Bow thruster installation prices?

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tomsis

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Hi folks, we are just fitting out our new Jenneau 389! We’re keen to get a bow thruster so we don’t prang it in our tight berth. Prices coming in higher than expected though. Anyone had any recent quotes / experiences? Ideally with a slight ‘lip’ or ‘brow’ in the GRP to make it more hydro dynamic.

Thanks so much, Tom
 
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Rafiki

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Not very recent, but I was in a similiar situation in 2016. Having moved up in size/weight and from Tiller to wheel I moved the "New" ( but well used) boat from Hamble to Ipswich and my experience in berthing en route led me to immediately have the boat lifted out and Bow Thruster fitted. I can remember the exact price but once all the "Extras" such as the dedicated battery and charging cables etc were added the final price paid was quite a bit more than I anticipated ! I have just checked the invoice £ 6k incl VAT all fitted , very high standard of work etc This included a small element of upgrading the cabling to the alternator to addrress a different problem. Bear in mind that the basic Sleipner Bow Thruster unit was only £1200 excluding VAT.

So in todays prices I would guess close to £8k including absolutey everything including lift in and out,

I hope this helps.
 
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tomsis

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Rafiki said:
Not very recent, but I was in a similiar situation in 2016. Having moved up in size/weight and from Tiller to wheel I moved the "New" ( but well used) boat from Hamble to Ipswich and my experience in berthing en route led me to immediately have the boat lifted out and Bow Thruster fitted. I can remember the exact price but once all the "Extras" such as the dedicated battery and charging cables etc were added the final price paid was quite a bit more than I anticipated ! I have just checked the invoice £ 6k incl VAT all fitted , very high standard of work etc This included a small element of upgrading the cabling to the alternator to addrress a different problem. Bear in mind that the basic Sleipner Bow Thruster unit was only £1200 excluding VAT.

So in todays prices I would guess close to £8k including absolutey everything including lift in and out,

I hope this helps.
Click to expand...
That’s amazing thanks. Anyone else? I think we will route off the engine ie no new batteries
 
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Minerva

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other than being daunting cutting such a large hole in the hull, would it not be a fairly straightforward DIY task?
 
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ash720

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I had one fitted in 2022, I also didn't fancy drilling such a big hole through the hull. The guy who did mine does them all the time and did a lovely job. £4k, including the bow thruster, a battery, wiring back to main battery and control fitted in the cockpit.
 
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Robih

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tomsis said:
That’s amazing thanks. Anyone else? I think we will route off the engine ie no new batteries
Click to expand...
I really wouldn't wire a bow thruster to the same battery bank as your electronics equipment supply - the voltage drop will hard boot the navkit which you really don't want. I've an 8hp thruster which pulls >500A, a massive voltage drop is inevitable. I fitted a dedicated bank, no great hardship and it saves running big cables from the location of the battery bank up to the bow. Think carefully is my advice.
 
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Tranona

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2022 prices approx £4500. Don't have exact price for complete job because I already had a bow battery in place to run the windlass and I did the cabling upgrade to charge the battery through a B2B from the start battery. Also did not run the hard wired control back to the helm because it is a tiller steered boat and nowhere easy to site the control so have a wireless remote that does both thruster and windlass. The thruster was a Sidepower 55 which was an older model but unused at the time. a 60 would be fine for your boat and I would think £5-5,5k would be about right. Photos show installation and battery is the other side of the bulkhead. It is a 115Ah Numax Leisure which came with the boat, but I would have used a 95Ah Exide stop/start AGM as used in diesel Range Rovers through choice. That is what was in my last boat.

There are 2 schools of though for powering it and like Robih I am firmly in the dedicated bow battery camp. Much easier for cabling and cost wise little difference - the lower cable cost is offset by the charger, but far easier to route the cables through an existing boat. My previous boat had a factory install and all the cabling was installed before the interior was fitted. I

Whereabouts is the boat based?
 

