Vetus 23kgf bow thruster not working

[Nancy]

Splashed today - yay!
Bow thruster not working - boo. It worked fine at haul-out in September.

Pressing the control buttons on the dash makes a noise in the bow thruster, but not the right noise, and the bow doesn't move. Seems like a spinning or whirring noise, but not the deep grinder-type noise that it makes when working. It seems like the main pusher thingy, whatever that might be, is not engaging.

Looked at the manual. That was pointless. Pretty sure the next call is to the mechanic, but is there anything simple or obvious that we could check first?

A Google search brought me right to this forum. Go figure.

[carolmarie]

Is it possible that the shear pin just sheared?
Don.

[Tree]

Sounds like Don has hit the nail on the head. Pretty sure with the vetus the shear pin can be accessed from inside the boat - I have the side power so can’t be sure.

[Nancy]

Don and Lee - it would be nice if it were that simple. Any ideas where I'd find a diagram? What about the shear pin itself? Google isn't exactly spitting out instant results.

[Norseman]

Shear pin, I agree.
Somehow the “in water pieces” got stuck because of corrosion or whatever and the shear pin paid the price to protect the motor.
Haul it back out and call the local Vetus guru, or start trouble shooting yourself.
1) Does the prop spin? If not, the tail piece may be frozen inside, salt water leak and corrosion inside. Best case scenario, a barnacle or a glob of bottom paint stopped the prop and the shear pin sheared.


2) If the prop spins, it has separated from the axle, or if the axle (prop shaft) are still good, shake it: Bearing worn, if so, the sealing rings are worn out, saltwater in the mini-transmission and you are toast.

I am trying to get parts for my Vetus 5012 right now, but no cigar, all discontinued, Yours is the previous model and probably even harder to get parts for it.

Don’t shoot the messenger, hope it is only the shear pin. (But WHY did it shear? )

[Nancy]

Dag, we're in fresh water. Have been for nine years. Doesn't mean there's not corrosion.
In the absence of any documentation, mechanic is going to have to be the Vetus guru.
If it turns out to be only the shear pin, yes, great question - why?
I'll call Vetus/MD in the AM.

Boat's a beast to dock w/o bow thruster, but I nailed it today.

[Nancy]

Have already had a reply from David Barrett at Vetus:

"This unit does not have a shear coupling or pin. It does have a drive pin behind/near the prop, which you could double check for OK, as well as the prop hub. You may need to also check the lower unit/tailpiece for gear integrity. After turning off the power supply to the thruster and unbolting the motor, have someone inside the boat turn the tailpiece input drive shaft while someone in the water observes and tries to resist at the prop, and vice versa. If you find the tailpiece gearing has failed, because the 23kgf has been out of production for about 20 years and parts are no longer available, you will need to replace the thruster entire. The modern 45kgf (double the power, which the Albin 28 really needed) makes a great replacement with some minor modification."

None of this sounds particularly easy.

[Norseman]

Worst case scenario, go for a 6012, brand new.
I get commercial discounts, $2k was the last offer, be happy to get you one at that price, but the the tunnel would not fit, or anything else like cables and breakers, etc.
Either way it will be costly, unless eBay has a replacement for you.
eBay has been my savior for old parts and pieces many times.

[Nancy]

Thanks so much for the offer, Dag. May take you up on it. I'm likely to go with the BOW4512D as it will fit the tunnel. Disappointing that it isn't available in one tidy kit, you know, control panel, breaker, cable. Nope. $200 here, $100 there.

[Norseman]

Thanks so much for the offer, Dag. May take you up on it. I'm likely to go with the BOW4512D as it will fit the tunnel. Disappointing that it isn't available in one tidy kit, you know, control panel, breaker, cable. Nope. $200 here, $100 there.

Aha, you are all set then, they still make your replacement:

9FD60088-BAC8-46E0-B9F5-C75EEC9C1523.jpeg

[Nancy]

The BOW4512D would be your replacement, too, no?

[Norseman]

The BOW4512D would be your replacement, too, no?

No, my replacement would be the 6012.
Been tempted to go for it, but Vetus could not assure me it would be an easy swap, even after checking the model and serial number if the old thruster.
The tunnel is the same, but “minor fiberglass work could be needed”.
Did an oil change on the tail piece last year, (no water intrusion) and plan on overhauling the motor, got an estimate for $750 from one place and $350 labor plus materials from another place.
They both have a 3 week turnaround time, which is why I am hesitating, the bow thruster is needed every day: Narrow canals, strong currents and lots of traffic, and that is the weekdays. (We stopped going out on weekends, same as above but add drunk driving )

[MerryKate]

Nancy - if you're a little bit handy, removing the motor on the BOW2312 is not difficult. The motor shaft is coupled to the tailpiece by a bushing with a slot in it, which can become disengaged or possibly damaged if not installed correctly or something was caught in the prop. Unless you're set on a new thruster, I'd give the Vetus tech's advice a shot: unbolt the motor and turn the drive of the tailpiece (lower unit) by hand. It should turn freely in both directions and you can feel the gears engaging (grinding). Then check the clearance of the bushing on the motor shaft and lock-tite it if loose.

But first: check that the prop is still attached!!! That sure could make the motor spin freely. I'd double check as there is just a single smallish screw mounting the prop. Good luck - I ordered replacement brushes for my 2312 last year that had to come from Holland are were $350. Beats buying a new thruster though.

[Nancy]

Dag, what model is your existing unit?

MKate, thanks for the encouragement. I'm printing this out for my other half. The prop was definitely attached at launch. I suppose it could be lying at the bottom near the gas dock now, but unlikely.

[Norseman]

. Dag, what model is your existing unit?

5012.
4 HP, plenty power in most cases.
The other day we went to a pump out station with a 20 knot wind pushing us against the concrete seawall.
Had the fenders ready for a soft landing, all good, but hated to run the Vetus 5012 for more than 5-6 seconds to get off the Seawall. Worked good however.
Wifey on the stern with a boat hook pushing off so the swim platform would not get a scratch.

82F496FA-A780-4563-A78B-8103FF1D219D.jpeg

Same concrete seawall, but the pump out spot was behind us a few hundred feet.

30757859-95D4-4E23-B341-F8EA05E37CEC.png