Stern Thrusters
Even with twin engines and a bow thruster you may not always have full control of the boat when docking or manoeuvering at slow speeds. Engaging the propellers usually results in sudden movements, making such use of the engines difficult to control. The solution is to install a stern thruster to gain total control of your boat. The Sidepower dual joystick panel and docking panel provides control of both thrusters with just one hand.

A stern thruster consists of a standard Sidepower mounted in a special tunnel fixed onto the transom of the boat, either by bolts or bonding. These tunnels are designed to enhance the performance of the thruster, and the fibreglass construction makes them extremely strong and durable.

The complete installation is very easy and meets the same high standards of a Sidepower bow thruster installation.

To make sure that all boats can have a stern thruster we are now offering special versions of our SP75 and SP95 thrusters that are fully ignition protected (ISO 8846) for use in boats with gasoline engines. By these being totally gas and waterproof they can also be fitted in boats when the stern area is difficult to keep dry. Stern thruster kits are available to suit boats from 29 ft up to the superyacht size.

Shallow draft sterns might force a stern thruster to be fitted at the water line, risking air to be sucked into the tunnel which will dramatically reduce the performance of the thruster. Fitting cowls prevents this and can also be used to redirect flow in case of other obstructions on the stern.