Bow thrusters - how important are they, and at what length are they a must?

MFD

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Jun 23, 2016
93
Hunter 41DS Seattle
I have a Hunter 41DS with a bow thruster. Back in the day I used sail my somewhat heavy 30 footer in and out of the dock when I knew conditions were right but that is also because I knew the boat like it was part of my body. Having gotten back into sailing only a couple of years ago and buying what is for me a sorta-big-boat, and wanting to be able to single hand the bow thrusters were a not a requirement but strongly preferred when shopping around.

So... after a year with the 41DS and the thrusters here is my impression - and most people on this forum (that stayed on topic) are correct even though their opinions may seem to conflict.
#1. They are great to have when working in tight marinas especially when solo or with a newbie crew.
#2. They are yet one more thing to maintain.
#3. If you expect them to be useful (at least the factory ones I have) in heavy wind/tide conditions when you think they would really be helpful - they will not be. Mine are factory installed and no where close to being able to deal with a 25kn gust masthead gust (maybe 10kn on the hull) for a couple minutes.

I am glad I have them and they make what could be somewhat stressful situations be far more relaxed and a little bit more fun. Overall though definitely not a replacement for proper boat handling. If my boat did not have them, I would definitely spend $10k on something else for the boat. If you do have them, enjoy but also make sure you never get reliant on them and keep improving your, and your crew's skills.
 
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May 10, 2017
1
Hunter 41 Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Club
Can anyone advise me if my factory installed Hunter 41 bower thruster has a serviceable anode?
 
May 21, 2009
360
Hunter 30 Smithfield, VA
I have a hunter 30 and wish I had one. Backing into the slip with single screw is fine at high or low tide, but when the tide is running it's a cast iron bear to get in without nailing the pilings. The slips are perpendicular to the current. I can get out with the tide running, but can't get back in by myself.
 

Gunni

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Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
Take your boat out on a calm day and find a lonely nav marker with no traffic nearby. Have the mate head down to make sandwiches while you practice backing and coming-to either side of the mark. Get a feel for your boat and how she prop-walks. Learn how to do a thrust stop. Teach yourself how to make your multi-ton beast obey your input. You weren't born knowing how to do this stuff. Although if you grew up on a farm and operated a tractor you have a leg up. Close-quarters boat control is probably one of the best classes you can attend.
 
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Likes: jon hansen
Dec 25, 2000
5,704
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
No interest here; no need nor want for one. Prefer to know the boat and how she responds to maneuvering.
 
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Likes: jon hansen

viper

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Jul 31, 2016
131
Hunter 380 Cape Coral, Fl
No interest here; no need nor want for one. Prefer to know the boat and how she responds to maneuvering.
After seeing people trying to dock their boat next to mine 9in high winds with extreme tidal flow), I want one and I want others to have one for the safety of all provided you are talking boats over 30 feet)!

You may not need one, but the guy coming beside you may very well need one...

Regards,

Viper
 

MitchM

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Jan 20, 2005
1,011
Nauticat 321 pilothouse 32 Erie PA
our boat came with a bow thruster so i and no choice. i once had to single hand my 33 ' heavy boat in 27 kts back into her home slip. the bow thruster was a huge help. aftermarket installs are of course more expensive than when it's ordered OEM.
 
Jun 9, 2004
615
Catalina 385 Marquette. Mi
Or new C-385 came with a factory thruster. We have had the boat now for 4 years in a very tight marina, and have never depended on or thought I needed one. What did sailors use before?? Fun to play with though, although somewhat embarrassed for other boaters to hear it in action.
Maybe in the future a bow thruster may come in handy......
 
