Fitting a Bow Thruster

[Danny1234]

Hello all

Excuse the perhaps obvious question, ....

I'm in the process of designing/specifying a 48' x 12' wide beam canal boat.

I can't seem to find much in the way of diagrams/drawings of how one goes about fitting in a bow thruster. I gather you have a tube, but how does it get fitted into the tube (and how would you get it out again)? Is it 'slotted in' and housed in a vertical tube, which is connected to the horizontal tube?

[Grace and Favour]

Hello all

Excuse the perhaps obvious question, ....

I'm in the process of designing/specifying a 48' x 12' wide beam canal boat.

I can't seem to find much in the way of diagrams/drawings of how one goes about fitting in a bow thruster. I gather you have a tube, but how does it get fitted into the tube (and how would you get it out again)? Is it 'slotted in' and housed in a vertical tube, which is connected to the horizontal tube?

 

The thruster 'blade' sits in the horizontal tube, the power unit for the blade sits above it, external to the tube.

 

Call Vetus and they'll send you installation diagrams

[Ex- Member]

Hello all

Excuse the perhaps obvious question, ....

I'm in the process of designing/specifying a 48' x 12' wide beam canal boat.

I can't seem to find much in the way of diagrams/drawings of how one goes about fitting in a bow thruster. I gather you have a tube, but how does it get fitted into the tube (and how would you get it out again)? Is it 'slotted in' and housed in a vertical tube, which is connected to the horizontal tube?

 

It's usually fitted during the build, but can be retro fitted. It's basically a tube that runs across the bow horizontally, and propeller or thruster is situated in the middle of the tube which forces water left or right, the electric drive motor sits on the tube and drives the propeller inside the tube through a hole in the tube. I think you can disconnect the motor from the tube releasing the propeller and push it through the tube, or out of the weed hatch, not sure on that one though.

 

You'll be starting a debate on their worthiness, personally the cost of a bow thruster could be good money spent elsewhere on the boat for more important things. If you're operating the boat single handed it can have some advantage. They use quite a lot of power though when you run them and usually need batteries dedicated to them also. Learn to steer a boat and you don't really need one. It's one of those extras that if you're loaded you might fit

 

ETA There's a series of youtube tutorials on fitting a bow thruster here, a plastic boat but the principle is the same.

Edited April 19, 2012 by Julynian

[Arthur Brown]

Contact your chosen manufacturer and ask for the installation drawings, it's the only way of getting the correct details reliably.

 

Note also that thrusters use lots of power for short periods so a suitable local battery is needed and must be charged. (Unless you go the hydraulic route).

[larkshall]

48 footer widebeam, er why a bowthruster?

[ChrisPy]

for Vetus there are 2 circular holes to be cut in the top of the tube. use the gasket supplied as a template, then use a hole cutter.

one hole takes the drive shaft, the second is just a locating pin to prevent rotation.

[mrsmelly]

 

 

Call Vetus and they'll send you installation diagrams

 

And then call the bank manager for the second mortgage on your house if you buy from Vetus...........with a pot in reserve for if it goes wrong.

 

Tim

[RLWP]

If you are going to fit one, bite the bullet and fit a proper hydraulic one.

 

Richard

[matty40s]

48 footer widebeam, er why a bowthruster?

 

....so that he can go directly across the canal to the water point/pub without having to turn corners.

[Grace and Favour]

48 footer widebeam, er why a bowthruster?

 

Maybe the OP would like one?

[Ark Right]

for Vetus there are 2 circular holes to be cut in the top of the tube. use the gasket supplied as a template, then use a hole cutter.

one hole takes the drive shaft, the second is just a locating pin to prevent rotation.

 

There are four holes required 1x 30mm for the drive, 2x 9mm for the fixing bolts and 1x 9mm for the oil filler point. There is no locating pin as such.

A

[ChrisPy]

There are four holes required 1x 30mm for the drive, 2x 9mm for the fixing bolts and 1x 9mm for the oil filler point. There is no locating pin as such.

A

memory fade - senior moment

[Tam & Di]

Hello all

Excuse the perhaps obvious question, ....

I'm in the process of designing/specifying a 48' x 12' wide beam canal boat.

I can't seem to find much in the way of diagrams/drawings of how one goes about fitting in a bow thruster. I gather you have a tube, but how does it get fitted into the tube (and how would you get it out again)? Is it 'slotted in' and housed in a vertical tube, which is connected to the horizontal tube?

 

In addition to the other suggestions you can get a portable one. It is often referred to as a wife, thought sometimes as husband or even partner. You put a boatpole in their hands and shout "shove" They are quite useful for assistance at locks - much more so the the Vetus model, and if asked nicely can even make tea.

[Guest]

Danny - before you go to the expense of fitting one seriously consider if it something you really really need. We were convinced when we were buying our boat that we needed one, well actually Jan was.

 

As it happened the boat we bought in the end didn't have one. Jan does most of the low speed steering (in and and out of locks, mooring etc.) and whilst we have encountered certain situations where one may have made things a bit easier eg pushing the bow of a 60 ft boat across a short lock to get the gate open we have yet to encounter a situation where one would be deemed absolutely essential. She is now absolutely convinced the other way.

