Bowthruster usage

[Stroudwater1]

Ive seen several uses of bowthrusters on narrowboats whilst boating recently and wonder if its usual to use them in these particular  situations.

 

1 Arrived at the bottom of a broad lock, singlehanded. Lock full, just been used, vlocky shutting top gate. Boater moves around 1 foot to the bank and hovers using bowthruster and engine to maintain that position whilst the lock empties and buffets the boat around. Then when the gates were opened for them away pushes with the bowthruster without getting off once  

 

2. Moored up at the bottom of a narrow lock with a T&M style bridge before the lock. Boat coming down exits the lock, crew member of boat going up  undoes the centre line and steerer switches on the bowthruster to push off without any manual push at all. 

 

All boaters looked to be fit and could push their boat off. Is pushing off out of fashion or too dangerous now, or is this how others use their bowthruster if they have one? 

 

 

[Arthur Marshall]

I suppose if you've got one you might as well use it.

Why push if you don't have to? With my back, I'd certainly use a bowthruster if I'd got one. And, half the time, the bank is in such a state it's dodgy to stand on anyway.

 

[Tracy D'arth]

Bow thrusters are great, the best plastic bag collectors ever invented, jet on guy!

[Bee]

Well Ii suppose you can do what you like with your bowthruster, figure of eights, pirouettes and all sorts of ballet moves if thats what you really want.  but they are really useful tools (I wish I had one) and they are not toys. Most situations are manageable without a bow thruster and playing with a bow thruster does not really make for getting good boat handling skills. Sorry if that sounds a bit pompous- I'm just jealous of people who have one.

[Tam & Di]

As a barge handling school we always told trainees that bow thrusters were potentally very useful, BUT they should not be used until the they could steer the boat witout one. If you use a bow thruster all the time when the tiller could do a better job then you are never going to learn to handle your boat, and the day the thruster fails you are up shyt creek.

 

Tam

[Wanderer Vagabond]

13 minutes ago, Bee said:

Well Ii suppose you can do what you like with your bowthruster, figure of eights, pirouettes and all sorts of ballet moves if thats what you really want.  but they are really useful tools (I wish I had one) and they are not toys. Most situations are manageable without a bow thruster and playing with a bow thruster does not really make for getting good boat handling skills. Sorry if that sounds a bit pompous- I'm just jealous of people who have one.

 

1 minute ago, Tam & Di said:

As a barge handling school we always told trainees that bow thrusters were potentally very useful, BUT they should not be used until the they could steer the boat witout one. If you use a bow thruster all the time when the tiller could do a better job then you are never going to learn to handle your boat, and the day the thruster fails you are up shyt creek.

 

Tam

As you say, most of what you want to do with a boat can be done with engine and rudder, a bow thruster is just a frippery. I'm not envious of those who have them because they bring a variety of problems of their own, starting with the issue Tracy identifies that they are excellent for gathering up plastic bags and weed but they don't come with a weed hatch so clearing them is just so much more fun. If you pay to have your boat blacked it is often an area that is either missed or not properly blacked which can lead to rusting and a hole developing in the Bow Thruster tube would be a true joy to deal with.

 

The only occasion I would enjoy the benefit of a bow thruster would be when reversing for long distances, but how often does that happen? (and I have my own strategy for that now anyway, involving long ropes and someone on the towpath).

 

How people who have bow thrusters use them is entirely their choice, but I'm not a bow thruster person.

[DaveR]

So many forget that bow thrusters are not effective when the boat is moving forward.

 

After many years in ships with bow thrusters I know how good they are when used correctly.

 

 

 

[Tony1]

 

I had a bow thruster when I first got the boat, and I thought it was great being able to get the bow away from the many weedy, reedy banks that I inadvertently got stuck on. 

Then my wonderful bow thruster broke.

Then I realised that bow thrusters are the work of the devil, and used only by villainous cowards who should all be shot. 

For the religious folks, I would remind you of the old psalm about it being easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than it is for a boater with a bow thruster to get into Heaven.

 

Edited September 7, 2022 by Tony1

[MtB]

Surely the main use for a bow thruster is when reversing a mile to the water point.

[Wanderer Vagabond]

6 minutes ago, Tony1 said:

 

I had a bow thruster when I first got the boat, and I thought it was great being able to get the bow away from the many weedy, reedy banks that I inadvertently got stuck on. 

Then my wonderful bow thruster broke.

Then I realised that bow thrusters are the work of the devil, and used only by villainous cowards who should all be shot. 

For the religious folks, I would remind you of the old psalm about it being easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than it is for a boater with a bow thruster to get into Heaven.

 

's funny but over the years I've decided that it isn't the bow that I want to get away from the reedy weedy banks but the stern. If you can get your stern into the middle of the cut (where it should normally be at it's deepest) with a clear prop you can do what you like. If however you push the bow out, because of the rotation of the boat around it's central point, it logically means that the stern will then go into those weedy, reedy banks that you are trying to get away from, only now you have the weedy, reedy bits around your prop

[Tracy D'arth]

1 minute ago, MtB said:

Surely the main use for a bow thruster is when reversing a mile to the water point.

