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 | | Posted: 04/05/06
Updated: 19/05/06 |
| 'A well designed powerful yet compact bow thruster' | | Strengths:
The main advantage is that the Vetus is one of the few thrusters of this power rating on the market that utilises a 150mm diameter tube, most others appear to use a 185mm diameter tube.
Manufacturers generally recommend that the centre of tube should be installed no less than 1 tube diameter below the waterline and that the tube be between 2 and 4 diamters long. To reduce cavitation and increase efficiency the tube should ideally be installed deeper, with the top of the tube no less than 1 tube diameter below the waterline. The tube must also be installed as far forward as possible.
For the location of the tube in the hull, the 150mm diameter tube offers considerable advantages over the 185mm tube. Although 35mm difference does not sound like very much, the underside of a 185mm tube would end up 70mm lower than a 150mm tube, this would also mean that the tube had to be installed a lot further back in the hull in order to achieve the necessary tube legnth which would also be longer, instead of 300mm minimum it would be 370mm. This would result in two things:
1. loss of effective turning power on the hull.
2. probable loss of valuable interior space.
Now fully installed the unit appears to do exactly what it says on the can, it squirts the front of my 7.5 ton Lochin 33 around nicely although I have not yet had chance to try it in very windy conditions.
| | Weaknesses:
In my opinion the major weakness is the 6mm thick GRP tube, I know everyone tells me it is really strong and I'm sure that for the alternative hydraulic drive, which is quite smal and light it would be fine but the electric motor weighs about 20kg (44lbs) As my boat is built for rough seas rather than canals I added a stainless steel support structure.
The second niggle is with the terminal cover. Nice and neat but I can't see any way of installing it once the power cables are connected without drilling a big hole in it for the cable.
The installation manual could be better, it initially appears to be a good thick book but this is only because it is written in every european language imagineable and I'm sure somethings have been lost in the translations. As an example, a variety of sealing gaskets are supplied with the unit but it requires phone calls to Vetus to learn that some are specifically for steel tubes. The manual doesn't tell you how to re-mount the terminal cover once you have installed the cables in accardance with their instructions and drawings.
| | Overall:
Not so much that this is a fantastic product, it offers some worthwhile advantages over it's competitors I'm sure the build quality is no better and no worse but I felt this would be best for my particular installation.
I can not as yet vouch for reliability and as for price, I think all bow thrusters are overpriced.
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| | | Performance | | 60% | | Reliability | | 60% | | Value | | 60% |
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