May 11, 2017
3
Tranquility 380 Cape Harbour
Hi skipper...I own a Hunter 380, have my CG 50 ton license and have been sailing over 40 years and never drove a boat with a bow thruster until this past month. I've always prided myself for being able to get into a slip and making it look easy. I live in Cape Coral, FL and have to go through a narrow lock as soon as I leave the marina with a narrow channel as well. When returning at the end of an afternoon of sailing with several boats in line for the lock, if the wind s off the bow, it becomes treacherous with all the other boats in close proximity. One day with the wind over 20 knots off the bow I had to go stern to wind to hold my position and this worked so well I just backed through the lock. It also made me realize there had to be a better way. I bought an Exturn bow thruster whch I installed myself and added the remote control as well. One of the benefits of the remote is that I can use it on my windlass as well to raise or lower the anchor from the helm. For the record, I love the thruster and it's ability to assist in holding my position waiting my turn for the lock as well in minor corrections backing into the slip. $5,200 was a lot of money to me but no regrets so far. Capt. Lee
 
May 11, 2017
3
Tranquility 380 Cape Harbour
Hi skipper...I own a Hunter 380, have my CG 50 ton license and have been sailing over 40 years and never drove a boat with a bow thruster until this past month. I've always prided myself for being able to get into a slip and making it look easy. I live in Cape Coral, FL and have to go through a narrow lock as soon as I leave the marina with a narrow channel as well. When returning at the end of an afternoon of sailing with several boats in line for the lock, if the wind is off the bow, it becomes treacherous with all the other boats in close proximity. One day with the wind over 20 knots off the bow I had to go stern to wind to hold my position and this worked so well I just backed through the lock. It also made me realize there had to be a better way. I bought an Exturn bow thruster whch I installed myself and added the remote control. One of the benefits of the remote is that I can use it on my windlass as well to raise or lower the anchor from the helm. For the record, I love the thruster and it's ability to assist in holding my position waiting my turn for the lock as well in minor corrections backing into the slip. $5,200 was a lot of money to me but no regrets so far. Capt. Lee
 

viper

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Jul 31, 2016
131
Hunter 380 Cape Coral, Fl
Capt. Lee, do you dock your boat at Cape Harbour off the restaurant and outside bar dock.... and yours is a 20001 H380, in really great shape.

I reside on a sailboat access home near by, before the lock system... on Underhill Canal.

If that's the case, we have met several times and I have been aboard. I bought a 2000 H380 in Charleston last summer, only to have another racing sailboat fall on top of it, doing hull damage and breaking all standing rigging including the mast. Mine has been under repairs now for ten months, finally is in the water on the Cooper River. Will be going up next week to get ready for the long, long (900 miles) trip (4th trip) back to Cape Coral.

I will be adding a bow thruster during my first pull out down here. Need some time to recoup more funds. Looking at 8HP Lewmar. I have added already a remote to my windlass, cost 39 bucks, with 2 remotes on Amazon. Cheaper than running wire and took 30 minutes.

I have easy docking on my canal behind my house in the Cape, not so on the Cooper River in Charleston, huge tidal movement and not well protected... First time handling boat was in 35 knots (for days), with almost 1.5ft chop in the slip and a running tide. Got it into slip, with lots of help on the dock, first pass.... others not so lucky... I would have loved to had a bow thruster.... as others would have. And I will not always be docking in the passive protected canal behind my house.

The Bow thruster is like the folding Helm wheel (on my list) that people argue about, or companionway doors (after the folding wheel) until they get them or electric winches(2 already added)/drill or a generator ( trying to do w/o, with solar, wind, 2nd banks of house bats, and a small portable genset, Westinghouse 2500 watt, 44lbs, same size as Honda/Yamaha 2000s, same noise levels, better fuel economy and $579, or about half the price, can be hooked in parallel.. the diesel genset can run up to $14K installed and takes some great storage area up and I cant take it onshore to a beach. But if money grew on trees and I had a larger diesel tank onboard.....

Regards,

Viper, Captain of Mojito
 
May 11, 2017
3
Tranquility 380 Cape Harbour
Viper...I'm the same one. Give me a call and I'll take you out to see how well the Exturn bow thruster works.
Capt. Lee
239-898-3917
 

viper

.
Jul 31, 2016
131
Hunter 380 Cape Coral, Fl
Viper...I'm the same one. Give me a call and I'll take you out to see how well the Exturn bow thruster works.
Capt. Lee
239-898-3917
As soon as I get back after this 2-3 month trip from Charleston... and I hope we can make it back.... my luck has not been too good with this boat...

