Bow Thrusters

[jddevel]

Firstly Hurrah. After 18 months of unbelievable ups and downs and frustration I`ve finally put a deposit

down on a sailaway. During that period I have attempted to acquire as much information and knowledge as is

possible both from this forum and other sources regarding what I think is necessary and what is just a

fancy. So it brings me to this post which is about bow thrusters and their benefits. Obviously to those of you well skilled in narrow boat handling it is more than likely not necessary and in fact may be frowned

upon. However as a couple of "mature years" whilst always up for a challenge advice is always appreciated when ever possible. Do we fit or not. Plus I read that whilst hydraulic systems are really the way to go

budgetry restraints at the moment somewhat discount this especially as I see numerous examples without one. Should we just learn!!!! The craft in question is a 57 foot semi.trad

Thanks

[Bewildered]

There are plenty of threads on here that cover this subject.

Regardless of what anyone has to say about it the choice is up to you, if you want one get it.

 

You will get arguments along the lines of, you don't need one the traditional boatmen never needed them. Of course the other side of this argument is that the original working boatmen also had a horse but soon got rid of it when engines were available.

 

I've even seen arguments to say that using one only shows poor boating skills. So what not everyone can control a boat perfectly, and in certain situations a bow thruster will be of help. It's a bit like saying that a car doesn't need power steering, you should be able to steer with rack and pinion. I think you will find however that power steering makes it easier.

 

Personally I think if bow thrusters were freely available 60 or 70 years ago all working boats would of had them. Why make life difficult.

 

Having said all that, no you don't need one. The question should be do I want one?

[system 4-50]

For me the question would be, do I intend to own this boat when I get to an age when every form of assistance is highly desirable or will I have moved on? One option is to get the tube built in but not bother with the gubbins (motor, electrics etc) at this time.

Edited September 6, 2016 by system 4-50

[jddevel]

What worries me a bit about the electric ones is both sizing and over use. Good idea about get the tube fitted anyway.

[ditchcrawler]

For me the question would be, do I intend to own this boat when I get to an age when every form of assistance is highly desirable or will I have moved on? One option is to get the tube built in but not bother with the gubbins (motor, electrics etc) at this time.

I would go along with that, A tube shouldn't add much to the bill, but could be a selling point even if you don't fit a thruster

[nicknorman]

We decided not to have a BT on our new build. I can't really think of an occasion when we've regretted that decision but then we are both fully mobile (for the time being!). All I would say is that if you do get one, try to drive the boat without using it if possible. One does see people using bow thrusters incessantly at times when it's not really necessary at all and this does make the steerer look a bit incompetent. And the noise is such a give-away! Also they can damage the bank if used near an unwalled or unpiled bank.

 

Then again they should probably be briefly run every now and again to stop them seizing up. Just do it when no-one is looking / in ear shot!

Edited September 6, 2016 by nicknorman

[Murflynn]

earwig oh again.

[Bewildered]

If you do get the tube fitted it might be an idea to get the wiring done also. This will save doing it later.

Make sure that it is the correct wiring and of the right size. Make sure it is clearly labelled at both ends.

[FadeToScarlet]

I have one on the 80' x 14'6" trip boat I skipper. I use it quite a lot, for example making sure the boat doesn't knock the bank when tying up (got to give the passengers a smooth trip!), speeding up turning around, or fine tuning the entrance into a lock.

 

So much so, that when it ate a sleeping bag, and we had to do a few trips without it, I missed it. Particularly when one couple, having their wedding reception aboard, decided to have their first dance as I was taking the boat into a lock. Nerve wracking, but got in without touching the sides.

 

When time and smoothness are money, they're great.

 

Conversely, I don't have one on my 72' narrowboat, and have only once or twice thought "I could do with a bowthruster now". I feel that there's only a couple of situations when it would've helped; the rest of the time, there's other ways around it.

