Power and Stealth

If you have ever owned or driven a boat with an under-powered thruster, you probably quickly learned its important to have enough power to perform well in even the worst conditions. Many boat owners find using their thrusters at full capacity in calm weather conditions is unnecessary and  creates unwanted noise in an otherwise quiet marina. 

A Proportional Thruster System, like this one from Side-Power (insert link) is a different experience and provides a no compromise solution to using full speed controlled thrusters. These systems, unlike your typical on/off thrusters, starts at a lower RPM as you throttle on. This softer acceleration creates a far less cavitation in the tunnel significantly reducing the noise it makes. Docking in a quiet marina doesn’t require much thrust and the Proportional Control allows you to slip the boat into your dock space almost without making a sound. 

Hold Please

Power and stealth a very important aspect of the Proportional Control, but the benefits of this thruster don’t stop there. Put the extended runtime of this thruster to good use by using the unique hold-function. With a press of a button, the bow and stern thrusters keep you right alongside the docks, freeing you jump ashore and tie the dock lines yourself. In this function you can adjust the amount of thrust applied and the bow and stern units can individually synchronize to get a balanced sideways push, making single-handed docking a breeze no matter the size of the boat. 

Low Voltage Got You Down? 

Low voltage reaching the electric motor is one of the most common issues associated with DC thrusters. Many underperform when running on a significantly lower voltage than rated which can reduce the solenoid life span as well as increase the risk of solenoid lock-in. Your electrical system should offer the correct operating voltage to the thruster system. 

Modern Proportional Systems are digitally controlled and monitor key parameters like thruster voltage. With a Proportional System, you can verify real-time levels and by that, actual performance with a quick glance at the display.

Step away from the helm 

Adding a remote control to your thruster system provides even more functionality as momentarily increasing thrust will allow you to put the mooring lines on as tight as you want. Like that’s not cool enough on its own, you can turn off the hold function without going to your fixed control panel. 

Last but not least, these proportional thrusters are the only thrusters suited to interact with a joystick-based system.

Interested in speaking to our thruster specialists about a proportional speed system?

Call us (321) 890-4511 

Or visit our Contact Us page here

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Vetus Introduces the revolutionary maintenance-free BOW PRO Thruster.

Last year, VETUS introduced a revolutionary maintenance-free bow / stern thruster, the BOW PRO, that offers longer runtimes and is ideal for the most demanding boater in the most difficult maneuvering situations. It’s equipped with a lock-and-hold function perfect for easy docking and unlike traditional thruster motors, the tailpiece and the power circuits are the only parts the BOW PRO has that need regular maintenance. 

A BOW PRO thruster can’t be compared with other DC thrusters used in the past, this advanced product has improved overall performance, ease of use and has built-in intelligence and the application of V-CAN (Vetus – Controller Area Network).

What if you have an older, traditional thruster but are interested in switching it out for a BOW PRO? Not to worry, lucky, VETUS designed this thruster motor to use the same tunnel sizes as their current thrusters as well as the same size as many other brands. This makes switching out that outdated thruster for a BOW PRO a breeze. 

It’s unique features include

• Precision proportional control
• Endurance Rated Run-time – Limited by size of your battery bank
• Maintenance-free brushless motor
• Build-in over-temp and low battery protection
• Longer lifecycle

The thruster(s) and their control panels are connected by cables carrying digital V-CAN signals- allowing future integration into boat-wide electronic systems and information displays. 

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First of all, remember electric thruster motors have a large amount of current running through them. It’s imperative for the connections to be tight and the compartment the motor is mounted in to be clean and free of debris as well as things that can catch on fire.

One major problem is lack of battery capacity when your batteries aren’t strong enough to run your thruster correctly. This can cause damage as your thruster doesn’t have the power it needs to crank on, much less push your boat. Several problems arise due to low voltage, most damage will be seen under the solenoid, or a cylindrical coil of wire which acts as a magnet when carrying electric current, which is responsible for powering the motor on and off as well as moving you boat port (left) or starboard (right). Solenoids won’t operate at all or will start to click very similarly to a dead car battery. What you are hearing is plunger like mechanisms inside the motor trying to close but not having enough force behind them to do so. This clicking noise is causing damage and if allowed to continue, can cause them to weld themselves closed. If this happens, the motor may be completely inoperable or even be stuck in the “on” position.

Keep in mind you shouldn’t have more than a 10% voltage drop while operating your thruster.

Looking for a Maintenance Free Thruster? Check out our blog on Vetus’ Bow Pro Thruster Systems here.

If you have questions on a thruster system you currently have please call or text us at (321) 890-4511 or send us a message here and one of our experts will get back to you shortly.

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Bow thrusters and stern thruster are both placed in through-and-through tunnels, in other words, both sides of the tunnel are open allowing one side to create suction and throw it out the other, depending on which direction the captain is wanting the boat to move in. When the boat is under power an air pocket forms around the bow thruster tunnel opening. When cruising at higher speeds the thruster and tunnel are out of the water. This design ensures no power is lost when travelling at any speed.

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The new line of retractable VETUS thrusters can be placed in shallow parts of the hull and will not disturb its smooth lines. This low drag solution will make your docking experience easier, faster and just plain more enjoyable.

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