Thank you so much for the nice words! Regarding the peel ply, it does both. You don’t want to laminate over amine blush nor on a shiny cured epoxy. If you don’t use it it’s not worse that you just have to wash away the blush with soapy water and sand down to give the next layer some grip. I applied several layers during the same day with only a few hours between. This way you will get an excellent chemical bond between the layers. Hope your project will go well! If you have any questions just send me a message

@@jacobkollerup amazing video, did you infill between the inner and outer hull before you inserted the tube? I see you squeezed some in after the tube was inserted.

SailorSam I actually removed the thin inner hull and honeycomb in an area around the tunnel opening because the bonding to the honeycomb didn’t look very good. I think I missed it in the video. However, that meant that the tunnel were glassed on both sides of the thick outer hull. At 5:54 you can see the area where the inner hull was removed

SirMo thank you! I enjoy boating so much more now since I installed the thruster. No more worries when docking in strong winds

Thanks! Yeah, I’ve stopped listening to crap 💩

Thanks!. Let me know if you want to borrow the real one. It fits a Ø43 mm router. I'm using the Kress 1050

@@jacobkollerup Thank you, that is very generous of you but I’m sure I can make one without too much trouble. I plan on using a die grinder to power the bit rather than a trim router. They spin at about the same rpms but the grinder is long and skinny at the business end and does not have a base. This should allow me to get really close to the surface, which should make it easier and allow for shorter tools. I’m always nervous when I work with 1/4” bits and the longer they are, the more nervous I get. Now, If I could only come up with some dust collection….

Thanks 😊

Thanks, I definitely need that for some other gelcoat repair work. Last time I tried to other it, it couldn’t be shipped across the Atlantic due to the hardener

Jacob Kollerup - you’ve got quite a bit of filling and block sanding to do before the gelcoat. I’d suggest using a 6” DA sander and leaving the angle grinder in the toolbox. Harbor Freight has a cheap one but it’s borderline tolerable. You’ll need to order gelcoat with wax already mixed in in order for you to be able to spray it and cure it (a hull mold is anaerobic so it cures without wax in the boat building process). You’ll need a spray gun nozzle sized about that for primer or latex in order to successfully spray gelcoat, and it WILL have some orange peel texture to it. Sometimes I’ve had to spray PVA over the gelcoat in order to get it to cure. Get a sanding block and some guide coat from an auto body supply dealer to get your final layers of filler as smooth as possible. You’ll also need the sanding block to get the new gelcoat to blend with the surrounding gelcoat. Good luck with everything.

Glad you liked it!. Good luck with your own project

Thank you!:)

Thanks! Always nice with a positive comment 🙏🏻

Thanks! Good luck with your project, it’s really not that hard, just time and patience. I recommend to watch the West systems videos, they go through lots of the basics and techniques

Thank you, I appreciate that:)

Thank you sir!

Sorry, kinda skipped the electric install.. I have a new video on my beneteau bow thruster install with more details. Also an update video on this install

Haha, maybe it will inspire you to get one😂. Most bow thrusters are on-off so you basically just pulse to direct the bow

Thanks! I’ve got a new series on another bow thruster install on my channel now. Feel free to have a look at that. Last episode will be up in a few days

In theory yes, cutting a hole in your boat will reduce strength. But remember that the hole is reinforced with a strong tube and multi layers of fiberglass. In general the hole is quite small compared to the rest of the hull, so I don’t fear the boat splitting in half. If I should spot a weak spot it would be if I were to hit something hard on the exact thinnest spot, but again the hull is very thick and strong especially along the centerline.

Just don’t beach it PLEEB

Beaching? Isn’t that only done in the boat brochures?😂.

Jacob Kollerup we beach all the time on the east coast. They have sand bar parties. I'd be trying to figure out a way to strengthen the bow. I trailer on rollers too.

WHolly shit thats a huge hole - Its only a small single engine .. Did you get sold on a product that you dont need ?

Also when you turn sharp on plane does it try to dig in ever?

