Problem:
Manage and oversee installation of a bowthruster on an aluminium sailing yacht. This kind of installation requires, next to dry-docking in a suitable environment, a shop, which can coordinate engineering work, metal and electrical work, as well as some paint work.
Steps for Installing the Bowthruster:
- Recommend suitable bowthruster and installation details.
- Determine suitable shop and dry-docking environment. Receive and evaluate quotes and time-schedule.
- Have the yacht haul out to dry-dock.
- Identify exact location for the bowthruster tube. Consult criteria in the thruster’s installation manual and determine conditions of the hull.
- Check carefully for the correct orientation of the bowthruster tube.
- Mark the hole on the hull. A special cutting compass can be used both for marking and for cutting/ milling the hole perimeter. Smoothen hole edges.
- Machine tube to required diameter. Place tube into the bowthruster bore. Mark tube’s cutting line and machine aperture for the thruster leg. Consult manual.
- Remove tube and cut to lengths. Consider that around the tube the hull will have to be shaped. Consult manual.
- Carefully weld tube into the bore. First tack and then weld around. Inert gas welding is required.
- Sand or grit blast exposed bare metal and prime.
- Install bowthruster motor and leg, wire electrical connections. Carefully test system on hard.
- Model shapers around the thruster with epoxy filler.
- Apply antifouling.
- Launch vessel, carry out seatrials, hand over vessel.
