BOW THRUSTER FUNCTIONING AND COLLATERAL EFFECTS

Use of a side thruster installed in the bow and /or the stern which will at the push of a button or joystick move the bow or stern of the yacht to one side or the other accordingly to enhance manoeuvring in the smallest of slots while berthing for example. And this is the reason for which almost every yacht above a given size will be equipped with a bow thruster and sometimes a stern thruster too. Deploying this technology makes things simple enough when wanting to berth for example in really restricted spaces even, and/ or with cross winds and or currents push the boat in the opposite direction you want to go, this technology becomes more than handy and a lot safer to have than not.

But like everything else the installation of the whole, meaning thrusting propeller and housing tunnel must be carried out correctly while knowing that a hull conceived and designed to move through water which is a thousand times denser than air will be modified. Careless, thoughtless installations can be seen often, as you observe housing tunnels, as the yachts are high and dry on their cradles.

The thought being the same one always: well after all its nothing but a “hole” ! But it’s a hole and it’s below the waterline underwater! What’s more it’s inside a moving hull and when done badly it can cost an arm and a leg and more, specifically it will impair propeller efficiency and overall performance due to greater drag effect which means added