SIDESHIFT vs. TUNNEL THRUSTERS

For boats up to 80 feet in length, external bow thrusters that mount on the front of the hull exhibit a number of advantages over traditional tunnel or through-hull thrusters.

1. External bow thrusters are mounted as far forward as possible providing the maximum turning moment about the boat's center of rotation. This maximizes the turning power of the bow thruster.
    
2. As the propeller of an external bow thruster is directly exposed to open water, it does not have to overcome the inertia of water in a tube giving the thruster better responsiveness especially when changing direction from port to starboard and vice versa.
    
3. As external bow thrusters are not mounted in the hull, they produce less sound and vibration when in operation.
    
4. An external bow thruster does not require holes to be cut in the boat's hull which can affect structural integrity or result in leakage.
    
5. As compared to traditional bow thrusters, installation of external bow thrusters is simpler and may be performed while the boat is in the water substantially reducing installation time and cost.
    
6. External bow thrusters do not contribute additional drag when the boat is planing as the thruster is lifted above the waterline.
    
7. External bow thrusters can be installed on boats where hull geometry or outfitting do not permit through-hull thrusters.
    
8. External bow thrusters have a longer duty cycle as they are cooled by open water.
    
9. An external bow thruster can easily be removed and installed on a new boat.