Bow thruster options for Passage 420

[Island Girl 34]

Greetings all,

I have searched this forum and found just a few posts discussing bow thruster options for a 2001 Passage 420. A few posts with no real ending posted. Internal installations seem rare and expensive with that head in the forward V.

I saw the display for the eXturn external bow thrusters at the Annapolis show a few weeks ago. I have since talked with Vito at www.yachtThruster.com about their model 230 S. Looks like this could could be a viable option and do the job for about half the price of the internal unit and installation.

Does anyone here have any experience with these thrusters? I certianly would appreciate some advice before I pull the trigger and get one.

Thanks as usual for the support from this stie!

Cheers,
Ken

 

[KD3PC]

two folks near my marina have (had) similar pod style thrusters and both were damaged, as was the boat - by hitting debris in the water and just below the surface. These were power boats, and both have since removed and repaired the 2" hole and glass...

the good part about the in hull units, is that you don't have to worry about a 2"+ hole opening up if you hit something. The fans are smaller and less powerful, in general than the in hull units.

you still have to get power to that thruhull and as you note, the bow of the 420 is pretty crowded to add this type of gear.

Sailboats may be less attracted to logs and such in the water...

best of luck

 

[Island Girl 34]

two folks near my marina have (had) similar pod style thrusters and both were damaged, as was the boat - by hitting debris in the water and just below the surface. These were power boats, and both have since removed and repaired the 2" hole and glass...

the good part about the in hull units, is that you don't have to worry about a 2"+ hole opening up if you hit something. The fans are smaller and less powerful, in general than the in hull units.

you still have to get power to that thruhull and as you note, the bow of the 420 is pretty crowded to add this type of gear.

Sailboats may be less attracted to logs and such in the water...

best of luck

Thanks for the input. Well, I can only hope that sailboats are less attrracted to logs or just don't hit them that fast...

I have heavy power cables running forward for the windless. Might as well use the same circuit. Just not use both at the same time. That should not be a problem.

Ken