Max Power Retractable Thruster

How to choose the correct Thruster for your Boat

For every boat owner it is important to chose the correct thrust rating (or relative power) whether it will be a tunnel thruster or a retractable thruster. To help simplify the complicated calculations associated with the many variables in a boat design, we have designed the following charts to make your decision easier:

Retractable thruster Selection Chart

To use these charts there are two factors (excluding the length of your boat), which you need to determine:

1. The relative size & wind area of your yacht
For a boat of any given length, the area it offers to a direct side wind can vary from one design to another. The underwater shape & total weight can also differ greatly. However, most recreational boats, both motor and sail, will fit into one of three categories:
- Cruising
- Fast cruising
- Super fast cruising

2. The conditions in which you use your boat (thruster force required)
Different people have different uses for their boat. For example, an expedition yacht on a world cruise would have different needs to a picnic boat berthed on a lake. In conclusion, some people would like a more powerful thruster than others. If the size of your boat intersects more than one thruster on the selection chart, the choice of thruster will depend on the situations and conditions in which it will be used.

Positioning thrusters is often as important as choosing the right thrust output when seeking maximum manoeuvring performance for your boat. Thruster turbines need to be placed one full propeller diameter under the water line to achieve optimum thrust. The thruster must also be positioned as far forward in the bow or as far back in the stern as possible. A thruster stepped back from the bow (or stern) would need to be more powerful than one mounted further forward (or back), to achieve the same turning effect on the boat.

Most motor boat designs are well suited to fixed tunnel thruster installations. However, the above-described constraints (depth and positioning) often contradict each other, especially in modern sailing yachts. Although some sailing yachts can achieve good results with tunnel thrusters, most modern designs would work better using a retractable solution.

The combined use of a bow and stern thruster adds a whole new level of control when maneuvering in difficult conditions or tight corners.

Turning on the spot or even stepping the entire boat sideways becomes possible at the flick of a switch.

Max Power offers stern thruster adapters for the entire tunnel thruster range. A range of Ignition Protected thrusters is also available thus enabling the use of a stern thruster in habitually damp zones or petrol-powered boats.

On boats where conventional tunnel stern adapters cannot be used due to lack of immersion depth or the positioning of drive systems, retractable stern thrusters offer an attractive & powerful solution.

Hydraulic thrusters need a carefully designed hydraulic system to run them reliably and efficiently. Often this system may only be required for the boat�s thruster(s). The most common form of thruster only system uses an engine as its power source. These can offer unlimited run times and do not need batteries or high power cables. Two types of hydraulic pumps can be used for these dedicated systems.

Variable displacement pumps
A variable displacement pump can be used when a fixed flow is needed but the engine RPM is likely to vary. This would typically be a main engine or gearbox mounted pump. Often used on large powerboats, these systems offer a powerful solution for larger thrusters.

Fixed displacement pumps
Used when a generator with a PTO (power take off) is available, fixed displacement pumps give a single (fixed) flow at a given engine RPM. Highly robust, these systems are simple to install and cost effective.

Although still fundamentally a DC thruster, a hydraulic unit run from a DC power pack offers a host of advantages over conventional DC thrusters.
- Better weight distribution in the boat
- The ability to fit the thruster unit in habitually damp and even wet areas such as sail lockers
- Allows the DC motor to be placed close to the batteries that supply it, whilst still enabling the installation of the thruster(s) in the
boat�s extremities

Whether run from a DC motor or an engine, Max Power can supply a full range of components including all necessary accessories
such as a variety of oil tanks and control valves. In both cases Max Power can advise and assist in the design of an efficient system suited to your needs

Max Power Retractable Thruster

Thruster Selection Charts

Select the right thruster for your Boat

How to choose the correct Thruster for your Boat

Retractable thruster Selection Chart

Tunnel Or Retractrable Thruster?

Bow Thrusters & Stern Thrusters

Electric Or Hydraulic Power Source

Only for Hydraulic thrusters