GL: Thrusters

[Margery Griffith]

My reply to the question about thrusters...bow vs stern...is simple. I have
never heard of installing only a stern thruster, but then I surely do not know
everything about thrusters. Here are my thoughts based on MY experience. There
are always those 'purists' who think all thrusters are 'cheating'. I disagree!
MY first trawler came with a bow thruster and I loved it! I was learning to
handle the boat and I welcomed all assistance! My second (current boat) I had
built for me and decided to have both bow and stern thrusters and I love them!
HOWEVER...I try to use them as little as possible and learn to 'do it' with my
head so if/when I have a problem with the thrusters, I know how to handle the
boat without them. I feel this is really important! I had one captain who,
even with a bow thruster, simply could NOT get the hang of a single engine
boat! I also had a nasty experience at the helm pulling into a covered slip,
when the bow thruster stuck ON and nothing we did could shut it off! It
finally burned up the fuse but did NOT damage the thruster itself. I surely
was proud of the way I handled the boat!
    If you think about it (that
captain could not seem to do that!) when you 'thrust' the bow to port, the
stern will automaticlaly go to starboard, so you really  CAN do with just the
bow thruster, but having both is nice!
    One thing to consider...this past
fall, we had to move the boat from the slip around the bend to the pumpout at
the gas dock and after leaving the slip, discovered we had NO STEERING! We
were none the less able to maneuver the boat on to the gas dock and back
safely and really, easily, using the thrusters to steer with! Having both
thrusters was a definite advantage in that rare case! You cannot count on the
thruster(s) being of much use if you have much headway, but they work well in
slow motion. We have not had to depend on them in a really windy or fast
current situation.

Marge Griffith
Cinderella
Linssen GS 410