Bow Thrusters

[Guest]

Oh Dear! As a newcomer to this forum I did not realise that passions could be so easily aroused.Many thanks to everyone for your comments, some of which have been more helpful than others. What an interesting diversity of views, which I guess reflects the different motivations that so many of us have for sailing. I can understand what drives the traditional purist, happy with his gaff rig, kerosene lamps and scorning an engine. He would probably be apoplectic to know that we have furling sails, an electric windlass and even a cabin heater. Namby Pamby? Perhaps, but my wife enjoys low-stress, comfortable sailing and that way we get to use the boat often. Her idea of sailing is being at anchor in a snug bay with a gin and tonic to hand.

It has taken me around 50 years of seafaring in everything from Idle Alongs to Supertankers to realise that she does have a point.

We all march to a different drum and while I may have been more in the in the purist mould when younger, would like to extend my sailing career even further by making sensible use of whatever technology there is to make this happen.

Thank you once again, especially to L'Espace and the more mature contributors, you have provided food for thought.

I will now lower my head back below the parapet and wish you all Happy Sailing in whatever mode this may be!

[Guest]

Good post there Florence

 

Yes you'll often get the full gambit here and often with extreme passion, be it right or wrong, but rest assured none is personal more just an example of how diverse boating and Crew posters can be.

 

Keeping the other shareholder happy is very important as most Crewers will attest too. So I'm sure we all hope it works out well for you both. And don't stay behind the parapet (I did like that) too long. Many here look angry at times but next to none actually bite, all just a big bunch of fluffy pussy cats really

 

If you are bored one day just ask what's better, a mono, a cat or a Tri. Then stand well back and watch the fireworks fly in full glorious colour. That would be a real doozy of a question to drop and the passion levels will rise to heights you just couldn't believe . The funny thing is you'll see a few going hard out at each others throats here at 3pm but the same people having a laugh over at beer at the YC bar at 6pm just after they have hopped off the same yacht.

 

Have a Great Xmas and rocking 2011.

[Deep Purple 511]

Tim Findley, ex of Henleys Propellers and writer is a good friend of mine. He is a big fan of bow thrusters and not only because he sold them but because he saw the numbers of boaties who's time on the water was limited by bad experiences berthing. Bad weather and seasickness, even blocked toilets will not alienate wives and girlfriends from boating as much as shouting, broken fingernails and crunching gelcoat trying to get a boat back on the marina.

No matter how good the day, no matter how many fish bite, the day will be remembered by the ease of getting the boat back on the marina.

 

If a bowthruster is what you need to remove the doubts then go for it.

[Guest]

Bit of a tangent, I have recently been reminded of the huge advantage cruising cats have in that department, two props 25 ft apart, you can make those damn things waltz.

[smithy09 50]

Nice Post Florence and good on ya. Whatever keeps you on the water I say..

[Fogg 427]

Oh Dear! As a newcomer to this forum I did not realise that passions could be so easily aroused.Many thanks to everyone for your comments, some of which have been more helpful than others. What an interesting diversity of views, which I guess reflects the different motivations that so many of us have for sailing. I can understand what drives the traditional purist, happy with his gaff rig, kerosene lamps and scorning an engine. He would probably be apoplectic to know that we have furling sails, an electric windlass and even a cabin heater. Namby Pamby? Perhaps, but my wife enjoys low-stress, comfortable sailing and that way we get to use the boat often. Her idea of sailing is being at anchor in a snug bay with a gin and tonic to hand.

It has taken me around 50 years of seafaring in everything from Idle Alongs to Supertankers to realise that she does have a point.

We all march to a different drum and while I may have been more in the in the purist mould when younger, would like to extend my sailing career even further by making sensible use of whatever technology there is to make this happen.

Thank you once again, especially to L'Espace and the more mature contributors, you have provided food for thought.

I will now lower my head back below the parapet and wish you all Happy Sailing in whatever mode this may be!

 

Good to hear back from you. Totally understand your motivation for exploring a bow-thruster and the right answer is obviously whatever works for you and your personal set-up. There is no way that anyone can call it ‘wrong’ to put a thruster on a 40ft yacht if your circumstances suit it. You obviously have the maturity to filter out the more patronising and unhelpful responses here…

 

Please stick around and don’t lower your head back below the parapet because of what you’re seen here. It’s not rare but it’s not typical either. And this forum needs more balanced views and better representation outside of the Auckland harbour racing scene, so more input from offshore racers and cruisers is always welcome to keep this place fresh. So stick around and let us know how the new thruster works out.

[wheels 543]

If you are bored one day just ask what's better, a mono, a cat or a Tri. Then stand well back and watch the fireworks fly in full glorious colour.

Wrong BB KM It's a bit more of a burble, a bit a froth and a pffft at the end of it here.

[wal 27]

If you are bored one day just ask what's better, a mono, a cat or a Tri. Then stand well back and watch the fireworks fly in full glorious colour.

Wrong BB KM It's a bit more of a burble, a bit a froth and a pffft at the end of it here.

 

 

Nah that's just silly. FOILERS are where it's at! What, you didn't get the memo??

 

You're so 5.24 sometimes

[Guest]

I'm confused, why are you 2 talking in code? Be gentle, it's a week before Xmas and boaties who have left things too late are making my head hurt

[wheels 543]

I'm glad your confused to KM. I thought it may have been some new language I was going to have to learn when I come up there. I'm still trying to work out what the Hell a G6 is. KM, can you ask one of your Teenage daughter?

