50MY Exterior Bow Thruster

[BradV]

Hi everyone I have a 1965 50 MY and I would like to add a bow thruster to it. I’m 32 so I don’t have a ton of money to invest in a bow thruster which makes me think a hydraulic thruster is out of my price range. However, I was reading about some different brands including yacht thruster, sideshift thrusters, and Wesmar. All of these attach to the exterior of the bow which doesn’t require a whole lot of difficult installation. Has anyone had experience with these or could recommend something else. I live in Chicago and have to “parallel park“ between 2 boats. We really don’t go very fast or far on the boat. Mainly just out on the Chicago River to the lake and anchor then back. I’m hoping to spend no more than $5k with install if possible. Any ideas or recommendations would be great thank you!

 

[Pascal]

The best option will be about $30. It s called a spring line . Come in at a angle, secure a spring line and pivot on it. Done.

 

[oscarvan]

Anything mounted outside, especially on the bow, is subject to damage, crud, entanglement and outright disappearing.....

Pascal's advice is sound. I will add that if you take 1/5th of the money you were budgeting you can get yourself a long day of professional instruction, do the maneuver 25 times and henceforth be the envy of your dock. Twin screws and a spring really does it all.

 

[Sadey]

I agree with the above posters about the professional instruction and a properly sized spring line. My wife and I call that spring line the Randy line. Another nod to you Captain Ron! Running a spring line from the forward cleat on the boat to a dock cleat about abeam the bow cleat, cleat it tight, then back down on it gently with the opposite motor in reverse. It works like a charm. We’ve actually put a piece of red electrical tape on the line where it should be wrapped around the cleat as a reference. In the event someone is there to help you can tell them to just wrap the line at the red mark and cleat it tight. That is key by the way, insist they cleat it not just hold the line because you’ll be powering against that cleat, again gently so as not to rip the cleat from the dock. We use a line that is long enough to go from the cleat on the boat around the cleat on the dock and back to the cleat on the boat with enough left over for leverage. In the event there is nobody on the dock to help you can have the admiral lasso the dock cleat run the line back to the forward spring cleat and cleat it tight then same procedure, it still works like a charm. Best of luck and if you're in Racine stop by and visit we are on the west side of the marina.

 

[Photolomy]

I don't have a bow thruster, but I agree with the others. Using a line is pretty easy, and offers more control. However, if you don't have someone on the dock to throw it to?

 

[Pascal]

I don't have a bow thruster, but I agree with the others. Using a line is pretty easy, and offers more control. However, if you don't have someone on the dock to throw it to?

As safety explained you can easily throw the line around a piling or clear and double it back to the boat. Takes very little practice to do it right everytime. As a rule we never hand a line to anyone unless we know the person is capable of following instructions.

And at a home slip it s even easier since you leave your lines in place and can pick it up with a boat hook

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

The easiest way to learn docking with a spring is to undock with a spring. Even if I can just float off the dock, I spring off. That evolution builds muscle memory for the crew for when we come back in.

 

[Freeebird]

I agree with the above posters about the professional instruction and a properly sized spring line. My wife and I call that spring line the Randy line. Another nod to you Captain Ron! Running a spring line from the forward cleat on the boat to a dock cleat about abeam the bow cleat, cleat it tight, then back down on it gently with the opposite motor in reverse. It works like a charm. We’ve actually put a piece of red electrical tape on the line where it should be wrapped around the cleat as a reference. In the event someone is there to help you can tell them to just wrap the line at the red mark and cleat it tight. That is key by the way, insist they cleat it not just hold the line because you’ll be powering against that cleat, again gently so as not to rip the cleat from the dock. We use a line that is long enough to go from the cleat on the boat around the cleat on the dock and back to the cleat on the boat with enough left over for leverage. In the event there is nobody on the dock to help you can have the admiral lasso the dock cleat run the line back to the forward spring cleat and cleat it tight then same procedure, it still works like a charm. Best of luck and if you're in Racine stop by and visit we are on the west side of the marina.

The Randy line... how about that?

Bow thrusters are great and wonderful... IF your boat already has one. Spending a ton of money to add one never made any sense to me, but I'm cheap. Quite frankly, there have been very few times that I've had to use a bow thruster, even when the boat is equipped with one. That's not bragging, it's just having enough seat time to be able to put the boat where I want it without one. Coming into a parallel spot is a piece of cake with a twin engine boat. Leaving is a little different because you are beginning from a dead stop vs a controlled landing coming in. Now if your twin engine boat is running on one engine, bow thrusters are GREAT!

Biggest thing to remember is to take advantage of the pointy end when leaving a dock. You can get a lot of angle with the stern before you ever touch the dock. If there are pilings on the dock, use the to pivot off from. Just be careful not to get your pulpit hung up against one when backing out. Current and wind are the two biggest obstacles when leaving a dock, and that's where a spring line can really save your day... and your paint.

Bottom line is, forget the "easy", bolt-on alternatives and just practice going in and out of places where there are no other boats. That will build confidence.

 

[Freeebird]

I don't have a bow thruster, but I agree with the others. Using a line is pretty easy, and offers more control. However, if you don't have someone on the dock to throw it to?

As Pascal said, it's easy enough to lasso a piling, and even easier to lasso a cleat on a dock. Trick there is not to try to lasso it, but just throw enough line over and beyond it to allow you to run a line around its base and back to the cleat.

An example I'll give you when I was running Dave's 60. There was a very strong tide, and coming alongside the dock was going to be an exercise in futility. With that, I had him run the loop end through the spring cleat, then walk out onto the pulpit, drop the line over a cleat, then come back to the spring cleat and tie it off. It's a hell of a lot easier to maintain position heading into a current than it is running parallel to it. Once he tied it off, it was just a matter of pulling the outboard engine into reverse and having it pull the stern into the dock. Then you can jump off and set the other lines with no help needed from a stranger on the dock.

 

[Sadey]

The loop end??? Did you mean the eye? Next you’ll be talking about miles to go out on the ocean. Bless your heart.

 

[Sadey]

Couldn’t resist. Miss you brother! Need to find your way up nort. Come visit us ya hay dares for two tree days and have a brat or hot dish widd us.

 

[Freeebird]

The loop end??? Did you mean the eye? Next you’ll be talking about miles to go out on the ocean. Bless your heart.

I try to use terms where loopers can relate.

Couldn’t resist. Miss you brother! Need to find your way up nort. Come visit us ya hay dares for two tree days and have a brat or hot dish widd us.

I miss you too, bro. I just bought myself a Corvette convertible that's just begging for a road trip to suck in some COVID at 67.8 knots. Couldn't resist.

 

[oscarvan]

The loop end??? Did you mean the eye? Next you’ll be talking about miles to go out on the ocean. Bless your heart.

OK, that's funny right there.