‘Little blue pill’ for docking? Thoughts on a bow thruster

Nick70

Nick70

Active Member
Apr 20, 2016
206
New England
Boat Info
2006 Searay 260 DA 496 mag
RAYMARINE stuff.
Engines
496 Magnum
Bravo III
So, I’ve got my 260 Sundancer. Been a few seasons with the model. One year with a twin and spoiled with Axius..I’m not the best or the worst at the docks but honestly, with a single screw, when the wind catches my bow, it’s tough. So I’m thinking of getting a through hull. Any suggestions? It’s looking like it’s in the $7k range so my mind isn’t quite made up yet lol..
I have met a few people now with boats my size and they swear by it. I’ll look online but any thoughts are appreciated.
 
Single screw 25ish foot cruiser type boats are the worst to dock. They have so much windage, flat bottoms, and are lightweight where any wind or current drastically affect maneuvering. The answer is to go faster, bad advice, or put a thruster on. I had a bow thruster on my Rinker 270 and it helped a ton.
If in New England, look into East Coast Bow Thrusters. They do a great job.
 
I've never heard an argument against bow-thrusters that made sense except for the extreme cost associated with their installation. I did not have one on my 270 Rinker and I don't remember longing for one at the time. I say if you've got the scratch its a great upgrade for sure.
CarpeDiem
 
Carpediem44DB said:
I've never heard an argument against bow-thrusters that made sense except for the extreme cost associated with their installation. I did not have one on my 270 Rinker and I don't remember longing for one at the time. I say if you've got the scratch its a great upgrade for sure.
CarpeDiem
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I too never felt the need for one on my 270 DA, long for one on my 3870...
 
$7k seems like an excessive amount, but it really comes down to your comfort and wallet.
 
I have a dock neighbor that just had one installed on a Cruisers Yachts 400 Express. Total cost was $12,500 done by FL Bow Thrusters.....beautiful install completed in 2-days. 12v thruster including battery and charger and breaker.

We started with a 2006 260DA and was harder to dock than the 44DB. I rarely use my thruster, but on a windy day, it is a wonderful option....

Bennett
 
bbwhitejr said:
I have a dock neighbor that just had one installed on a Cruisers Yachts 400 Express. Total cost was $12,500 done by FL Bow Thrusters.....beautiful install completed in 2-days. 12v thruster including battery and charger and breaker.

We started with a 2006 260DA and was harder to dock than the 44DB. I rarely use my thruster, but on a windy day, it is a wonderful option....

Bennett
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They cannot be installed using one of the 4 batteries on my boat? One for each engine and the generator and the huge D-8 house battery?
 
MonacoMike said:
They cannot be installed using one of the 4 batteries on my boat? One for each engine and the generator and the huge D-8 house battery?
Click to expand...

They could, but they pull a lot of juice when used. Therefore the separate battery and charger. Likely would work on your house battery with a good charger.....

Bennett
 
bbwhitejr said:
They could, but they pull a lot of juice when used. Therefore the separate battery and charger. Likely would work on your house battery with a good charger.....

Bennett
Click to expand...
My 360DA has a bow thruster from the factory and I was surprised to find that there is no separate battery or charger. I replaced all 4 batteries over the winter but it seems to work fine this way.
 
MonacoMike said:
They cannot be installed using one of the 4 batteries on my boat? One for each engine and the generator and the huge D-8 house battery?
Click to expand...

A lot of bow thrusters use a dedicated battery in the bow of the boat to minimize the length of the cable from the battery to the thruster. Flooded batteries can not be used in the cabin. I believe an AGM battery is typically used. A dedicated battery charger is also typically used for the AGM battery.
 
I would not put one on a 260. I had a 25 campion with single Bravo 2 same issue. Light and the bravo 2 gives strong prop steer going in reverse. You just need to get used to the boats handling. Save the $7k for the next bigger boat you buy!
 