 

For example, springing off or on to a bank. Run a line from the stern forwards, to a pin, ring, or piling hook, and put the boat into astern gear. This pulls against the rope, and the curve of the stern makes the fore end swing out. Into ahead gear, retrieve line, off you go. Similarly, if you're first into a wide lock going down, and you're sharing, and you want to keep the boat alongside the wall on your side so the boat you're sharing with can come straight in, slow the boat down with the engine then strap it gently to a stop, which will hold it on the correct side.

 

In most circumstances when you could use one, there's an alternative technique.

[Bettie Boo]

Our boat came with one when we bought it, as complete narrow boat novices it was used a lot in the first few months especially getting in and out of a marina & at the pump out facilities.

 

We burnt it out going through the first big tunnel we came to and as we were on a fairly tight schedule of a long trip (Braunston - Brentford & then up the Thames to Lechlade) we didn't have a chance to have a look at it. By the time we did have a chance to look at what the problem was, we didn't bother as by that time we had enough practice at doing locks, landing, winding holes & getting into mooring spots we no longer needed it or missed it.

 

There has been a couple of times that we felt it would have been handy, mostly on very windy days; but we've managed ok without it.

 

If it were me having a sail away built, I'd have the tube and wiring in place but not bother with the expense of having the actual BT installed. As someone else said, it could be an advantage if/when selling the boat in future years.

 

 

ETA - fat fingers

Edited September 6, 2016 by Bettie Boo

[Rob-M]

I think having a bow thruster stops people learning techniques to handle a boat as it is easy to just flick a button rather than learning how to manoeuvre their boat using the engine and lines.

[jddevel]

Rob-M. As a sailor I agree with your comment but I suppose it`s a case of "belt and braces". I think I`m persuaded by the

comments- get the wiring and tube fitted and see how life pans out.

[mattlad]

They do make reversing easier.

[Nickhlx]

Our boat builder, when asked, said they usually fit a bow thruster if the boat is over ~ 60 feet and main user is over ~60 as their rule of thumb. I am sure it would help the sale when the time comes and it definitely makes reversing a doddle as we had to, one day approx 2 miles, almost without taking out of reverse, using just occasional blips to correct. (That instilled a bit of confidence in the handling) If in doubt, I would fit the tube / wiring (our batteries were right next to it anyway so no big wiring needed for any length)

[Bettie Boo]

Our boat builder, when asked, said they usually fit a bow thruster if the boat is over ~ 60 feet and main user is over ~60 as their rule of thumb. I am sure it would help the sale when the time comes and it definitely makes reversing a doddle as we had to, one day approx 2 miles, almost without taking out of reverse, using just occasional blips to correct. (That instilled a bit of confidence in the handling) If in doubt, I would fit the tube / wiring (our batteries were right next to it anyway so no big wiring needed for any length)

 

Not trying to be a smarty pants or anything But don't you need to run a wire from the BT at the front to the toggle switch at the back where your horn & light switches are?

 

That is how ours is set up anyway

[PaddingtonBear]

No particular thoughts either way but they do seem to be not the most r liable bit of kit. I am our board s bow thruster btw.

[dmr]

A bow thruster is of limited use, but probably good if you are old and single handed and have already acquired good boat handling skills.

 

A bow thruster tube without a bow thruster is just a useless waste of precious space.

 

................Dave

[MtB]

As a single hander I would find a bow thruster useful occasionally, mainly for rare occasion when I want to reverse a long distance to a winding hole, say. Or I would imagine they are sometimes helpful when you find yourself stemmed up in the mud.

 

I don't really 'get' this idea that having a bow thruster will help one stay on the boat longer into one's final years of physical infirmity. Moving onto the bank will be prompted by other things, mainly deteriorating balance/agility, and insufficient strength to operate heavy paddles and gates at locks. I can't imagine a BT helping with either of those.

 

 

A bow thruster is of limited use, but probably good if you are old and single handed and have already acquired good boat handling skills.

 

A bow thruster tube without a bow thruster is just a useless waste of precious space.

 

................Dave

 

 

You could keep a large pet fish in it, I suppose... Or for farming signal crayfish.

 

Any other uses for an empty bow thruster tube?

Edited September 7, 2016 by Mike the Boilerman

[PaulG]

There are places on the canal system where a bow thruster would be a benefit.

