Testing Thrusters before Spring Launch

[GaylesFaerie]

I know its early but not much else to do these days. I would hate to find out a thruster isn't working after being splashed and was wondering about testing them on the hard. I understand that could certainly be bad for the unit without the counter-balancing force of water on the prop. But would a quick tap of the joysticks cause any harm? Are there other ways to check?

Happy New Year! The days are getting longer!

 

[yorangerjim]

I would call the factory in Kent Wa. I don't think it would hurt

Jim

 

[CaspersCruiser]

This is the guy to call about the Sidepower thrusters on your boat: Ray Lavoie at Imtra 508-995-7000

 

[MarcoArias]

Hi!

You should be able to engage the thruster while the boat is out of the water. Please note, it should be just a quick tap of the joystick. Anything more than that can cause damage to the unit. The only way of knowing if it is in the correct orientation is to have someone at the thruster tube with a piece of paper. Depending the direction of the propulsion, the paper will either move towards the hull or away from it.

 

[GaylesFaerie]

All good advice, thank you.

 

[captg]

I know its early but not much else to do these days. I would hate to find out a thruster isn't working after being splashed and was wondering about testing them on the hard. I understand that could certainly be bad for the unit without the counter-balancing force of water on the prop. But would a quick tap of the joysticks cause any harm? Are there other ways to check?

Happy New Year! The days are getting longer!

Owners Manual states DO NOT power on land. I would go with that. Even a short spin may cause premature damage and shorten the life of the unit.

G

 

[Osprey]

I am aware of the warning about not operating a thruster out of the water (i.e. without a load). However, as a member of the sheared pin club the thruster on my boat and on many other boats have been run unloaded. The duration of such operation depending on how long it took for the operator to realize the shear pin has failed. I have seen no reports that further damage resulted from such operation. However, it would be unwise to test this concern to the point of ultimate failure. Caution is the word here.

 

[knotflying]

For my money, if you are launching at a ramp test them once launched. The thrusters are serviced from inside the boat so it does not matter if it is in the water. As an aside, practice docking without the thrusters. It is not a matter of if they malfunction. It is about when they malfunction.

 

[GaylesFaerie]

Thanks all, I heard back from Imtra:
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Good morning Gary,

Congrats on the new boat. You can just bump the thrusters to make sure they are working, but you have to be very careful, as you mentioned as they do not have any resistance and can over wind.

One of the most important aspects of the thruster is to make sure they have correct voltage and strong batteries. Generally most of the work on the motors can be done with the boat in the water.

I have attached an owner’s manual and annual maintenance guide for you.

Hope this helps,
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WRT "It is about when they malfunction." Totally understand that advice, I'm just trying to stack as much of the deck in my favor as possible especially on splash day after a long winter!