Where to place a bowthruster on FW 270 -02

swede

Where to place a bow thruster on an FW 270 -02 ?

Anyone some have one installed an where?

Swede

frenchship

look at an bow thruster installation on a Rinker 27' by EastCoast bow thruster.

swede

Thanks

But where is it placed under the table floor?

frenchship

I don't know exactly where, but you could send East coast bow thruster an e- mail.

rasbury

man that would be sweet!

louscag

Have a look at sideshift bow and stern thruster website they have installation help and can be installed without the tunnel

swede

Under the table floor its fits they say on east coast bow thruster.

Have to remove the floor .:(

frenchship

They don't remove the floor they just cut an opening in the floor do the installation then install a hatch similar to this 
and you can used the carpet they remove to cover the hatch

swede

ok

andyd

I'm not knocking anyone who wants a bowthruster, but personally I wouldn't want one on my small cruiser. Frankly I don't need anything else below the waterline that can present problems with a boat that is full time in a slip, and I don't even own a trailer. I worry enough about the seacocks!

Andy

Michael T

@andyd, I respect that you do not need/want a bow thruster. I have seen two installed - actually seen one happen (being cut) and the other just prior to re gel coating. The work was amazing and from what I saw if there was a hull fail it would be anywhere but there as the reinforcement was amazing.

swede

Now i know hole in floor , not fun but more funnier when the boat is in the water.

andyd

My other concern is fouling. I have to chip off hard marine growth on my trim tabs  every few weeks to keep them from hanging up. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to keep that hole through the hull and the wee prop from getting fouled. Anyone with a thruster equipped boat that sits in seawater full time and has a different take on this I'd love to hear it.

Andy

swede

Thats not a problem for me. 
We are in a lake called vänern in sweden.
No saltwater here

raybo3

If your on a lake then why would you need a bow thruster???

Michael T

What do all of the guys in the southern U.S. Florida/Texas etc. do to control barnacle growth on their thrusters? Do they use one of the anti-fouling coatings that are available? I say this because when looking on the various boat selling sites like Yachtworld or the dealer sites any of the boats over 40 feet seem to have either pods with Axius type guidance systems or some sort of combined aft and stern thruster system, like Dock Assist.

MarkB

Raybo that wind gets going in the wrong direction and docking isn't easy with a single engine.

swede

Raybo3 Yes Vänern is a lake very big lake look it up.

raybo3

So I googled lake Vanem and it is beautiful. Looks like a great place to go boating. 

swede

Yes very nice and big lake. 

Handymans342

And cold too!

swede

Yes cruising around icebears 

andyd

I have a great way to move my bow sideways and it's from Sweden. It's a Volvo Penta DPS outdrive, hard to port or starboard, in reverse.

Andy

diggin2day1

I am seriously considering putting a bow thruster in my 2002 FV270. Thinking about having the hole and glass-work professionally done and I will do the wiring/control installation myself. I live on Long Island and I'm going to try and find someone reputable to do the work. Having a bow thruster would take a ton of stress out of backing into crowded slips and marinas... 

BellevilleMXZ

Yeah sure would be handy, esp. on windy days!

Michael T

A real gel coat saver. A friend who had one done said it was the best money her ever spent on his boat. He had it done at Hurst Marine www.hurstmarine.com They have a video on their web site of them drilling through a hull. When they are done (I've seen two that they have done) you'd swear it was o.e.m. I hear the "sidethrusters"  add on product works fine for less money (as long as there isn't a really stiff breeze) I just don't like the look of them.

BellevilleMXZ

Ya saw a 270 with a sidethrusters or something similar....quite ugly hanging off the front. I'll stay docked on windy days for now.....lol

rasbury

that would be sweet to have.....I was in pretty bad weather past summer on west coast of Fl and got banged up pretty good docking- not much you can do about it sometimes and I don't know that a thruster even would have helped, it was really blowing! But, I had to get back in as the weather wan only going to get worse and it sure did.....

Michael T

Ras, a properly sized bow thruster (internal type) will be effective right up to weather no one should be out in. I have heard that the add-on thrusters are great for non windy days but not nearly as effective when they are loaded against wind.

LaRea

The bow thruster is also great for those rare times when you have to maneuver in shallow water with the outdrives trimmed way up.  

Handymans342

Good point LaRea