As I'm new to this: I'm thinking of a 36' trawler. Do I need a stern thruster? I know I want a bow thruster. Right now I will be single handing. Please give me your thoughts and why. Also I want a single engine.
Start with a bow thruster.
Bet you find out that it may be enough.
If not..... adding stern thruster is much less of a fuss.
But a bow thruster will be night and day without one. Not saying they are necessary...but they can make some situations much easier.
Dale, as an owner of a similar sized boat, single engined boat, with no thrusters, I could say they are unnecessary, (with practice), but in your case, if you are going to be single-handing her quite often, and you can afford the extra, I'd say go for the both, but bow thruster as a minimum.
Bye the way, I took the liberty of correcting your 'deliberate mistake' in the thread title.
In that size range no. Just look for a left handed prop then always dock starboard side to. Goose the engine in reverse after at least a 5 second pause in neutral and voila you'll have a stern thruster.
Greetings,
Never had either but when we had a 34' single I considered a stern thruster. Could pretty well get the nose where I wanted it but at times the stern had a mind of it's own...
The boat I found also had a stern thruster. I like it. I don't "need" it, but I like it.
So unless money is simply not an issue, I would compare the stern thruster to other things that you may want to have in a boat, updated electronics, new dink, powered crane etc...
I
Never felt the need for a stern thruster. Can maneuver back end of boat with prop, rudder and alternating fwd/rev.
I'd figure bow thruster is about 4X as valuable as a stern thruster.