For example, on the southern section of the Stratford, many of the by-washes emerge right by the lower lock entrance at 90 degrees to the direction you are travelling in.

I've often wished that I had a bow thruster to keep the boat going straight into the lock.

[Dalslandia]

As a captain of a boat with big airdraft, tricky bends, and time table to follow, I learned how and when to use the BT. did drive the same boat without for many years, it save one deckman. so it have paid its self. have changed one fuse and one contactor in 34 years.

 

it save paint and dents. specially this windy summer. 3 times this summer when approaching the dock at the end station, it was no wind.

 

As said, when reversing long stretches it is very handy to steer with the BT, compensate for prop walk and wind with the rudder, and short push with the BT

 

best control of the BT is with a joystick, and not push buttons,

 

I am sure a NB can be had without, on the other hand with, some situations will be easier.

 

down side with one and using it a lot, the reflex to use it is hard to break. but as a ship Pilot (canal pilot) said, if ship owner paid for one, the captain should use it.

 

If have one use it when needed, learn how to use is cleverly, with a BT a boat can be handled in ways that isn't possible others.

 

To have or not to have is still the question

Edited September 7, 2016 by Dalslandia

[nicknorman]

There are places on the canal system where a bow thruster would be a benefit.

For example, on the southern section of the Stratford, many of the by-washes emerge right by the lower lock entrance at 90 degrees to the direction you are travelling in.

I've often wished that I had a bow thruster to keep the boat going straight into the lock.

We've just done the S Stratford, no BT and it wasn't a problem. But then we tend to drive into locks at 2 or 3 mph. When we see the bywash exit, we anticipate that the boat will go sideways a bit by starting out being offset from the lock entrance a foot or so. The people who have problems are those who can't steer confidently and enter locks at 0.5mph in neutral!

[PaulG]

We've just done the S Stratford, no BT and it wasn't a problem. But then we tend to drive into locks at 2 or 3 mph. When we see the bywash exit, we anticipate that the boat will go sideways a bit by starting out being offset from the lock entrance a foot or so. The people who have problems are those who can't steer confidently and enter locks at 0.5mph in neutral!

It does depend on the amount of water coming down.

Of course you will anticipate the sideways movement, but it's not consistent from lock to lock. Especially when there's a lot of water coming down, every lock is different.

As you say, the boat will go sideways "a foot or so".

The problem is the "or so" bit of that statement. You have no way of knowing how big the "or so" factor is before you get there.

It can make the difference between gliding gracefully into the lock or clonking the wing wall at 2 or 3 mph.

Yes, you can do it without a BT with no problems, but there are times when a BT would be useful.

[Nickhlx]

 

Not trying to be a smarty pants or anything But don't you need to run a wire from the BT at the front to the toggle switch at the back where your horn & light switches are?

 

That is how ours is set up anyway

 

 

Yes - they fitted a control wire from the helm to the front, extra BT batteries at the front and also some "relatively light duty" charging cable, rather than two large / chunky cables the length of the boat.

[nicknorman]

Just passed Grendon dock, a few boats moored there but none breasted up so plenty of room for 2 boats to pass and it's quite deep up to the piling (which was on our side). But despite there being probably 14' between us and the moored boats, boat coming the other way decides to stop in the wide bit at the dock. WhizzGrindBrrrr on comes the bow thruster pushing to starboard. Few seconds later WhizzGrindBrrrr on comes the bow thruster to port, cancelling out the effect of the previous bow thruster blast.

 

Impression left? The guy didn't really know how to steer, how wide his boat was, and probably finds it all a bit stressful. A shame

[Detling]

As said brilliant for reversing you steer by nudging the bow one way or t'other with the bow thruster so much easier than using the tiller. I also find it useful when sharing a lock as it can be used to ensure the bow doesn't swing across when the other boat is coming in, also you can basically move the boat sideways across a lock using the engine and bow thruster, very useful when the poor person coming in second mis-judges the by-wash or is hit by a gust of wind and now needs to come in where you are.