grahamdouglass
Senior Member
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2012
- Messages
- 421
- Location
- Canada
- Vessel Name
- Summer Wind 1
- Vessel Make
- Marine Trader 41
In June of 2018 I had a Lwemar 185 12v Bow Thruster installed in my Marine Trader 41, 15 ton boat. In March of this year I went to test it and made a weird sound and the motor raced.
I lifted the motor and the shear pin is fine. The motor works fine.
The bottom was done in June 2018 when the thruster was installed. I didn't really want to haul my boat this year so I will probably get it done next year. I lived without a bow thruster for 10 years so it won't kill me.
I suspect mussel growth may have jamed the propeller. Its been one of those years where the boat hasn't got out much and I've been too busy to do any thing on the boat.
The question I have is.
1) How often do bowthrusters fail?
2) Are mussels a real problem, and can mussels 'break' a thruster?
3) Before testing a thruster each spring, is it advisable to power wash
the thruster hole to remove mussles? Should I put the boat on the
tide to inspect the thruster before I try it out?
I've never heard of a thruster problem in salt water. A failure after 2 years is pretty expensive.
So all you thruster owners out there chime in and give me your thruster experience and advice. The guy who installed the thruster said he couldn't believe it broke.
I lifted the motor and the shear pin is fine. The motor works fine.
The bottom was done in June 2018 when the thruster was installed. I didn't really want to haul my boat this year so I will probably get it done next year. I lived without a bow thruster for 10 years so it won't kill me.
I suspect mussel growth may have jamed the propeller. Its been one of those years where the boat hasn't got out much and I've been too busy to do any thing on the boat.
The question I have is.
1) How often do bowthrusters fail?
2) Are mussels a real problem, and can mussels 'break' a thruster?
3) Before testing a thruster each spring, is it advisable to power wash
the thruster hole to remove mussles? Should I put the boat on the
tide to inspect the thruster before I try it out?
I've never heard of a thruster problem in salt water. A failure after 2 years is pretty expensive.
So all you thruster owners out there chime in and give me your thruster experience and advice. The guy who installed the thruster said he couldn't believe it broke.