you have your and I have mine and there is room for varying views on what I am  often reminded is a discussion forum. As for the ret of your comments, I don’t disagree particularly with anything you say but was merely trying to answer the original query which was for the OP to get a flavour of what might be involved in sorting it out. As often happens, however, whenever bow thrusters are mentioned, the discussion quickly morphs into the merits and demerits of having one on board, which is always guaranteed to bring out a variety of views. I have my own opinions but to some forum members I must be considered totally beyond the pale having not only a bow thrust but also a stern thrust! Ah well, one day I might learn how to use that tiller thingy. ?
 

Howard

 

 

I agree with everything you say because it is all a matter of opinion. Although I quoted you and said I felt your remark was a bit OOT. Now that was mainly meant to be attached to the "not very helpful bit", not the general advice.  If after considering Tracy's advice the OP decided he needed a bow thruster then that advice should be ignored and I can think of at least two circumstances where a bow thruster would be very important but we don't know the OPs situation so both views are perfectly vald.

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7 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

One thing is for sure, its only leaking oil out, not water into the boat so the next time its out for blacking welding over the tube would almost certainly cost less than the repair or replacement.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^

This!

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2 hours ago, cutandpolished61 said:

Thanks for all your suggestions. I agree with Tony, bow thruster, inverter, central heating and much other stuff is not vital for boating.

I'm happy not having central heating, just stove with back boiler. One thing less to worry about.

As for the thruster i have called Vetus in Southampton, apparently no spares available for 20 + year old thrusters.

I will wait for my next blacking schedule in 2022 to get it checked out.

 

Like I said...

"Avoid going to Vetus for anything unless you like throwing money away"

 

Put thicker oil in it, hot grease or whatever works until you can get the bow out of the water, then have a mechanic look at it.

Vetus never sold spares for the bottom gearbox, only complete replacement units.

Waste of time asking them.

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34 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

My bowthruster has an oil revivor and its not a Vetus its a Cramm and used EP90 oil

 

Now that may be worth considering if the OP put 15W40 engine oil in it. If that does not work then noting lost, try the near boiling grease.

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4 hours ago, howardang said:

..........................    some forum members I must be considered totally beyond the pale having not only a bow thrust but also a stern thrust!

 

 

how very dare you!!

 

what are you driving? .......................    the Stena Line ferry to Dublin?      :rolleyes:

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Slightly different,we had a bow thruster which made me lazy.I used it to  push off when going from the bank to a lock.Never could do that on a hire boat,but hey ho.Now got used again to pushing the bow off as the bow thruster sprang a leak,so had it capped off.Don't really miss it apart from when trying to moor in the marina in a howling gale

 

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13 hours ago, Murflynn said:

 

how very dare you!!

 

what are you driving? .......................    the Stena Line ferry to Dublin?      :rolleyes:

No, I have driven similar vessels in the past, but there is a much more mundane explanation. Winthorpe is an Ownerships share boat now self managed by the owners - and was fitted with bow and stern hydraulic thrusters from new in 2008, but this wasn't my reason for buying into the share.  The bow thrust is very  occasionally used, but the stern thrust hardly ever. (Perhaps in a double lock when sharing with another boat).  I can, hopefully, assure forum cynics that I am able to  handle a boat without using one (or both) honest,  but I am not one of those who scoff if they see someone using one, nor am I a Luddite. I sometimes do wonder if those who do disparage using any aid available  sometimes show a slight intolerance to others. Insecurity perhaps???:cheers:

 

Howard 

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On 23/04/2021 at 15:26, cuthound said:

 

Indeed, I rarely use mine unless it is a tricky reverse or particularly windy when turning the boat around

 

 

 

Same here. We ran for over a year using ours, before it died. Turned out that the inline fuse was not connected, so we had not been charging the battery. 

They are handy for the occasional blip, but more so to aid reversing. Yes, we could live without it. But it has its uses.

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