[Guest]

A 'G6' is a bloody good and hardy Fender made by Polyform in the US, comes in White, Navy, Mid blue, gawd awful sad Red and pus Yellow. Far better priced but just as good as it's better known cuzzy the F Series.

 

Too easy, got another?

[wheels 543]

Hmmmm, if D1 told you that, I would be worried

[Atom Ant 0]

If you are bored one day just ask what's better, a mono, a cat or a Tri.

 

Now's the time to get KM frothing at the mouth by saying something like - Oh I don't know - Young 88's are way better than Ross 930's

 

(ducks for cover and puts on kevlar vest)

[Murky 1]

Truth is the ultimate defence, AA. Can't see them being organised enough to bring it to trial, to be honest.

[unpc 5]

A couple of points. The op has some 50 years experience and "generally" manages okay. He sometimes singlehands and both are likely less agile than they were. Singlehanding makes it more difficult and "generally" is not quite certain enough.

Practicing a 100 x in a day or with a mooring is likely to help most people with boathandling. However conditions change and a bit more is probably required to finely judge speed given 10 tons moving slowly, still has a lot of momentum. I find pulsing helps.

The other point (and it was made sometime ago by a professional skipper the guy now in Fiji) is that most marinas lack dock cleats. You may be able to pick up a preset spring line when reversing in but it seems easier to me to drop one on.

Singlehanded bow first you can't and the bow being blown off seems a potential problem. I put in a midship cleat on both dock and boat which makes it much easier.

If a bowthruster makes the docking safer and less stressful why not? Not all boaters are highly experienced or at the highest levels of skill. Nor golfers for that matter. That's ok isn't it?

[Guest Rocket]

I guess that when you drill into it my opinion (and it is only that) is that a skipper of a circa 10 ton object operating in confined waters is required to have a level of competence to avoid damaging other craft and/or injuring themselves and/or others. In my opinion if you cannot dock the style of boat discussed here without a bow thruster you do not have the requisite skill and simply should make moves to acquire that skill. This is not arrogance it is risk mitigation 101. The same logic explains driver licensing before operating a vehicle on the roads...

 

I recognise the view expressed in this forum is that everyone deserves to be allowed to enjoy their boating and to have all the equipment that makes that boating easier. I take the unpopular line that maybe being in charge of large vessels simply isn't for everyone and that currently in our sport/interest given there is no "official" licensing/competency testing it is behoven on the individual to recognise their current skills and address any deficiencies in capability before they head out..

 

We are all aware of tragic and expensive accidents that occured directly as a result of people operating marine craft for which they did not have the requisite skill set.

 

Flame away I can take it - and yes I know that even the highly skilled operators still make mistakes/errors or ommissions. But to set yourself up to do this without addressing the skill gaps apparent seems illogical to me. Nothing personal here - I have no view on the individuals who have joined this thread or their competence - I am offering a counter view to many of the theories expressed above - no more.

[wheels 543]

I sometimes get people say, Well Cpt Cook never had such and such. My reply is usually "yeah well if it was available, I bet ya he would of had it" or "and you don't see many sailing around in the ships of Cpt Cooks days with out large numbers of crew now do ya".

Sure you can make a boat more complex adding to more possible things to go wrong. But I do think certain things are on the good list of things to have. Like a Powered anchor Winch, Furling Headsail and well, if you can afford it, a Bow thruster would be very nice IMO.

But yes I also agree with Rocket that no matter what you have to aid handling your boat, you should also be working at learning to "drive" the thing in all situations. Simply because you never know when one day you push a Button and be met with dead silence when there should have been some kind of Whirring noise.

 

Hey KM!!! have you berthed the big girl at the Fuel dock yet??? I haven't heard anything in the news yet about half of downtown Auckland being taken out to Sea, so either you haven't attempted yet or it all went well.

[Guest]

Truth is the ultimate defence, AA. Can't see them being organised enough to bring it to trial, to be honest.

Racetrack by Class, 15th = 930's still in Class (both boats ), 18th = Y88's

 

Feel free to argue with the Data Lord if you like, I've tried and it's bloody hard going just knot embarrassing yourself while doing it let alone winning any discussion, the guy's a bloody machine

 

The defence rests

[Fogg 427]

I guess that when you drill into it my opinion (and it is only that) is that a skipper of a circa 10 ton object operating in confined waters is required to have a level of competence to avoid damaging other craft and/or injuring themselves and/or others. In my opinion if you cannot dock the style of boat discussed here without a bow thruster you do not have the requisite skill and simply should make moves to acquire that skill. This is not arrogance it is risk mitigation 101. The same logic explains driver licensing before operating a vehicle on the roads...

 

I recognise the view expressed in this forum is that everyone deserves to be allowed to enjoy their boating and to have all the equipment that makes that boating easier. I take the unpopular line that maybe being in charge of large vessels simply isn't for everyone and that currently in our sport/interest given there is no "official" licensing/competency testing it is behoven on the individual to recognise their current skills and address any deficiencies in capability before they head out..

 

We are all aware of tragic and expensive accidents that occured directly as a result of people operating marine craft for which they did not have the requisite skill set.

 

Flame away I can take it - and yes I know that even the highly skilled operators still make mistakes/errors or ommissions. But to set yourself up to do this without addressing the skill gaps apparent seems illogical to me. Nothing personal here - I have no view on the individuals who have joined this thread or their competence - I am offering a counter view to many of the theories expressed above - no more.

 

Do you drive a car with power steering and ABS? They are not required but make life easier/safer.

 

QED.

[Guest Rocket]

Sure I do but I can drive and have driven without. And I was tested to ensure I could