ADDING A BOW THRUSTER!

[racerxxx]

I'm purchasing a 2016 Jeanneau MF 795. The boat does not have a bow thruster although it does have the bow thruster cavity. Do you think it will be pre-wired? How difficult (and expensive USD) will it be to have one added? Is it a do it yourself project? Thanks!

[dannyrusso]

Sorry, I can't help you with the installation, but I can tell you I wouldn't have the 795 without one.  Backing in my slip on a windy day is hard enough with the thruster.  Without it, I'd wind up causing more damage to my boat, as well as the boats docked on either side of me, that the damage would be way more that the thruster installation cost.  My last boat was a larger Sea Ray, with Bravo III outdrive, and no thrusters.  The contra-rotating props on that outdrive made docking a whole lot easier.  The torque on the Yamaha outboard to one direction is a whole other story.  This will be my second season with the 795, and I'm hoping to master the backing technique by the end of the season.  The bow thruster makes it 100% easier on a windy day.

[lynnardm]

Hi Racerxxx

Yes a bow thruster is invaluable. I have an 895 so the wiring may be a bit different. But it’s quite extensive. The thruster needs a battery and needs to charge via the engine including a load balancer plus a separate charge setup with the 120v to dc charger. Theres a bunch of wiring and elec components mounted near the thruster. Then of course there’s the wiring for the controller at the helm. I don’t know what’s involved with actually mounting the actual Thruster assembly and battery. I’d start getting a 795 manual that shows the electrical system then find a 795 you can look at to see what’s there and how things are installed. But indeed it’s a complex install for someone that hasn’t done one before.

Capt’n Lynn

[dannyrusso]

Thinking about it a bit more I don't think it would be overly complicated, if you didn't mind jury rigging it a bit.  You definitely need a battery at the bow, since running heavy gauge cables from the cockpit batteries wouldn't be practical.  You will need to charge that battery, so if you didn't have an on-board charger that can handle a third battery, you can install an inexpensive charger dedicated to the bow thruster battery.  If you can't run 110v (assuming you're using 110v) to the bow to power the charger, you can mount the charger where you have 110v and just run a (+) and (-) lead to charge the battery at the bow.  Then you will need a two-way rocker switch for the helm, and a two-way solenoid at the bow.  It's very similar to what you have with a windlass, but instead of bringing the anchor up or down, you powering the thruster side to side.  Really, I think all the info you need would be available from the company that makes the bow thruster.

[racerxxx]

I was quoted $6,000 (USD) to add the bow thruster by a dealer.

[shaodx]

If I were you, I wound do it by myself. The Side Power SE50 On/Off + controller is about $2000. The tunnel should be ready on your boat, then you only need to install thruster and battery under the bed. Not a really big deal.