I find a tyre on a rope better.

[MtB]

Just now, Tracy D'arth said:

I find a tyre on a rope better.

 

I can never reach the buttons.

 

[Tony1]

1 minute ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

's funny but over the years I've decided that it isn't the bow that I want to get away from the reedy weedy banks but the stern. If you can get your stern into the middle of the cut (where it should normally be at it's deepest) with a clear prop you can do what you like. If however you push the bow out, because of the rotation of the boat around it's central point, it logically means that the stern will then go into those weedy, reedy banks that you are trying to get away from, only now you have the weedy, reedy bits around your prop

 

Of course common sense tells me you're right, but losing my bow thruster felt like I was breaking up with an attractive pop singer.

It was just an ornament for my ego. I never really needed it, and I never really liked it that much, and it impeded my development as a human being. 

But if I had a new bow thruster tomorrow, I'd be pressing that red button like it was going out of fashion.  

 

 

[ditchcrawler]

22 minutes ago, Tony1 said:

 

I had a bow thruster when I first got the boat, and I thought it was great being able to get the bow away from the many weedy, reedy banks that I inadvertently got stuck on. 

Then my wonderful bow thruster broke.

Then I realised that bow thrusters are the work of the devil, and used only by villainous cowards who should all be shot. 

For the religious folks, I would remind you of the old psalm about it being easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than it is for a boater with a bow thruster to get into Heaven.

 

Engines breakdown, diesel gets the bug, props get fouled with tyres, why not just use a mule

[Chris John]

Not sure there’s a rule on when and when not to use them. I’ve certainly got one and it gets used when needed. As a single handed boater at times it’s very handy and (touch wood) has never been blocked in 3 years  

[Tony1]

1 minute ago, ditchcrawler said:

Engines breakdown, diesel gets the bug, props get fouled with tyres, why not just use a mule

 

This is genius.

You need to market this idea asap- some type of horse-based animal pulling a canal boat... 

 

 

[MartynG]

14 minutes ago, Tony1 said:

 

This is genius.

You need to market this idea asap- some type of horse-based animal pulling a canal boat... 

 

 

It cruel to the horse , apparently

[Rob-M]

Having moored at Great Haywood junction for a couple of days it was surprising how many boats used their bow thruster to get round the junction and there were still a few that hit the side with thruster whirring away.

[Tony1]

11 minutes ago, MartynG said:

It cruel to the horse , apparently

 

Good point. Nobody likes animal cruelty. 

But there is an alternative. There are tens of billions of young layabouts cruising around town centres on illegal escooters at this very moment, mowing down innocent pensioners by the thousands.  Or worse, wasting time in gender studies classes, or some similar woke-ish nonsense.  

All we have to do is to (literally) harness this vast pool of untapped labour, by lashing a brace of the young blighters to each boat. Boats of 60ft and over would be allowed two pairs. 

Think of the reduced carbon emissions. Think of the fuel savings.

I say strike now, before the government cotton on, and throw them all down coalmines- or set them to building Spitfires.  

 

 

 

 

Edited September 7, 2022 by Tony1

[Tracy D'arth]

10 hours ago, MtB said:

 

I can never reach the buttons.

 

What buttons?

[Tonka]

11 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

I suppose if you've got one you might as well use it.

Why push if you don't have to? With my back, I'd certainly use a bowthruster if I'd got one. And, half the time, the bank is in such a state it's dodgy to stand on anyway.

 

The banks are in a state because they get washed away by plonker's using bow thrusters.  When a simple push is needed

[pearley]

6 minutes ago, Tonka said:

The banks are in a state because they get washed away by plonker's using bow thrusters.  When a simple push is needed

I have a bow thruster but would never use it to get away from a grass bank for this very reason.

[Bee]

I still wish  had one. Having to keep in position for a while. e.g. while a lock opens or bridge lifts or swings is a right pain, youwatch the bow drift off a bit, correct it with the rudder, then it does it again, then a bit of current gets the boat and then you are carried screaming over the weir when just a bit of a shove with the bow thruster would have saved you. Its not so serious on a small canal but bigger waterways can be difficult and you can look a bit of a prat with the boat buried in the bushes when all the smug gits with bowthrusters are happily parked in the river.

[robtheplod]

I try not to use ours if i can and I'm convinced im not as good as i should be because i have and use one. 

[MtB]

41 minutes ago, Bee said:

I still wish  had one. Having to keep in position for a while. e.g. while a lock opens or bridge lifts or swings is a right pain, youwatch the bow drift off a bit, correct it with the rudder, then it does it again, then a bit of current gets the boat and then you are carried screaming over the weir when just a bit of a shove with the bow thruster would have saved you. Its not so serious on a small canal but bigger waterways can be difficult and you can look a bit of a prat with the boat buried in the bushes when all the smug gits with bowthrusters are happily parked in the river.

 

 

I'm surprised you say this as I've never had a bow thruster and rarely have any problem hovering about mid cut when the need arisies. In fact I quite enjoy doing it. On a river it's even easier with a bit of current. Maybe its easier in a narrow boat than a proper boat-shaped boat like Bee.