To manoeuvre your boat with ease, thrusters are a necessity, especially when you are trying to prepare for docking. Whether you manage with a single bow thruster or whether you prefer the flexibility that comes with both bow and stern thrusters, you know that life would be more difficult without them. To keep your thrusters in great condition, it is important to know a little bit about them. Here are three things that you can do to maintain your thrusters.
Check your batteries
The most frequently reported problem with the thruster is a faulty battery. To operate correctly, your thruster needs plenty of power, and if it isn't receiving sufficient voltage from the battery, then it is never going to work effectively. You should expect a standard 12-volt battery to read between 12.5 and 12.7 volts across the terminals when the thruster is not being used. If the thruster is charging, you can expect the reading to be to go up slightly to between 13-14-volts. When you engage the thruster, you should see the voltage dip by about 10%. If the drop is more than that, you are likely to have a problem with the battery. The problem could be a loose connection, a weak battery, or perhaps corroded cables. Whatever the cause of the voltage drop, you must deal with it because if left unchecked, a low voltage could permanently damage the thruster.
Clean and check your brushes
The electric motor on your thruster almost certainly uses brushes to convey the power to the rotor. These brushes will produce dust that needs to be blown away from time to time. The length of time between cleans will vary depending on how much you use the thruster, but you must make sure the dust is cleaned away by compressed air before it starts to interfere with the operation of the motor. In addition to blowing away the dust, it is vital that you check the length of each of the brushes to ensure that they remain above the minimum required length for your particular thrusters.
Clean the thruster tube
When you can take your boat out of the water you should clean the thruster tube, taking care not to damage the prop.
Following these simple steps will help you prolong the life of your thrusters and stop them from failing when you need them. To learn more about thrusters, contact a company in your area like Fenquin Pty Ltd.
