Cost of bow thrusters and stabilizers?

[scottinsydney]

I replaced the old Naiad 252 system with a Vetus stabiliser last year. Its fantastic on my 70' boat in all conditions.

All electronic gyro, computer algorithms and simple to control. Yard fees were US$7000 for all the hull work, haul out, fitting the fins and included the new internal wooden blocks. I did all the internal electrics, wiring and hoses myself. Maybe US$35000?!? for the system.

The difference between having stabilisers and not having them is incredible, even in harbour conditions.

Question: What is the recommended size / power requirement of bow thruster for a 70' boat? Vetus will sell me a gearbox and tunnel. I can add my own 110 volt motor to this.

[nautibake]

Have a question for the MY folks.
The biggest thing in the sportfish world these days is adding a gyro stabilizer, how come the MY folks never mention them. Seems the pricing is relatively similar with the added advantage of using the gyro at anchor??

Our MY has 2 Seakeepers, but it is rare on the older boats. More manufacturers have the gyro option on new MY construction so that is where you see them on MY’s.

[nautibake]

$110k for a gyro? Ouch!

I had heard the best place for a gyro on a MY is under the master stateroom bed. While they do work at anchor, I would not sleep well knowing there is a massive wheel spinning 100,000 rpm"s right under my pillow.

The gyros on our Hatt spin at 8,000 RPMs. They are mounted below the MSR bed, completely enclosed and there is extra insulation. With the GenSet running you can barely here a faint hum, but it does make you think about what is going on 2 feet underneath you. BTW they weigh 1200 lbs each.

[nautibake]

I was thinking about a gyro for my boat before I got the quote.

Parts are $100,000 for my 63 CPMY
Labor another $9,000

I will stick with my old NAIAD system for now.

If it is a single gyro the hardware $ seems high. Ours was $120K for 2 M8000’s. Also, the labor seems low. But maybe it is less for a CPMY. Our aft deck had to be cut out so the gyro units could be lowered into MSR. Thankfully all of this was done by PO.

Power?

Mine are 220V and draw 3000W each while spooling up. After they reach target RPM they require 1500W each to maintain RPMs for stabilization.

[Pascal]

2400 lbs in master? How does it affect the ability to get on plane ?

[Passages]

I replaced the old Naiad 252 system with a Vetus stabiliser last year. Its fantastic on my 70' boat in all conditions.
.

Why was Naiad 252 replaced instead of repaired?

[scottinsydney]

The PO did not use the boat for several years and the Naiad seals leaked almost sinking the boat at the dock. None of the bilge pumps worked.

Result was ALL of the internal fittings and wooden block had rusted out or become rotten. A mess.

Cost to repair/replace the old Naiad was about the same as a brand new computerised Vetus system. One of the benefits of the Vetus stabs is that you never have to replace or service the seals. I am very happy with them.

They also work at rest, however the boat will naturally turn into the waves or swell when engine running. A further advancement is that I can add an electric AC hydraulic pump to the oil lines to operate the fins with the anchor down and genset running. (I am half way through this project now.)

You can read the whole Naiad/Vetus replacement story at:

https://www.samsmarine.com/forums/sh...ighlight=vetus

[nautibake]

2400 lbs in master? How does it affect the ability to get on plane ?

Have never been able to get on plane. 2400 lbs in the stern plus the 850 lb tender on top. Will have to wait for the lottery win and C18’s.

[MVCaprice]

I replaced the old Naiad 252 system with a Vetus stabiliser last year. Its fantastic on my 70' boat in all conditions.All electronic gyro, computer algorithms and simple to control. Yard fees were US$7000 for all the hull work, haul out, fitting the fins and included the new internal wooden blocks. I did all the internal electrics, wiring and hoses myself. Maybe US$35000?!? for the system.The difference between having stabilisers and not having them is incredible, even in harbour conditions.Question: What is the recommended size / power requirement of bow thruster for a 70' boat? Vetus will sell me a gearbox and tunnel. I can add my own 110 volt motor to this.

Whats interesting is that naiad wants 15k for the gyro swap to the electronic gyro for the 252 in parts alone. Did the vetus system come with new hydraulics? With regards to thrusters I have lots of feedback that would be relevant to your Boat after our experiences. I would shoot for 20-25 hp and go hydraulic if you can. If not go big on the battery bank. At least 4 batteries minimum. One thing that I really wish I had was the dock hold feature that side power has and variable speed. I would consider these features. They are very handy! I wish I had both but have lewmar single speed.

[MVCaprice]

The PO did not use the boat for several years and the Naiad seals leaked almost sinking the boat at the dock. None of the bilge pumps worked.Result was ALL of the internal fittings and wooden block had rusted out or become rotten. A mess. Cost to repair/replace the old Naiad was about the same as a brand new computerised Vetus system. One of the benefits of the Vetus stabs is that you never have to replace or service the seals. I am very happy with them. They also work at rest, however the boat will naturally turn into the waves or swell when engine running. A further advancement is that I can add an electric AC hydraulic pump to the oil lines to operate the fins with the anchor down and genset running. (I am half way through this project now.)You can read the whole Naiad/Vetus replacement story at:https://www.samsmarine.com/forums/sh...ighlight=vetus

Is the ac hydraulic pump sized to work with thrusters as well? That would be a win. We were told the old naiad pimp wasn’t big enough....