Can the Stress of Docking Be Reduced with a Stern Thruster INSTEAD of a Bow Thruster?
Published: Saturday, January 14, 2023 12:00 pm
By: Sideshift
Docking a boat can be one of the most intimidating aspects of boating… especially on a single-engine, outboard-powered boat with a bit of freeboard. Outboards typically have a single propeller with limited low-RPM thrust. This means you often need to use the throttle to rev the engine up to move the boat in the desired direction. However, most outboards vent exhaust gasses through the prop shaft at any rpm over 1500. In the forward gear, the propeller has plenty of grip but in reverse, exhaust gasses can ventilate the propeller, causing it to slip. This means an outboard-powered boat does not back up or respond to reverse throttle very well, making docking even more difficult. One affordable solution is a stern thruster.
The benefits of a bow thruster seem obvious to anyone who has seen one in action. Push the operational joystick left or right, and the bow of your boat will move in the desired direction. But bow thrusters are not always practical on every style or model of boat.
Did you know a stern thruster can also be a tremendous help with maneuvering and docking a boat, even without a bow thruster? Of course, maximum maneuverability can be achieved with both bow and stern thrusters. But for smaller single-engine boats, especially those with outboard power, a stern-only thruster can be very useful for positioning control in a variety of docking situations.
The technique is a bit different from a bow thruster, but in practice can be just as effective, if not more effective, than using a bow thruster.
Check out Sideshift’s Stern Thrusters for Outboard and Sterndrive Powered boats, ST230 for boats up to 30’, and the ST230-Dual for boats up to 40’, at www.sideshift.com.
tags: docking solutions, Thrusters
