While I always hesitate to write anything less than positive about another members boat, I have to agree that the glass work on installing the bow thruster tube looks less than acceptable. This comment comes from the installation of a Side Power unit on my 48 about 5 years ago. Did a lot of research on the installation and in the end I did all the work, except for the tube glass work. That was done by Jarrett Bay as they had the Side Power boring tool and a really good fiberglass person. So there may be some differences on another brand, but here is my reaction.
On the outside the fairing of the fiberglass going into the tube just looks too good. The Side Power tube was 3/16'" wall thickness max., maybe slightly less. The technique for glassing was to cut down the 4 or 5 inches of hull bottom surface surrounding the tube, basically all the matt glass down to the structural glass. This was maybe 3/16" of recess. Next the inside the tube was sanded slightly to get a good bonding surface and no more as there is no glass to spare with the tube. All gaps between the outside of the tube and the inside of the hull cut out were packed with West thickened epoxy and faired. Next tabs of biaxial glass were layed up to the depth of the hull resess and folded into the inside of the tube. This created a slightly small diameter at the exits of the tube that were faired on the inside of the tube but not removed. Reason for all this detail is to make the point that if the entry on the tube are faired and slightly flared as I see in the picture, then you can not have any structural glass build up that you need at the intersection of the tube and hull. Looks nice but structurally I am concerned. And quickly, it goes without saying, the inside tube/hull junction should have heavy glass tabbing 360 degrees using multiple layers of structural glass. And epoxy resin is my choice for secondary bonding.
This is just my opinion and the way I had it done. There are always multiple ways to do tasks. I would just recomment going back to the indide of the hull and doing some heavy glass work. The stress and vibration on the tube and joints start when the thruster is used and especially when it sucks in something other than water. Always better over built than under built.
Pete