Last time I bought a boat and took it from Florida to Texas, I had 2 hurricanes hit before I left Florida and one that chased us back to Galveston...

I do worry about the external pod protruding, but then so does the keel and rudder. The internal tube is a tight fit on the H38. Have read where anchor lines end up around POD.

713-582-1707
 
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Sep 11, 2011
390
Hunter 41AC Bayfield WI, Lake Superior
I really like the thruster on the 41. I wish it had more power but it does make docking a snap. There's a lot less three cushion math going on in your head.
Do you know what model was installed? I have the install documents from Hunter, but they never specified the product. The reason I ask is that the install instructions talk about a 6 inch hole which would relate to the Lewmar 140TT, but the lewmar site is recommending the 185TT which needs a 7.5 inch tube. Given the location under the vanity flooring on a 41, sizing could be real important.

I am seriously thinking about getting this done at haul out.

Thanks!!
 
Jun 11, 2011
1,243
Hunter 41 Lewes
IB, the floor must be raised to just below the frame of the forward head door jam. There is no way to go bigger than 6" without causing a problem with that door jam. It would make the floor higher than the bottom of the jam which would look very odd. I agree that the 140 is lacking muscle for the task but it's a lot better than naught.
 
Sep 11, 2011
390
Hunter 41AC Bayfield WI, Lake Superior
Viper, Uncledom, thanks for the comments. So if I read this right you have a 4hp 140tt 3KW thruster? Is that true of any other H41 drivers?

Thanks
 
Jul 1, 2017
64
Hunter 356 Brightlingsea
Since I am single crew or just with my wife I wanted a BT, and I don't know if we have smaller marina berths here than you do in the USA, but getting in/out of some of them would be almost impossible without one. As a mechanic with GRP skills I didn't find it difficult to do. A specialist GRP guy wanted £1000 to install it.
I have a remote for both BT and Anchor windlass for single crew op's.
Installing a battery next to the BT is best, and you can use it to add to your ships 12v bus capacity as a back-up.
We did not sail the boat before fitting, so I don't know if it has affected speed.
I posted an article in the Mod's section: https://hunter.sailboatowners.com/mods.php?task=article&mid=59&aid=100125&mn=356
Do you need reversing sensors on a car? No, but it makes it a bit safer......"pays your money, makes your choice"......it's personal!
Neil
 

viper

.
Jul 31, 2016
131
Hunter 380 Cape Coral, Fl
I have a friend who purchased the external pod thruster for his H380. It was only 4K, and , does not take up room in the bow, no 4.5-6" hole passing thru the hole..... It works great, better than thru the hull.. The water keeps the motor cooler and 360 degree thrusting..

However, after going down the Intracoastal waterway, in S.C., where 1ft depth shoals suddenly appear in 22Ft of water, where your bow slides up on to the bar, in the middle of nowhere.. I don't think this is a good solution... If I had one, it would have been ripped off at least twice in 250 miles.

Would not want to be in the islands with one either!

Great Idea, but not if you do a lot of shallow water sailing.....

Regards,

Viper
 
Sep 11, 2011
390
Hunter 41AC Bayfield WI, Lake Superior
I have a Hunter 41DS with a bow thruster. Back in the day I used sail my somewhat heavy 30 footer in and out of the dock when I knew conditions were right but that is also because I knew the boat like it was part of my body. Having gotten back into sailing only a couple of years ago and buying what is for me a sorta-big-boat, and wanting to be able to single hand the bow thrusters were a not a requirement but strongly preferred when shopping around.

MFD:

Does the factory install have the forward built up lip to push the water past the back of the tube, or is it just one big radius flush into the hull? I ask as I plan to install one this winter, but Hunter's install info is a bit thin. It appears as if they only did a flush radius. Might you have a picture of it at haul out or survey?

Thanks.