Bow & Stern Thrusters
Dock with total confidence. The complete VETUS thruster range — from 25 to 550 kgf — with proportional BOW PRO technology, the world's quietest RIMDRIVE, and full joystick integration with your engines. Sized, supplied and supported by Luxfords.
Take the stress out of docking
A thruster gives you sideways control of your bow or stern — a propeller in a submerged tunnel (or housing) mounted athwartships near the bow or stern. Push the joystick and the boat moves sideways, countering crosswind and current while you manoeuvre in close quarters.
In practice that means holding control even into a tight slip in a crowded marina, a single crew member picking up dock lines while the boat is walked sideways onto the berth, and handling a much bigger boat with a one-person crew — quietly, without the pushing, pulling or shouting. For single-engine vessels especially, a thruster transforms a stressful marina approach into a calm, controlled one, and it removes the risk of an expensive encounter with another boat, a dock or a piling.
VETUS has been building thrusters for over 40 years, and Luxfords supplies and supports the full range in Australia: the thruster, tunnel, control panels, batteries and cabling — everything needed for a complete installation.
The VETUS thruster range
Seven families covering every boat from a 15 ft runabout to a 150 ft commercial vessel — and every priority from lowest cost to lowest noise.
BOW PRO
Brushless, proportional, maintenance-free
The leading edge of thruster development. Fully proportional control, maintenance-free brushless induction motors, and full-power runtimes of 6–10 minutes (model dependent) — far beyond conventional DC thrusters. Digitally controlled over the VETUS V-CAN bus, which is also what makes joystick integration with Yamaha, Mercury, Yanmar, Honda and Suzuki systems possible.
BOW PRO Boosted
BOW PRO with a built-in smart charger
All the benefits of BOW PRO, plus an exclusive built-in DC-to-DC three-stage smart charger. A 24 V thruster bank can be charged from the boat's existing 12 V supply (or 48 V from 24 V) through a third charge connection on the thruster — the charging source is monitored so the engine-start bank is never depleted.
DC thrusters
The proven, affordable original
The original recreational boat thruster, developed and refined over 40 years and installed worldwide. Simple on/off port-starboard control, the simplest installation, and the lowest cost — a proven concept and an affordable solution for boats from 15 to 90 feet.
Ignition protected
The only electric thruster safe for petrol spaces
An extension of the DC thruster with a watertight, ignition-protected motor housing to ISO 8846. The only electric thruster type suitable for compartments containing petrol engines, fuel tanks or lines, propane storage, or PWC/outboard fuel systems — the sealed housing prevents explosive fumes reaching the motor.
RIMDRIVE
The world's quietest thruster
Unique in design: the propeller forms the rotor of a permanent-magnet electric motor whose stator is mounted in the tunnel — no gears at all, and a ring around the propeller prevents cavitation. The result is a thruster so quiet your neighbours in the marina won't hear you dock. 160 kgf at 48 VDC for boats from 44 to 65 feet.
Coming soonRetractable
Proportional thrust for shallow-draft hulls
Built on the proven BOW PRO platform with a swing-out mechanism that deploys below the hull during use and retracts afterward. Ideal where a conventional tunnel can't be fully submerged — shallow-draft boats, sailing yachts with a cutaway forefoot, or any hull where tunnel drag matters.
Hydraulic
Continuous thrust for serious duty
Thrust whenever you need it, for as long as you need it. Built with industrial-grade components and powered by hydraulic pumps on the propulsion engine(s) or a generator, these thrusters run continuously with the proper setup — ideal for commercial and heavy-duty recreational use from 35 to 150 feet.
| Range | Boats | Thrust | Proportional | Runtime | Noise | Maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOW PRO | 20–130 ft (6–40 m) | 30–420 kgf | 6–10 min at full power, far longer at reduced power | low | minimal | |
| BOW PRO Boosted | 26–130 ft (8–40 m) | 57–420 kgf | 6–10 min at full power, far longer at reduced power | low | minimal | |
| DC thrusters | 15–90 ft (5–28 m) | 25–285 kgf | 2–4 min continuous or combined per hour | medium | regular | |
| Ignition protected | 20–60 ft (6–18 m) | 25–160 kgf | 2–4 min continuous or combined per hour | medium | regular | |
| RIMDRIVE | 44–65 ft (15–20 m) | 160 kgf | Limited only by your battery bank | very low | minimal | |
| Retractable (coming soon) | 26–55 ft (8–17 m) | 57–90 kgf | 6–10 min at full power, far longer at reduced power | low | minimal | |
| Hydraulic | 35–150 ft (11–46 m) | 55–550 kgf | Continuous with proper setup | medium | low |
Thruster buying guides
A thruster is a significant investment — these guides cover everything owners ask us before choosing one.
What size thruster do I need?
Our interactive selector calculates your required thrust with the official VETUS method and recommends models.
