Oceanis 41 Bow Thruster Degraded Performance

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May 25, 2013
36
Beneteau Sense 50 Waterford Harbour
I recently noticed a difference in bow thruster performance between the port and starboard side. One side is just not turning the boat as fast as the other. I put a GoPro camera down in the water and didn't see anything noticeable. Can the electronics be affected such that one side is responding different than the other? Can a mildly dirty bottom cause a problem?
 
Nov 24, 2012
586
Could be that your thruster prop is damaged or fouled. This basically a big DC motor that is electrically reversed. Given that you only have a single prop (I assume its a lewmar 185TT) it is going to be more effective one direction over the other. However you should have noticed this from the beginning.
 
Jul 12, 2012
73
Beneteau 41 Kemah
I noticed a significant drop In performance on my bow thruster after just 6 months in the water. I had the boat pulled out and there were a few barnacles on the blades. I cleaned them off and when I tried it again, the performance was back. I was told that those blades lose performance dramatically with very little fouling. Of course I don't always believe everything I'm told. :p to be sure, I recommend you pull the boat out of the water and check it.
 
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