Bow Thrusters
- Thread starter rrio
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"I am wondering if the SS 230 BOW THRUSTER is worth the $2,500.00."
No
No
A lot can be said for getting proficient without the need for thrusters of course. I have thrusters and I use them to position in the slip to help set up lines. I watch boats without thrusters with good skippers who come into their slips banging off the sides, needing to overcompensate for the wind in order to setup effectively. Me, I prefer to keep my boat looking pristine and if thrusters help that, they are worth it to me.
If you want one and you have the money,more power to you. Theres a lot of things I have on my boat, somethings I hope I never need.... But if I do,,,, I'll be glad I had it. Beening miles off shore , theres not to many stores out there to get it then.
Holy crap here we go again... Jim WTF....
Raul.... Dont know to much about the side thruster... but anything that will aide u and make u more comfortable boating is a great idea... just do research on the product .... The thruster debate here as u saw runs deep.... Jims not a bad guy.... just has an opinion like many....
Rob
Raul.... Dont know to much about the side thruster... but anything that will aide u and make u more comfortable boating is a great idea... just do research on the product .... The thruster debate here as u saw runs deep.... Jims not a bad guy.... just has an opinion like many....
Rob
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unless you routinely need to dock in a tricky spot... ex... your home slip is very exposed to wind or current with rocks nearby or boats sticking out... you really shoudlnt' need a thruster on a single IO under 30... (or a larger twin). As rob said, it's an old debate here... my concern with thrusters is that when people start relying on them too much, they can get into even more trouble when the thing fails or can't fight a strong wind or current. and since i was hit by my neighbor who thought the thruster would turn his bow away before hitting, i feel even stronger about it ! 
Grady Wahoo
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Raul, apparently you picked the wrong forum to ask about thrusters.
Along with all the smartazz replies, you'll get the advice about how to manuever/dock the boat using a spring line. If you run solo, as I do much of the time, the spring line thing is not an option. You didn't mention if your boat is single or twin screw. If it's a single, the bow thruster is a nice option. I was recently looking at the small Vetus thruster for my Grady. The town dock I frequent is perpendicular to the current. On an incoming tide, if the current has me pinned to the dock, the thruster would be quite useful.
Happy Boating,
Mike
Along with all the smartazz replies, you'll get the advice about how to manuever/dock the boat using a spring line. If you run solo, as I do much of the time, the spring line thing is not an option. You didn't mention if your boat is single or twin screw. If it's a single, the bow thruster is a nice option. I was recently looking at the small Vetus thruster for my Grady. The town dock I frequent is perpendicular to the current. On an incoming tide, if the current has me pinned to the dock, the thruster would be quite useful.
Happy Boating,
Mike
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Last week we had high winds for about 4 days, sustained in the mid 20's - mid 30's. A watched a guy with a Formula 400SS try to get into the slip, he was using the bow thruster. That thruster barely moved that boat! All you could hear was the howling of the thruster motor, or should I say whine of the thruster motor. I thouht to myself, "Geez just use the engines, turn yourself straight and pull into the slip!" It took him 3 attempts to get into the slip, but he finally made it. I bet that thruster battery was nearly dead after all the messing around he did with it.
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"If you run solo, as I do much of the time, the spring line thing is not an option."
Why not?
Why not?
Grady Wahoo
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Uhm, because I'm at the helm.
Every time I get a new magazine and see an article on "Docking a single screw", or something similar, I open it up, start reading about the use of spring lines and realize the writer's assuming there's a mate on board and/or a dock hand waiting for a line.
If I get off the boat to hook a spring line to the dock, I'm not getting back on board to make an attempt to paralell park. I'm gonna pull it in by hand!
I agree with Grady Wahoo, as I know that in most of my docking situations I surely don't have time to run back and forth from the helm to grab and attach a spring line.
If I did try, I'm quite certain that my boat would be wrapped up with a few others well before I ever got back to the helm.
If I did try, I'm quite certain that my boat would be wrapped up with a few others well before I ever got back to the helm.
We're really falling down here guys. He rrio asked how efffective a particular brand thruster was. The very first reply contained only irrelevent information, and subsequent replies haven't done much better.
JimP, do you really think that the extra length and weight of your boat makes it MORE difficult to handle than a smaller boat, or were you just in such a hurry to mention your boating skills that the facts got away from you?
