Bow thruster

J

JoryWilson

Member
I am looking at adding bow thrusters to my Grady white. Has anyone added these before? Know where it can be done. Would prefer Prince Rupert but can haul it anywhere I guess.

Thanks
 
I assume you have twin main motors with legs, so you should already have the ability to walk it sideways. Unless your boat is a 50 footer or you have money to burn I am not sure it would be the best use of your resources. That said, at my age I am a very average boat handler as in there are a lot of people better at it than me. If you are the same, having it may give you confidence in close quarter slower speed maneuvering with strong cross winds pushing you towards other boats or away from the wharf.
 
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When I was at Parksville boathouse I saw a 24ft Skagit Orca with a bow thruster. I inquired as I knew it wasn't a factory option. They said they had done it in multiple boats and could do mine for 8-10k complete. I wasn't interested in one either way but was nice to know its possible.
 
I find it intimidating try to park beside a million dollar yacht. It’s a big boat and I’m sure with practice I will get better. I am planning on keeping the boat so thrusters would be nice for sure.
 
Find a dock without boats around to hit and practice your docking in all sorts of conditions to build your confidence. With twin outboards you shouldn't need a thruster, single screw/shaft type drives are a different story.
 
ryanb said:
Find a dock without boats around to hit and practice your docking in all sorts of conditions to build your confidence. With twin outboards you shouldn't need a thruster, single screw/shaft type drives are a different story.
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I would love to do that but I’m 12 hours away from the ocean and 3 hours to the closest lake big enough to dock the boat.

Saying that I have never run both engines trying to dock. I will give that a shot next week.
 
JoryWilson said:
I would love to do that but I’m 12 hours away from the ocean and 3 hours to the closest lake big enough to dock the boat.

Saying that I have never run both engines trying to dock. I will give that a shot next week.
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You will have complete control of the boat when you learn this. I went from a single screw 24 bayliner to my 30 commander with twins this December and only took a few attempts to get the hang of it. Total game changer.
 
couple of pointers I only have single outboard so I can not comment on how helpful it is

 
JoryWilson said:
I would love to do that but I’m 12 hours away from the ocean and 3 hours to the closest lake big enough to dock the boat.

Saying that I have never run both engines trying to dock. I will give that a shot next week.
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Understandable but . . . as a large boat owner you have an obligation to yourself, the boat, and to others to learn how to run it properly including docking in close quarters under adverse conditions.

Rather than fishing all day on one of your trips take half a day and practice. You'll be surprised at how quickly your skills and confidence will improve. Running a boat properly can be a real sources of pride but takes some investment in time.
 
I’d put a bow thruster in my 23 foot Grady if they weren’t so expensive. I can do a lot with my single but you can’t side step perfectly particularly in windy conditions. I don’t care how skilled you are nothing replicates a now thruster. Go for it. It’s a great investment on larger Grady’s.
 
tyeeking said:
Understandable but . . . as a large boat owner you have an obligation to yourself, the boat, and to others to learn how to run it properly including docking in close quarters under adverse conditions.

Rather than fishing all day on one of your trips take half a day and practice. You'll be surprised at how quickly your skills and confidence will improve. Running a boat properly can be a real sources of pride but takes some investment in time.
Click to expand...

Yes I agree that is why I was asking about thrusters. If I was there alone I would do this but you always have people with you. I haven’t hit anything and am confident enough to park. The guy with the million dollar yacht complimented me on how I did. I feel like a person should explore more options, and thrusters was one of them. I will be practising this when I get out next
 
JoryWilson said:
I would love to do that but I’m 12 hours away from the ocean and 3 hours to the closest lake big enough to dock the boat.

Saying that I have never run both engines trying to dock. I will give that a shot next week.
Click to expand...

Sorry, your comment about not running both engines made me question whether you had twins. You definitely need them both running to properly manoeuvre the boat at the dock. There are great videos on YouTube showing how to walk the boat sideways, spin it around etc using twins. Do some searching.
 
Thanks everyone for the reply’s. That is what makes this forum great.

I have never owned twins before. I would always shut one engine off to slow down. I will watch youtube and do some research.
 
CIVANO said:
couple of pointers I only have single outboard so I can not comment on how helpful it is

Click to expand...
This video is a good summary, but the key point is to keep the wheel centered and DON'T touch it, you'll have all the control you need with twins and using alternating forward and reverse with the thumb method he talks about in the video. Keep the engines at idle (unless its an emergency), no need to whiskey throttle it. Take a moment as you are coming in to the dock to observe the wind and current and think about how that will affect your approach.

FWIW, I don't think bow thrusters make sense on anything less than 33' if you have twins (outboard or inboards). Having a small, electrically driven propeller sitting in saltwater all the time seems like a recipe for failure at the most inopportune time, leaving you to dock without it.

I'm usually more worried about the guy in his million dollar boat bumping into me...
 
CBsqrd said:
This video is a good summary, but the key point is to keep the wheel centered and DON'T touch it, you'll have all the control you need with twins and using alternating forward and reverse with the thumb method he talks about in the video. Keep the engines at idle (unless its an emergency), no need to whiskey throttle it. Take a moment as you are coming in to the dock to observe the wind and current and think about how that will affect your approach.

FWIW, I don't think bow thrusters make sense on anything less than 33' if you have twins (outboard or inboards). Having a small, electrically driven propeller sitting in saltwater all the time seems like a recipe for failure at the most inopportune time, leaving you to dock without it.

I'm usually more worried about the guy in his million dollar boat bumping into me...
Click to expand...
Hahaha oh he was quite worried about me. My nervousness must have shown lol
 
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