Bow thruster advice?

[Tired n Giddy]

Has anyone had experience with after market bow thrusters. Particularly the Sideshift brand. I have a Hunter 260 with water ballast. I find it sits rather high in the water and shifts easily manoevering out of the harbour. I thought add-on bow thrusters might make the boat handle more responsively. (and yes, I do have the centreboard fully extended)

Any advice?

thanks

Grayley

 

[Ed Schenck]

Are you joking? You would compromise the sailing to have your bow move sideways? On a 26-footer?! There must be more to the story.

 

[Manny]

Ed's right, a bow thruster on a 26'? I don't know how far forward the water ballast tank extends but I can't imagine there is space for the thruster and all the associated hardware. The 260 has an outboard, correct? Does it turn with the rudder? If not you can try to link it with the rudder and you will be much more maneuverable.

M

 

[Bill Roosa]

Consider that in addition to the somewhat ill conceived thruster install which you most assuredly do not have the space for (I barely have room in my 40.5’) you will need some additional batteries and some way to keep them charged. The thruster motor draws something like 70+ amps when operating but you only run it for brief periods so a massive battery bank is not needed. You still need room for all this stuff however and it will most likely go in the bow and is really heavy so you might have to renegotiate the location of the outboard to lower it so it still works as the boat will be significantly bow down in the water.

And it will kill your sailing performance.
And it is expensive, very expensive. Think of all the beer you could have bought!!! That right there makes it a non starter.

I’d recommend “Chapman’s Piloting” available at WM stores near you

 

[Barnacle Bill]

LOL. Well, lots of freeboard becomes a problem with a side wind in tight quarters and that is one thing one can expect when buying a small boat with lots of headroom and an internal ballast water tank to boot. There is a compromise to everything, right?

 

[cephius (Dave)]

One solution used by a H260 owner was to mount a trolling motor.

 

[peptobysmol]

One solution used by a H260 owner was to mount a trolling motor.

Heck yeah! Just git one of dem wit da fancy trim and remote controls. Shoot, would work like a charm... until u sheered it off at da dock!

But, I have seen pics of one like this...