Bow Thruster by eXturn

[MSN-Travelers]

Does anybody out there have an external bow thruster, by eXturn, installed on their boat? I want to hear if it has performed as advertized. I am especially interested in owners that operate in a fresh water environment such as the Great Lakes.

Please, don’t lecture about seamanship, spring lines or learning to live with/love your prop walk. This is my wife’s idea and “happy wife = happy life”. :dance:

 

[CCHer]

No knowledge on the exturn but as to your second paragraph, after forty years of sailing several boats I've owned without one, my current (and last I think) boat has a thruster and would not want to go back. Though I've become a competent (or at least semi-competent) boat handler over the years it makes life aboard so much more enjoyable. Go for it. Your wife is right on!

 

[31seahorse]

Hello MSN-Travelers,
I watched the video of the thruster. As it was playing my wife looked over my shoulder and said, "Who wouldn't like that?" Maneuverability looks outstanding. At anchor I might have a small convern for the shape of the aft end of the thruster. It looks like a place for an anchor line to be entangled if the boat turned on a slack line. That could be guarded against by one of the anchor kettles that we talk about from time to time. (I use one regularly, but that is off subject.) The thruster looks like a winner that would simplify docking in current, wind, waves, tight waterways, etc.

A friend of mine (even though he runs a 32' trawler) added a bow thruster internally. It is fine as expected. Cutting the large holes through the bow was an important process to plan very well and took a lot of courage to start the cutting. The exturn looks as though the opening will be smaller and only one.

I did see a thruster that bolts to the bow above the waterline and did not think too much of that installation.

Best Wishes on your project.

 

[joker460]

I had thought about that thruster until I saw the price. Also we may have a small problem with the bow water tank being in the way and also the boat structural grid.