Does a bow thruster slow you down?

[Pub911]

I get it...I mean, that it helps you dock. And I get the thrill of a new gadget. I even get the silent, perverse thrill of having people at the dock notice I've got a new toy. But when the 'oooh's' and 'aaaaahs' fade, and the ego returns to it's slightly swollen normal size, does the hole in the bow make the boat go slower than it did before it was there? If so, by how much?

Oh, and for the engineers that circle here, above us, casting pearls of wisdom and math (and I do thank you)....by "by how much" I don't want a quantum mechanics level explaination. I just mean, like, ummm, noticably? or not?

Thank you, friends.

[mitiempo]

There might be a small amount of drag from the installation but with the wallet lighter by a large amount it balances out.

[jrd22]

I don't have one so this is second hand info. I have asked a couple of people that have bow thrusters if it slows them down and both have said "not noticeably". I have read reports that say they do cause some turbulence in the flow along the hull, which seems reasonable, and so they probably do result in some loss of speed.

[bljones]

i imagine a bow thruster would slow you down, unless you turn it off.

[PCP]

No, if they retract completely in the hull.

Range Electric Bow Trusters

Regards

Paulo

[Gene T]

I don't think people with bow thrusters worry about speed except when they are motoring.

Gene

[PCP]

Nah! It depends of how tight your marina is (and the others you eventually use).

There are lots of cruiser-racers with one. Sometimes it his the only way to put a more than 40ft boat in its berth without outside help.

Regards

Paulo

[deniseO30]

Originally Posted by Pub911

I even get the silent, perverse thrill of having people at the dock notice I've got a new toy.

From the few I've heard.. they are far from silent.

Do training wheels slow down bikes?

just saying..

[SVAuspicious]

I get more glee from dock-walkers talking about how much bow thrusters help -- I don't have one!

[deniseO30]

technology is creating a whole new generation of the helpless. Did it all start with the TV remote control? cars and boats now can self park (if you get the option$ included)