[Anonymous]

Has anybody had any experience of fitting a bow thruster in a Bavaria which has a water tank in the bow? I purchased a Bavaria 41 earlier this year and generally sail short handed with my wife. Whilst generally we manage OK the freeboard is such that in a bit of a blow it can be difficult to manoeuvre in confined areas. Is a bow thruster the answer?

The foreward water tank extends to the bow which means that any tube would have to be aft of the tank and would therefore be about 1.2m long. I am concerned about the effectiveness of the bow thruster being so far back from the bow.

Moving the water tank further aft may be an option but am not sure if there is sufficient depth of hull below the water line to accommodate the tube.

Mike Buxton
Kamara

[Anonymous]

Hi Mike, You bet it’s the answer. Whilest I did not fit mine, I specified a bow thruster as part of the package. Mine is fitted aft of the water tank where the hull allows the tube to be some 6″ below the water line. Much less than this and the thruster will cavitate as on a Beneteau moored near to me, which has only 3″ above top of tube. Mine works quietly and efficiently, although it strugles in high winds, but they all do. I sail single handed with the aid of inmast reefing , autopilot and chartplotter.
Good Luck, Barry
Sir Hugh, Ipswich.

[Author]

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