Jason witnessed an underpowered thruster, and it's lack of effectiveness. We can agree that: an underpowered thruster isn't effective, and no thruster replaces the need for skills.
I HOPE we can also agree that small boats aren't necessarily easier to handle than big boats.
A few weeks ago my neighbor docked his 48 sedan in a 15 MPH wind without his thruster. He did a no-touch, but I walked over as his "crew member" stumbled over the bow lines, wrapped them over the rail etc. With elderly passengers still relaxing on his bridge, he simply thrusted the bow over to me so I could take the port line from the rattled teen-ager's hand. I secured it, then I walked over and he thrusted to stbd and she handed me that line. No fuss, no yelling, no cracked fiberglass or heart attacks. His thruster did it's job that day. It was "effective".
ITK, it's not uncommon in the Great Lakes for marinas to not only lack pilings between wells, but to lack uprights on the docks themselves. Such docks are usually floating - way below the rubrail. I know of one port that doesn't even have cleats! They have "rings" instead. It's just not a good environment to be leaving the helm of a hard-to-handle vessel if there are tools that can assist instead.
Now if someone can just relay some experience with a Sideshift...
JimP, do you really think that the extra length and weight of your boat makes it MORE difficult to handle than a smaller boat, or were you just in such a hurry to mention your boating skills that the facts got away from you?
Jason witnessed an underpowered thruster, and it's lack of effectiveness. We can agree that: an underpowered thruster isn't effective, and no thruster replaces the need for skills.
I HOPE we can also agree that small boats aren't necessarily easier to handle than big boats.
A few weeks ago my neighbor docked his 48 sedan in a 15 MPH wind without his thruster. He did a no-touch, but I walked over as his "crew member" stumbled over the bow lines, wrapped them over the rail etc. With elderly passengers still relaxing on his bridge, he simply thrusted the bow over to me so I could take the port line from the rattled teen-ager's hand. I secured it, then I walked over and he thrusted to stbd and she handed me that line. No fuss, no yelling, no cracked fiberglass or heart attacks. His thruster did it's job that day. It was "effective".
ITK, it's not uncommon in the Great Lakes for marinas to not only lack pilings between wells, but to lack uprights on the docks themselves. Such docks are usually floating - way below the rubrail. I know of one port that doesn't even have cleats! They have "rings" instead. It's just not a good environment to be leaving the helm of a hard-to-handle vessel if there are tools that can assist instead.
Now if someone can just relay some experience with a Sideshift...
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Maybe it is me, but I fail to see how having a thruster is any benefit over a spring line to docking if you are solo. What are you going to do, bring the boat alongside and hope it magically stays there while you tie it off?
At least with a spring line you can hold the boat in place.
Both the Mrs. and I take the boat out solo and never have a problem using a spring line.
At least with a spring line you can hold the boat in place.
Both the Mrs. and I take the boat out solo and never have a problem using a spring line.
ITK, LOTS of boats, and LOTS of situations never call for a thruster. In other situations, they can be very useful. btw, I don't have a thruster - I've just been in places and on boats where I was very glad to have that lever as a option.
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SLW:
I am not saying they are not useful, however, back to the original question, I am saying they are not worth $2,500.00 on a 26' boat that is not a straight inboard.
I am not saying they are not useful, however, back to the original question, I am saying they are not worth $2,500.00 on a 26' boat that is not a straight inboard.
Grady Wahoo
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The "spring line" being referred to here should not be confused with a diagonal dock line. It's a "method" where one pulls the boat forward and pivots the stern out via. a bow fender and a "spring line". This requires a crew of at least two people. If no one's there to undo the spring line, you'll be back where you started once you leave the helm.
If the wind or current is pushing your boat toward the dock you will have to do some extra planning.
1. Cast off all lines except an after bow spring line. This line will keep you from moving forward and allow the stern to pivot away from the dock. (see illustration)
2. You may want to use a fender forward to cushion the bow of the boat against the dock.
3. Turn the motor or rudder to the direction necessary to push the stern away from the dock.
4. Shift into forward at idle speed. Slowly, very slowly.
5. The stern will swing away from the dock. When it is clear of all obstacles and traffic, cast off the spring line and back away from the dock.
6. When you are safely away, shift to forward and idle away from the dock.
Same method in reverse (sort of) for docking paralell in a tight slip.
diagram: http://www.boatingbasicsonline.com/course/boating/7_2.php
Or, get the bow thruster, get the bow out and put it in forward.....