Smooth Operator
While bow thrusters have long changed the docking game, Vetus takes it one step further with a new, nearly silent Rim Drive thruster.
Few systems have changed boaters’ lives like the bow thruster. The ability to swing the bow and line up the boat with a tight slip inspires confidence in many. Still, there’s a phenomenon in marinas the world over, where salty veteran cruisers materialize and shake their heads when they hear multiple gear shifts and the loud whine of a bow thruster. In their eyes you’re immediately cast into a category of cheaters alongside the Russian Olympic team.
The new Rim Drive thruster from Vetus should silence such critics (and tone down your docking). Designed for boats 45 feet and larger, the RIMDRIVE was designed so that the propeller acts as the rotor and the fixed winding is placed inside the tunnel; this eliminates the need for loud gears and produces near-silent operation.
Another nice feature, because every docking situation is different, is the thrusters’ proportional control. On calm days that means you need only tap the thruster control to point your bow where you want it and on windy days when the current is ripping you have the power you need at your fingertips.
Depending on your boat’s needs, the Rim Drive is available in 8 and 9.5 horsepower models.www.vetus.com
This article originally appeared in the January 2017 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
