Vetus launches most powerful Bow Pro thrusters yet

Vetus is adding the highest output thrusters yet to its expanding line-up of advanced Bow Pro units with the launch of the Bow Pro Boosted 300 series.

The new BOWB285, BOWB300 and BOWB320 thrusters are Vetus’s most powerful Bow Pro thrusters and the first Bow Pro units in the 300mm tunnel range.

Suitable for boats up to 30m (approximately 100ft), the company says its latest models enable more boat owners to experience the DC-to-DC charging technology, exceptionally quiet operation, precision proportional control and long run time of the Bow Pro Boosted (BOWB) range.

Vetus is continuing to expand the Bow Pro Boosted range, with units for the 400 mm tunnel range available to the market soon.

Vetus says its units can be used extensively by crew without the concern of overuse or overheating issues which can affect conventional thrusters.

Combining the efficiency of the Vetus proprietary motor controller with the latest maintenance-free brushless motors, the 17.5 to 18.7kW Boosted 300 series provide power outputs of 285kgf, 300kgf and 320kgf, alongside the benefits of 48V compatibility and the added boost function.

The latest Bow Pro Boosted models charge the bow thruster’s batteries using Vetus’s internal three-stage charging process. This solution enables connection to a 24V power supply to recharge the 48V battery bank to keep the thruster batteries at their optimum level. 

Installation and maintenance of Bow Pro Boosted thrusters is fast and easy, with the units integrating seamlessly with the proprietary Vetus V-Can system for plug and play convenience.

Kevin Theuns, Vetus bow thruster product sales manager, says: “We are delighted to expand the Vetus Bow Pro thruster family to 22 models with the addition of the three new Boosted 300 series thrusters. Providing 40 percent more output from the 300mm tunnel at 285 to 320kgf force, our latest Bow Pro Boosted models feature all the technical advantages of the Bow Pro series with the added benefit of the innovative charging function. Making life easier onboard, they also answer growing demand for easy integration with 48V platforms.

“By combining features like the unlimited runtime, full-proportional control, built-in charger and no maintenance on the brushless motor, Vetus introduces unique technology to the market. Bow Pro thrusters offer significant advantages as they keep running when other conventional thrusters stop due to overuse or over-heating. Even when used extensively on boats equipped with innovative manoeuvring solutions or when docking in heavy weather conditions, these Bow Pro units will continue to operate.”

The BOWB 300 series can be used with Vetus’s standard proportional control panels – the BPPPA single thruster panel (paddle), BPPJA single thruster panel (joystick) and DBPPJA double thruster panel (joystick). As the Bow Pro is V-CAN controlled with CAN-bus protocol operation, the thrusters also offer the opportunity for interaction with other compatible devices, such as docking systems. 

Vetus, the first company to offer a bow thruster with an integrated battery charger, developed the Boosted 300 series to incorporate an in-house-engineered intelligent motor controller, in line with all the fully-proportional BOWB models. Providing a significant technical advantage over existing thrusters, the internal charger enables the thruster to boost output to up to double the voltage, from 12 to 24V for smaller Vetus units and 24 to 48V for the newly introduced thrusters. When the thruster is not in use, the built-in charger automatically recharges the battery, doubling its value as both a thruster and charger. As well as connecting to the internal charger, the Vetus motor controller also regulates the maintenance-free brushless induction motors, a technology break-through that ensures the BOW PRO Boosted thrusters are very quiet with a runtime only limited by the size of the battery pack installed. With almost no loss of power, active heat control and power consumption are very low.