Marine Electronics | Boat Part | fishfinder

There are several brands to choose from if you want a bow thruster or a stern thruster and while some might appear similar on the surface, there are many and important differences. SidePower is today the worlds leading brand of bow thrusters and stern thrusters, chosen by a vast majority of the leading boat manufacturers around the world.

There are many reasons for why these have chosen SidePower and while the product quality is of course perhaps the most important one, the service and dedication from the SidePower crew around the world is also a very important factor.

Most of these distinguished boat manucturers have used SidePower as their thruster of choice for many years proving that the reliability of the products as well as the ability to stay ahead in technology and development is among the clear benefits of Side Power bow thrusters and stern thrusters.

Choosing the right SidePower thruster for your boat.

Every boat operator can benefit from having a thruster installed on their boat.

In principle, any thruster will do a job in any boat. However, the key to getting the full benefits of the thruster is to select the correct one to ensure that it will do the job you want it to. This is one of two main factors to consider when deciding on a thruster size for your boat.

Today most pleasure craft over 45� have a bow thruster as standard equipment. The thruster will usually meet the expectations of most customers when using the boat under normal weather conditions. The sizes used by boatbuilders will vary depending on the boat�s intended usage and price level. In today�s production boats of around 45�-50�, the typical thruster will push the boat�s bow against a direct sidewind of 20-22 knots.

Some custom built or very high end boats may have a high power bow thruster that pushes the bow against a direct sidewind of 24-26 knots. For boatowners who use their boats in more demanding conditions or have a strong current in their local marina, or requiring high performance, boatbuilders can offer upgrades to a more powerful thruster system. However, few pleasure craft need a thruster that can push the bow against a direct sidewind of more than 25-27 knots.

The thruster�s performance on a boat is basically determined by the boat�s wind area, the wind area distribution and the thruster�s tunnel position in the hull. By knowing these factors we can calculate the wind pressure on the boat and the center point of this wind pressure. From these calculations we can determine what thrust is needed to counter the wind pressure with the given thruster position. The boat weight is normally not a major factor for most pleasure craft unless they are regularly used in areas where the thruster is required counter strong currents.

Conclusion
The two main factors that decide correct thruster sizing are:
- boatowner performance requirements
- boat size, type and shape

The example below shows the different wind speeds that two different thruster installations can encounter and the increased leverage gained when the thruster is positioned further forward.