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T

tomsis

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Tranona said:
2022 prices approx £4500. Don't have exact price for complete job because I already had a bow battery in place to run the windlass and I did the cabling upgrade to charge the battery through a B2B from the start battery. Also did not run the hard wired control back to the helm because it is a tiller steered boat and nowhere easy to site the control so have a wireless remote that does both thruster and windlass. The thruster was a Sidepower 55 which was an older model but unused at the time. a 60 would be fine for your boat and I would think £5-5,5k would be about right. Photos show installation and battery is the other side of the bulkhead

There are 2 schools of though for powering it and like Robih I am firmly in the dedicated bow battery camp. Much easier for cabling and cost wise little difference - the lower cable cost is offset by the charger, but far easier to route the cables through an existing boat. My previous boat had a factory install and all the cabling was installed before the interior was fitted.

Whereabouts is the boat based?
Click to expand...
She’s going to be based in North Wales, but she’s currently in Suffolk.

On power, we heard Jenneau’s tended to have their thrusters direct to the engine, so they could only run when the engine ran, but avoiding the ampage drop issue. Anyone done that?
 
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Robih

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tomsis said:
She’s going to be based in North Wales, but she’s currently in Suffolk.

On power, we heard Jenneau’s tended to have their thrusters direct to the engine, so they could only run when the engine ran, but avoiding the ampage drop issue. Anyone done that?
Click to expand...
It’s not real, the engine alternator won’t compensate for a 500A load. Maybe it’s okay if you’ve a small thruster, worth asking the opinion of a decent sparks in the yard where it’s being fitted.
 
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IanCC

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tomsis said:
She’s going to be based in North Wales, but she’s currently in Suffolk.

On power, we heard Jenneau’s tended to have their thrusters direct to the engine, so they could only run when the engine ran, but avoiding the ampage drop issue. Anyone done that?
Click to expand...
Nicolson. 31, small sidepower thruster. Runs off small start battery, no probs. Fitted 2016 £4.5k.
 
wonkywinch

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All the AWBs I've sailed, the bow thruster has it's own battery but wired via a solenoid that prevents use unless the engine is running.

I'm not confident enough to be mooring in a situation where I'd need a thruster but no engine so that limitation, presumably to facilitate battery recharge, hasn't worried me.
 
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Tranona

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tomsis said:
She’s going to be based in North Wales, but she’s currently in Suffolk.

On power, we heard Jenneau’s tended to have their thrusters direct to the engine, so they could only run when the engine ran, but avoiding the ampage drop issue. Anyone done that?
Click to expand...
As I suggested - two schools of thought. My Bavaria 33 from 2015 had a bow battery charged from the alternator through a Cristec 3 way splitter, but windlass from the house bank. Invariably the engine is running when either are being used but I see no need for any iinterlock. Like an engine start the bow battery is usually fully charged and it draws few amps but high volts for short periods so unlikely to go flat.

Of course there may not be space for a battery up front if it has a second water tank so you may not have a choice. These are the sorts of things you need to discuss with the installer as they are likely to have the experience of the best way for your boat - there is no right or wrong. That is the process I went through with my installer when we agreed what each of us would do.
 
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Aquanaught

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I had a Vetus 55 bow thruster installed by local company (Plymouth) in 2021 at £4300 all in, and they did an excellent job. Includes a new AGM battery under bow berths and B2B charger from the main house bank. I would guess around £5k now. I did have to sacrifice bow water tank but we never used it.
 
Alex_Blackwood

Alex_Blackwood

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Tranona said:
As I suggested - two schools of thought. My Bavaria 33 from 2015 had a bow battery charged from the alternator through a Cristec 3 way splitter, but windlass from the house bank. Invariably the engine is running when either are being used but I see no need for any iinterlock. Like an engine start the bow battery is usually fully charged and it draws few amps but high volts for short periods so unlikely to go flat. ?????

Of course there may not be space for a battery up front if it has a second water tank so you may not have a choice. These are the sorts of things you need to discuss with the installer as they are likely to have the experience of the best way for your boat - there is no right or wrong. That is the process I went through with my installer when we agreed what each of us would do.
Click to expand...
o_O
 
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Neeves

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A bit of drift

The mantra has always been:

Keep weight out of the bow, hence some using smaller chain.

What is the logic for having a water tank in the bow? I can well see why it might not be used (and/or if you don't mind the weight - using the space for a windlass/bow thruster battery)

Jonathan
 
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