 

Certainly none of the situations we encountered where having one would have made things easier would have justified the additional expense and maintenance costs.

[Grace and Favour]

In addition to the other suggestions you can get a portable one. It is often referred to as a wife, thought sometimes as husband or even partner. You put a boatpole in their hands and shout "shove" They are quite useful for assistance at locks - much more so the the Vetus model, and if asked nicely can even make tea.

 

Tam! - - -I've tried that!!!!

 

In fact - the Doctor has said that my cracked skull will mend in only a couple of months

 

Apparently it was me bellowing "Shove off" that caused her fast, and violent, reaction!

[Biggles]

I think its definitaly money well spent if you have it in your budget.

 

Have a look here and here at how the vetus one fits. I guess they are all fairly simular. If you are fitting out a whole boat PM me and I can pass on details of where I got all my Vetus kit at good prices.

 

[ditchcrawler]

I think its definitaly money well spent if you have it in your budget.

 

Have a look here and here at how the vetus one fits. I guess they are all fairly simular. If you are fitting out a whole boat PM me and I can pass on details of where I got all my Vetus kit at good prices.

 

If I fitted one again I would put it at one end of the tube so you can reach the blades easily if you need to pull crap out. I agree they are not essential but can be dead handy at times. Have you considered twin screws at the back instead ?

[Biggles]

If I fitted one again I would put it at one end of the tube so you can reach the blades easily if you need to pull crap out. I agree they are not essential but can be dead handy at times. Have you considered twin screws at the back instead ?

 

Would that not mess with the trust balance? Even in my wide beam the prop is reachable from both sides once one it in the water.

 

Also if the worst should happen the tube is in a water tight locker so if needed the BT could be removed in the water without the need for slipping. That might be worthwhile in your design.

Edited April 20, 2012 by Biggles

[blackrose]

I think its definitaly money well spent if you have it in your budget.

 

I agree. I have absolutely no regrets in having a proper electric one fitted on my 57 x 12ft widebeam. I move my boat single-handed, but for me a hydraulic BT wouldn't have been worth the extra expense. As long as the charging system works and you don't overuse it, an electric BT is fine.

[Biggles]

I agree. I have absolutely no regrets in having a proper electric one fitted on my 57 x 12ft widebeam. I move my boat single-handed, but for me a hydraulic BT wouldn't have been worth the extra expense. As long as the charging system works and you don't overuse it, an electric BT is fine.

 

 

For the odd blip on a BT hydraulic is way OTT on both cost and infrastructure. However if you are going to spend all day doing doughnuts on the water hydraulic wll be the way to go.

 

In a 60' boat you'd be looking at probably 100' of hose that needs filling, and purging, maintaining, etc.

 

12v has its limitations but it's plenty good enough for our sort of boating.

 

My BT knocks out 95 kg of force, my wife at best can only knock out 55kg of force, and then not exactly when needed or for as long as needed. The little joystick is 100% on demand delivering 100% force.

 

If you have never used a BT you would be AMAZED at just how much the boat moves with a 2 second blast, even a 1 second blast.

Edited April 20, 2012 by Biggles

[ChrisPy]

Would that not mess with the trust balance?

 

Also if the worst should happen the tube is in a water tight locker so if needed the BT could be removed in the water without the need for slipping. That might be worthwhile in your design.

no, but why does it matter? the BT is a crude and effective device. balance is irrelevant.

 

I agree with the second point.

[blackrose]

Would that not mess with the trust balance? Even in my wide beam the prop is reachable from both sides once one it in the water.

 

 

It doesn't mess with the balance - at least not in any perceptible way. Because of the design of my hull, to get the tunnel far enough underwater it had to be set back about 9ft from the tip of the bow. Not ideal for thrust efficiency but that's another story. Anyway, the tunnel is about 11ft wide and my thruster is installed about 1ft from the port side to allow access to the prop. Because the thrust is coming out of a tube there's no difference in thrust to port or starboard. The only factor that could make any difference is the friction of the water as it hits the sides of the tunnel and I guess that results in minimal losses.

Edited April 21, 2012 by blackrose

[STIG]

by all means have the tubes fitted into the hull, but I wouldn`t bother with the thruster, they`re more trouble than they`re worth. Much more satisfaction knowing you can steer properly without the use of a bowthruster

[blackrose]

by all means have the tubes fitted into the hull, but I wouldn`t bother with the thruster, they`re more trouble than they`re worth. Much more satisfaction knowing you can steer properly without the use of a bowthruster

 

After nearly 7 years I can definitely say that my BT has been less trouble than it's worth - much less.

 

I can steer properly without the use of the BT, but it's still nice to have.

[ChrisPy]

After nearly 7 years I can definitely say that my BT has been less trouble than it's worth - much less.

 

I can steer properly without the use of the BT, but it's still nice to have.

Mike, I tend to ignore the smart-asses who know that BTs are unnecessary. Of course they are the experts, they are right, and we should know better. So I just turn my deaf ear to them.

 

 

 

Just for badness I'm considering fitting a BT to my Frolic 21 'toy boat'. It is very difficult to turn in a narrow channel.

Edited April 21, 2012 by ChrisPy