Jet propulsion is nothing new for boats, so why not equip bow and stern thrusters with it? That's what the people at Holland Marine Parts in Dordrecht thought. And so the system was created, which in its simplest form consists of a powerful pump, a suction opening, a control valve and an outlet on both the port and starboard sides. The thruster can be extended by adding two more outlets at the stern and, for very large boats, an additional pump. As there is no propeller turning in the water, only the pump generates the pressure, there is no cavitation. "Annoying noise is a thing of the past, you only hear the pump inside the boat," says a delighted Pieter Cats from Holland Marine.
Their installation location in the ship can be chosen almost anywhere, only hoses need to be laid to the outlet nozzles. The openings in the hull are small compared to a conventional bow thruster tunnel with a diameter of two inches. This creates less resistance when travelling through the water, according to the manufacturer. "The jet thruster also fits into yachts that have no room for a conventional solution because the stern or bow do not dip far enough," continues Cats.
In terms of price, the jet thruster is roughly halfway between a conventional bow thruster and a retractable system. However, according to the manufacturer, the lower installation effort - there is no need for laminating - results in comparable costs. These amount to around 3520 euros without installation for a 12-volt device with a 3-kilowatt pump and outlets at the bow only. The largest system with 24 volts and a 14-kilowatt motor for bow and stern thrusters costs around 6,100 euros without installation.
More info on the Homepage of the manufacturer
