T&T: Bow and Stern Thruster wimp

[Scott E. Bulger]

Yes, I am a Bow/Stern Thruster wimp.  When we bought Alanui it came with a
stern thruster and I thought:  gee that's nice, but I don't really *need*
it.  Well a few weeks ago the stern thruster packed it in (improperly
installed fuse) and I found myself docking the boat without the stern
thruster.  I make it a point to use the bow thruster as little as possible,
thinking Im keeping my skills sharp so I don't rely on it too much.  Well I
was kidding myself and ignoring the more difficult aspect of docking by not
doing the same thing by limiting my use of the stern thruster.  While I was
able to dock and undock the boat a number of times I must admit my anxiety
level was elevated significantly.  I think I'll make an effort to do some
close quarter maneuvering without the stern thruster to try to minimize that
anxiety a bit!

Scott E. Bulger, ALANUI, Nordhavn 40II, Seattle WA