Hunter 41 Bow Thruster

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patrick17440

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Jun 7, 2007
28
- - Newport Beach CA
I plan on installing a bow thruster on my 2008 H41 DS and I do have the
instructions from Hunter describing the install using a 6" tube in the forward
cabin just aft of the head door. The largest thruster with a 6" tube I could find is
a Vetus Bow 55, 3 hp with 121lbs of thrust compared to Lewmar or Side Power
with 91 lbs of thrust. Has any H41 owners installed the unit forward of the head
and aft of the chain locker? If this install is possible, moving the thruster several
feet closer to the bow should increase performance. Any comments or advise
would be appreciated.
 
M

M_Michaels

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Feb 17, 2013
53
Hunter 380 Port Clinton, Ohio
I have a 2002 Hunter 380. I installed an Exturn 24 volt thruster in the open compartment forward of my water tank. Best 5k I ever spent. Unit is mounted way up front. Plenty of control. I have a joystick at the helm and a wireless remote. Purchased from a company in Germany. Martimus Boot, I think. It does not slow the boat down when sailing one bit. I installed it myself in one day. Very pleased.
 

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SEMPERAVANTI41

SEMPERAVANTI41

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Jun 15, 2012
697
BAVARIA C57 Greenport, NY
I have personally installed the Lewmar unit in my 2007 41 DS and have already posted pictures of the install on this site. The space for the 6" tube is extremely tight. If the Vetus tube is only slightly larger in diameter it may not fit. I bet the Vetus is made in a metric size so you would want to measure the actual diameter as the 6" as stated may be a nominal diameter.
In my opinion it would be impossible to install the bow thruster forward of the head. There is simply no room.
I have been satisfied with the performance of the Lewmar unit, but more power would never hurt. I am pretty sure I looked at all available thruster systems and concluded that the Lewmar was the most powerful that would fit.
 
uncledom

uncledom

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Jun 11, 2011
1,243
Hunter 41 Lewes
Patrick, forward of the head is a hollow under the chain locker not really before it. The problem is the boat isn't very wide at that point nor is it very deep in the water.
 
I

ice breaker

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Sep 11, 2011
392
Hunter 41AC Bayfield WI, Lake Superior
Like Uncledom said, the 41 is too shallow forward of the head. There would be no water for it to bite, and an over speed of the thruster would result.
 
microsnout

microsnout

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Nov 26, 2016
9
Hunter 38 Gananoque, Ontario
Clearly, with no head in the bow, there is more space in a H38. I thought my just purchased 2007 H38 had the factory installed thruster which was a common option (as well as the 40hp engine upgrade) but found out at the survey that the seller had it installed in 2014 and that it exceeded the recommended size. It is a Max-Power CT80 with 6.4 hp and a 7.25" (185mm) tunnel! Thrust is 152lbs. I should have realized it was not a factory install when I saw his charging system which was a portable automotive type charger sitting in the v-berth plugged into an outlet. I plan to fix this by adding a Sterling Power Systems 30A battery to battery charger. Actually I think he should have chosen the 24v model - since he put 2 batteries in the bow, might as well put them in series, use smaller gauge cable, a 12 to 24 volt battery to battery charger and end up with 7.1hp.
 
P

patrick17440

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Jun 7, 2007
28
- - Newport Beach CA
The Vetus tube is 5 29/32 inches in diameter, so it should fit.
The boat is located in Cape Coral Fl, and Florida Bow Thruster
will do the install in 2 weeks. It looks like the only location
is in the forward cabin per Hunters recommendation. Thanks
everyone for your response.
 
I

ice breaker

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Sep 11, 2011
392
Hunter 41AC Bayfield WI, Lake Superior
SEMPERAVANTI41 said:
I have personally installed the Lewmar unit in my 2007 41 DS and have already posted pictures of the install on this site. The space for the 6" tube is extremely tight. If the Vetus tube is only slightly larger in diameter it may not fit. I bet the Vetus is made in a metric size so you would want to measure the actual diameter as the 6" as stated may be a nominal diameter.
In my opinion it would be impossible to install the bow thruster forward of the head. There is simply no room.
I have been satisfied with the performance of the Lewmar unit, but more power would never hurt. I am pretty sure I looked at all available thruster systems and concluded that the Lewmar was the most powerful that would fit.
Click to expand
Did you see any performance degradation from installing the thruster? I have read that there can be issues. Thanks
 
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