Reply To: Budget thrusters

Hi Ryan
Got a quote. Two of the 55lb salt water units, shipped from UK to Mallorca, total cost 500 Pounds. Not to bad when you look at the Torqeedo. Ok I know they are not as powerfull but they will only be used as thrusters .

A few questions if you don't mind. I havent actually seen one of these little motors before but as I am some sort of engineer so should be able to sort them out.

I believe you extended the shafts, they are , if Im not mistaken , only to support the motor and propeller housing.
As the ones that I am looking at are supposed to be salt water rating I was thiking of building my own shafts using ,maybe aliminium sections and glassed to the original shaft.
The mounting will be on the transom, prot and starboard of my bathing platform.
I was thinking , initally , of using two of those spring loaded, drop down , outboard brackets. This being so I can lift them out of the water when not in use but easily drop them down when entering a marina. ??
As you suggested I would try and remove the speed control and use just two , forward, off,reverse switches mounted at the helm. Just like some of the bow thrusters and normally only run for a few seconds at a time.

I will anyway relocate my batteries in the port and stdbd engine bays and that should able me to reduce the main cableing to around 3.5 meters. As, so they say, a 100 amp batterie can support a motor for two hours then one batterie each should have no probelms running in short bursts for about ten mins while I berth.

What do you think.
It would be some time until I get to fit them anyway as I will have them sent to the boat in Mallorca but not fit them until I get to our final berth in Turkey. Maybe several months away.

Best regards

Steve