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Waterproof bulkhead for bow thruster

charles123

By charles123
in Boat Building & Maintenance

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charles123 Rising Star

charles123

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2u7rssj.jpg

 

This picture illustrates our bow thruster tube arrangement prior to the water holding tank being installed. Our boat is a trad with a well deck that has a sealed access plate above the

bow thruster for maintenance purposes.

 

Personally, my main concern is not the problem of leakage from the bow thruster or mounting plate, but that of potential corrosion to the tube itself. So much so, whilst the boat was out for grit blasting and two-pack blacking, I requested that the bow thruster tube be grit blasted too.

 

To facilitate this, I bought a blanking plate from the BT manufacturers, removed the bow thruster and installed the plate. This allowed the grit blaster unimpeded access to prepare the tube for blacking. Once done, I attached a household hand brush to a long wooden pole, then proceeded to apply several coats of epoxy tar. Prior to this, I welded two stainless steel bolts to the mouth of the tube (one at each end) to allow anodes to be bolted in place after blacking.

 

Some boaters may think this a little over the top, but if you speak to any experienced marine engineers, I'm sure they could recount stories of BT tubes corroding badly when unprotected.

 

Mike

 

Mike

 

You have the same potential issue I have, ie no containment for the tube and unit from the rest of the boat, yours is a different design once again than I expected. I thought the well deck design has the tube and unit in a separate compartment

 

By the way I specified a weed hatch which is again not the norm and may not be necessary at all to be able to get at the prop to clear it as the mesh on the hull side of the tub prevents "stuff" from getting into the tube

 

Charles

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Doorman Veteran

Doorman

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Hi Charles,

 

as i say, I don't have an issue with potential BT leakage. Ours is a Nobels 9hp thruster that

has the motor mounted parallel to the tube and drive is accomplished through a triplex chain coupling two sprockets accordingly. If the propshaft seal failed, the ingress of canal water would not rise above the BT housing.

 

I would suggest to anyone who has a bow thruster, to seriously consider having the tube prepared and blacked on their next blacking date. Also, the small BT tube anodes are an additional precaution at a reasonable cost.

 

Mike

Edited by Doorman
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blackrose Veteran II

blackrose

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That's comforting to know, thank you for sharing this with us

 

Charles

 

Don't worry Charles, I think what they really mean is that this thread reminds them that the very subject makes them feel aggrieved and compelled to make snide comments.

 

It's not possible to raise any questions on this particular piece of equipment on the forum without invoking such negative reactions.

Edited by blackrose
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Paul Evans Rising Star

Paul Evans

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Don't worry Charles, I think what they really mean is that this thread reminds them that the very subject makes them feel aggrieved and compelled to make snide comments.

 

It's not possible to raise any questions on this particular piece of equipment on the forum without invoking such negative reactions.

 

And deckchairs and popcorn were ordered in Post #2. I'm surprised it took so long to put them into use.

Edited by Paul Evans
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Doorman Veteran

Doorman

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Yup.... I was just thinking that this thread reminds me why I don't want one and never have... or pretend rivets either.

 

Tone

 

I find that the negativity levelled towards bow thrusters on narrow boats quite amusing. We have a boater friend who used to label their use as 'girlie buttons'. That is, until he witnessed me reversing our 60' narrow boat some 100 metres through a gauntlet of moored boats at dusk and then around a bend that was straddled by a skew bridge.

 

Personally, I believe that they are extremely useful under certain circumstances, but, unfortunately, tend to be over used and sometimes unnecessary.

 

In our case, we had to reverse back to an unsuitable mooring, after reaching a temporary overnight mooring space, that was occupied by several boats that had their mooring pins surrounded by what appeared to be a year's weed growth! :angry:

 

Everyone to their own I suppose.

 

Mike

Edited by Doorman
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canaldrifter Experienced

canaldrifter

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My boating is of the KISS variety. I don't have a complex battery charging/monitoring system either. My charging is selected by a clunky great manual switch, not relays or an electronic monitoring system. It is less likely to give trouble. In the same way I have no bow thruster, so it can't fail. I don't have pretend rivets because they serve no purpose.

 

Agreeing with a previously suggested view of how to avoid all the problems the OP is having in siting a BT by not having one is not a snide remark or being 'aggrieved'. It is presumptuous to suggest it is.

 

I enjoy the skills of handling my boat without the need for a BT. If it was an aircraft carrier I would think otherwise. Everyone to their own preference and vive la difference.

 

Tone

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blackrose Veteran II

blackrose

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Looks good - at that stage of build I guess there's no real reason not to put a bulkhead in there. I see it's just been tacked so use a good PU sealant - Sikaflex or Marineflex and don't forget the holes in the corners where the bearers meet if they haven't been welded up..

 

Looks like you've got some storage space down there - just keep anything away from the motor. Where is your watertank?

 

The above comment is the first snide comment made on this thread.

 

Tone

 

Really? Well it didn't look like your comments were appreciated by the OP.

Edited by blackrose
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