Read the guideBOW PRO vs DC thrusters
Proportional brushless control or the proven on/off original — which is right for your boat and budget?
Read the guideJoystick docking & engine integration
How BOW PRO connects with Yamaha, Mercury, Yanmar, Honda and Suzuki joystick systems for 360° control.
Read the guideInstallation, tunnels & batteries
Tunnel positioning, GRP vs steel vs aluminium tunnels, battery banks and cabling — what's involved.
Read the guideOne joystick. Engines and thruster together.
BOW PRO thrusters connect with the joystick systems of the world's leading engine brands through the NMEA 2000-certified VETUS CANverter — so the thruster responds precisely to joystick input, delivering intuitive 360-degree manoeuvring on inboard and outboard boats alike.
- Yamaha — Helm Master EX
- Mercury Marine — Joystick Piloting for Outboards (JPO)
- Yanmar — Inboard Joystick Control System
- Honda Marine & Ultraflex — Integrated joystick control
- Suzuki Marine — 300BMD & 350AMD integrated steering
Bow thruster FAQs
What size bow thruster do I need for my boat?
Thruster size is determined by required thrust (kgf), not motor power. VETUS calculates it from your boat's length, lateral windage area and the wind force you want to handle: the wind's turning moment is divided by the distance from the thruster to the boat's pivot point. As a guide, an 11 m motor cruiser handling a Beaufort 5 crosswind needs about 42 kgf — a 45 kgf class thruster. Use our thruster selector for a personalised recommendation, then confirm the final sizing with the Luxfords team.
What's the difference between a BOW PRO and a standard DC thruster?
A standard DC thruster is on/off — full thrust or nothing — with a brushed motor limited to roughly 2–4 minutes of running per hour. A BOW PRO is fully proportional, so you dial in exactly the thrust you need; its brushless induction motor is maintenance-free and runs for 6–10 minutes at full power depending on model (far longer at reduced power). BOW PRO is also digitally controlled over V-CAN, which enables lock-and-hold docking and integration with engine joystick systems. DC remains the most affordable and simplest option for occasional use.
Can a bow thruster be integrated with my engine's joystick system?
Yes — VETUS BOW PRO thrusters integrate with Yamaha Helm Master EX, Mercury Joystick Piloting for Outboards, Yanmar's inboard joystick, Honda Marine with Ultraflex controls, and Suzuki's integrated steering. The connection is made via the NMEA 2000-certified VETUS CANverter gateway, so one joystick controls engines and thruster together for true 360-degree manoeuvring.
Do I need a stern thruster as well?
A bow thruster alone transforms docking, but adding a stern thruster gives full sideways control — the boat can be walked laterally onto a berth or rotated on its own axis. VETUS's rule of thumb is that the stern thruster can be one model size smaller than the calculated bow thruster. Transom-mount stern kits make installation straightforward without using internal hull space.
How big a battery bank does a bow thruster need?
It depends on the thruster type. DC thrusters draw a very large inrush current, so the battery's CCA (cold cranking amps) rating is critical — from about 333 CCA for the smallest model to 2,800 CCA for the largest 12 V units. BOW PRO thrusters have no inrush and instead need endurance capacity, rated in Ah (C20) — typically 90–220 Ah. BOW PRO Boosted models can charge their own 24 V bank from the boat's 12 V system via the built-in smart charger. Luxfords can specify the right bank and cable sizes for your installation.
I have a petrol-powered boat — can I still fit an electric thruster?
Yes, but it must be ignition protected. VETUS ignition-protected DC thrusters (25–160 kgf) have a sealed, watertight motor housing complying with ISO 8846, making them the only electric thruster type suitable for compartments containing petrol engines, fuel tanks or lines, or propane storage. The RIMDRIVE RD160 is also ISO 8846 compliant.
How loud is a bow thruster?
Conventional thrusters are audible mainly due to gears and propeller cavitation. VETUS DC thrusters minimise this with a six-blade propeller and spiral gears, while BOW PRO models run noticeably quieter. The quietest of all is the RIMDRIVE, which has no gearbox at all — the propeller is the motor's rotor — and a cavitation-suppressing ring, making it practically silent in operation.
Can I run a 24 V thruster on my 12 V boat?
Yes — that's exactly what the BOW PRO Boosted series is for. Every BOWB model has a built-in DC-to-DC three-stage smart charger: connect its dedicated 24 V battery bank to your existing 12 V supply and the thruster keeps its own bank charged, without ever depleting your engine-start battery. 48 V models can likewise be boost-charged from 24 V systems.
Ready to dock like a pro?
Tell us about your boat and how you berth her. We'll size the thruster properly, quote the complete kit and arrange delivery anywhere in Australia.
Luxfords Marine is the authorised Victorian Vetus distributor — we confirm thrust sizing, specify the battery bank and cabling, and supply everything from the tunnel to the control panel.
(03) 5973 6444