Creekwood said:
I would not put one on a 260. I had a 25 campion with single Bravo 2 same issue. Light and the bravo 2 gives strong prop steer going in reverse. You just need to get used to the boats handling. Save the $7k for the next bigger boat you buy!
Click to expand...

My 270 had a BII, once I mastered that I can put a single about anyplace, still mastering the sticks, and often forget just how many times I put the single in a spot or in a wind to get there. Our own Carver370, his mother told me a story of the kid that at 9 he would beg dad to let him dock the boat, meaning take it out of the slip and dock in empty slips for fun, guess that's one way to become a Captain. I have never seen him use a thruster even if available. He tells me to save the money for fuel and practice. LOL
 
Nick70 said:
So, I’ve got my 260 Sundancer. Been a few seasons with the model. One year with a twin and spoiled with Axius..I’m not the best or the worst at the docks but honestly, with a single screw, when the wind catches my bow, it’s tough. So I’m thinking of getting a through hull. Any suggestions? It’s looking like it’s in the $7k range so my mind isn’t quite made up yet lol..
I have met a few people now with boats my size and they swear by it. I’ll look online but any thoughts are appreciated.
Click to expand...

that’s a lot of bucks for a relatively small vessel. The system takes up a lot of space as well.
 
I have a 320, love the bow thruster, and it uses the 4 main batteries. 2 in parallel for port engine/house/thruster/generator start, 2 for starboard engine only.
 
I owned a 270 AJ which is basically the same hull as your 260 DA. In 12 years of ownership I only really wished I had a thruster a couple times. I found the B3 drive to be very responsive and once I knew the boat I could handle it pretty easily. That was even with a big camper canvas. There was a time or two a thruster would have prevented a go around though. Before you invest in a thruster tonight want to give it some time and practice maneuvering. There’s no doubt the handling is different from a twin engine setup.

That said I’m no enemy of thrusters. I have bow and stern thrusters and use them every time I go out. Backing into my slip with a single inboard would be tricky without them; the thrusters make docking a simple affair. If you have the means to make the upgrade to improve the handling then go for it.
 
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I agree with the sentiments above. I owned a 270 and I can't think of but maybe one or two times where I would have used a thruster on that boat in 10 years. I could put that boat anywhere. With my new boat, I had to learn how to dock all over again. It's a new set of challenges and you can't just go out there thinking you're going to dock it like a bobcat using two sticks. There more to it than that. Once mastered, that too becomes second nature. My recommendation is to just get some more seat time. In addition, let's face it, if the weather is bad, we shouldn't be leaving the docks in the first place.
 
bbwhitejr said:
I have a dock neighbor that just had one installed on a Cruisers Yachts 400 Express. Total cost was $12,500 done by FL Bow Thrusters.....beautiful install completed in 2-days. 12v thruster including battery and charger and breaker.

We started with a 2006 260DA and was harder to dock than the 44DB. I rarely use my thruster, but on a windy day, it is a wonderful option....

Bennett
Click to expand...

I believe that is probably 24V on the bow thruster
 
mratlndmrk said:
I believe that is probably 24V on the bow thruster
Click to expand...

Both on my 270 and now the 420 Sedan its a 12v system. Vetus builds some pretty powerful 12V systems.
I agree with all of the above. Certainly you will get better with practice and the goal should always be to not have to use it. But no doubt it reduces the pucker factor in hairy situations. Which obviously depends on where you dock most frequently and the weather you are typically exposed too. I now rarely use my thruster, but when i do, I am certainly thankful for it!

A used 260 is, what, maybe 40k? At a 7k install, figure maybe it adds 1k to your listing price. So net 6k cost, which is about 15% of the value of the boat. No doubt its a bad investment, but what isn't on a boat. A 30k hydraulic swim platform was put on my boat. I don't need it, but man it makes lounging on the back of the boat more enjoyable and loading the dink a piece of cake. If you can afford it and it makes boating safer and more enjoyable, than go for it.
Happy Boating.
Craig
 
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