Bow thruster

I completely agree about the fun manoevering. We have a policy now when entering a marina that we head for the first slot we see. If it turns out to be someone elses, that's just too bad. I have been seriously considering the option of twin e-pod's. They do a cat package for $3500. You get all the benefits of twin diesels but about 75% less weight and you keep your stoop thru's. The web site is here [link]http://re-e-power.com/cgi-bin/online/store.php[/link]
Another massive benefit is that you don't have the shaft fitting problems of a diesel engine or hydraulic drives yet the power is the same.

I agree about the amps, though a diesel generator is about £250 so no problem there. One of the reasons I am interested is that 75% of my engine useage is for less than 10 minutes – going in and out of a marina or on and off the bouy. Three 100amp batteries will give 4 hours of cruising on the e-pods. I suspect though that the technology needs another year to 'mature'.

Re a bowthruster – I had thought of that as an option but worried about the change in water flow over one hull caused by the turbulance around the thruster tunnel when sailing, would it exert a turning force that would need to be counteracted with rudder, and so slow the boat? Monohulls don't have this problem! Also it would have to be a big thruster for the windage on an HT – what about the weight right up in the bow of one of the hulls? Never-the-less I would also love to hear from someone that has fitted one and found it effective.

I agree with the price issues with the Solomon's – they are ridiculous.
Don't we confused by the pictures of the Re-e-power units – they are much bigger and beefier than they look, so much so that you can fit a standard inboard diesel prop to them if you want.

Hi all,
We are looking at an old HT which will need repowering if we buy. Could you let me know how your thoughts on these units progressed – especially if anyone actually fitted them?
Fair winds to all (v wet and windy Devon today)
Adrian

Mmmm…. he had to sail away upwind, of course.

I wish I had!

The factory in Germany have been so busy that I'm having to wait until the end of this week to get my hands on the thing – aaah! I've got everything ready, the control cables, remote throttle and battery cables all look very good quality and well designed. The write up in PBO of the smaller unit rates it as the best on the market etc – but I won't know until I've fitted it on the weekend of 21st September.

So far it has all the makings of a very useful engine; a sternthruster, emergency steering and a very quiet auxilary motor rated at 6hp at the prop (equivalnet to about 7.5hp diesel inboard).

It's so quiet in oppertaion that if ever any of you end up racing us, and find we are inexplicably drawing ahead – you'll know why.

Full pics and write up the moment it's fitted.

Well Pastor,

Can you give us an update yet or was it so bad you don't want to talk about it

LOL
Steve

Has anyone done any measurements of the windage forces on the HT26 in different wind strengths? It would be useful in determining the size of thruster required. My guess is that the CdA of the HT26 side-on can't exceed 12sq.m which would give a total side force of about 72kgf in a 10m/s surface wind. Assuming the bow thruster needs to generate somewhat over half of this (assuming about an equal split of the windage between bow and stern) it looks as if a 2kW thruster should be more than up to the job although the ones with a 5 inch tunnel seem marginal. A thruster on a drop-down strut could easily use an 8 inch prop which would be much more effective (a rough sum suggests over 55kgf for a 2.2kW motor driving an 8 inch prop)