Bow thruster for my MacGregor 26-M
- Thread starter Les Ratekin
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I think you should. We all need to help the industry and the economic.
Everybody spend, we'll have a recovery.
Cant help!!
Everybody spend, we'll have a recovery.
Cant help!!
Normally sailboats with bowthrusters have to have their diesel running so the alternator can supply the needed power (300A) sustained. But I'd love to see this!
http://www.lewmar.com/\assets\img\dataset\Manual-Thruster-500100-Iss4.pdf
http://www.lewmar.com/\assets\img\dataset\Manual-Thruster-500100-Iss4.pdf
How about a water pump with flush nozzles? You could control it with ball valves, or, run dual pumps with simple on off switch/switches marked port/stbd/both. A guy could also put through hulls at each hull opening, so they are closed when off boat, just in case.
Two, 1 HP 120V AC standard hot tub jet pumps could be powered from an inverter off your battery bank. Each pump would draw about 35 amps from the batteries, and should provide more thrust, or at least as much thrust as most trolling motors which are approx 1/2 hp or less. The difference being a trolling motor is more efficient as they use a prop directly in the water. The pumps would kill a battery pretty quick, but as its only intermittent it shouldn't be a large drain. I would want momentary switches you have to hold in to power the pump, which would stop as soon as you release the switch.
Two, 1 HP 120V AC standard hot tub jet pumps could be powered from an inverter off your battery bank. Each pump would draw about 35 amps from the batteries, and should provide more thrust, or at least as much thrust as most trolling motors which are approx 1/2 hp or less. The difference being a trolling motor is more efficient as they use a prop directly in the water. The pumps would kill a battery pretty quick, but as its only intermittent it shouldn't be a large drain. I would want momentary switches you have to hold in to power the pump, which would stop as soon as you release the switch.
Well, I have actually seen a home brew "bow thruster" on a 22 foot sailboat.
The owner was a guy who loved to tinker and when he came across a used trolling motor - his creative juices flowed.
Long story short, it worked just fine! Since he was new to sailing it definitely made docking easy and uneventful.
I'm not sure I see enough advantage but maybe the power Mac sailors would find it helpful? I have seen what docking in any sort of wind is like.
Design wise, he fabricated a mount on the bow where he could remotely drop the motor/prop into the water. It was a long tube with pins to retain and drop with.
The unit was fixed at 90degrees to the hull and did not rotate. He had a spring centred toggle switch on the tiller to control it all.
It did look pretty cool to watch him approach his slip, drop the thruster and easily dock his boat.
Me, I prefer a boat hook for our 26S.
Chris
The owner was a guy who loved to tinker and when he came across a used trolling motor - his creative juices flowed.
Long story short, it worked just fine! Since he was new to sailing it definitely made docking easy and uneventful.
I'm not sure I see enough advantage but maybe the power Mac sailors would find it helpful? I have seen what docking in any sort of wind is like.
Design wise, he fabricated a mount on the bow where he could remotely drop the motor/prop into the water. It was a long tube with pins to retain and drop with.
The unit was fixed at 90degrees to the hull and did not rotate. He had a spring centred toggle switch on the tiller to control it all.
It did look pretty cool to watch him approach his slip, drop the thruster and easily dock his boat.
Me, I prefer a boat hook for our 26S.
Chris
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