Thanks. On plane the bow is way out of the water. When taking big waves head on I can’t feel any different. I made the small deflector/spoiler on the leading edge, which should channel water out to the side. Nevertheless, there is so much hull that the fairly small tunnel doesn’t influence anything. Good luck with your project, you’ll be so happy having it👌🏼

Thanks 🙏🏻

Max power CT35 package with tunnel and control panel. West system for all epoxy and glassing

Here (in Denmark) we don’t really pull boats over ~21 feet on a trailer, since not many have huge trucks. Most common is to use a flatbed with a crane arm to transport it to the marina at the beginning of the season, have it permanently in the water for the summer and then transported back on the flatbed for winter storage

Jacob Kollerup ahh makes sense....ya here is the USA, everyone has pickups and giant SUVs

Hi, it’s the max power ct 35 with a Ø125 mm tunnel. If you want to see another thruster install, then have a look at my other videos. Did another install a few years ago

Hi. Thanks. So I placed the rear of the tunnel about 1 cm from the bulkhead, so I still had enough space to pour down the thickened epoxy. However, before I did the pour, I put down thickened epoxy on the front/lower side of the tunnel against the hull and keel to prevent the main pour to run out. When that had reached the initial cure (so it was past the gel-state) I started doing the filling pour. I used West System 404 high density filler. I didn't use that much, maybe 300 ml epoxy + filler. I divided the pour into two steps to avoid the epoxy to get overly hot during curing. Just remember to do second pour when the first pour is still un-cured to get a good chemical bond between them. Good luck with your project:)

@@jacobkollerup Thanks for quick reply! "Thickened epoxy" = epoxy-mix with fibreglass fibers? Or something else? Is it so liquid so you can pour it easily, or is it a lot of work pushing it down with a thin tool? And: what kind of tape is it your'e placing on top of the top layer of epoxy?

There’s different types of fillers/reinforcement you can use. I would recommend to go to the west system website and look through their guidelines. Just from the top of my head, their 402 is a general filler/thickener. 404 is a high density filler. They also have one with chopped fiberglass which is more for reinforcement. The amount of filler/additive in your epoxy determines the thickness. So for the pouring I added just enough to make it thick but still pourable. The film I put on the last layer is called peel-ply

Hi, I’ve bought it locally here in Denmark. A kit normally contains the thruster, tunnel and control panel. All the fiberglassing needs to be purchased separately

Hi. I bought two "A-packs" from west systems. Each pack is 1,2kg and I had a bit left when finished.

Hi Lonnie. Thank you for your nice comment. So the thruster package (motor, tunnel, control panel) was about 1500USD. Then you need supplies for all the fiberglass work. I went for the best quality West Systems. Think I spend around 200USD including the fiberglass. Additional you'll need a 12V battery ~80USD. Timewise, there goes a lot into project planning to make sure you don't cut the hole in a wrong place!. You want the tunnel as far foreward and down as possible taking various bulkheads into account. From when I did the first cut till the last coat of epoxy was probably 5-7 full days. However there is a lot of waiting in between steps for the epoxy to set

You mean the tunnel? It’s a fiberglass tunnel, not pvc

Exactly! I had a lot of sh.. on having a bow thruster in “that small boat”. I mean why not if it saves you stress and potential boat damage

I know, I wasn’t satisfied with the look after painting the antifauling, but boating season was around the corner. The finish will be done next winter

Move the bow of the boat during docking

I guess you don’t know much about Scandinavian wind 💨;)

Thank you for the comment. I don’t totally agree with the end finish being that bad. The entire area is painted in thick anti fouling paint which has this uneven surface. I could probably have spent another weekend to sand down to perfection, but at some point I’d rather be out on the water🚤

That's my retirement plan to do casual boat work, so if it can wait ~30 years I'm up for it:)

Not really

Not really Crownline 275ccr full power blasting over flat water! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ort3ndmn2ZuUaX0.html

Damn right

Thanks 😊

You have it the other way around. Epoxy works perfectly on top of “esters”. Plus epoxy is seals of water much better than gelcoat. Since I’ve used anti fouling there is not need to use gelcoat to make it look nice

Jacob Kollerup - West System 105 has been tested extensively with all kinds of marine applications. Other epoxy formulations; I doubt it. Amine blush is the first sign that the brand of epoxy you’ve chosen isn’t playing nice with the hull polyester resin. Vinylester resins are compatible with both polyester and epoxy resins, and are 80% as strong as epoxy. Most boat yards that repair hull blisters these days will use Vinylester resin.

Bring the boat to Denmark and we’ll have a look at it😂

Single engine and high winds most of the time here, that’s why.. plus it was fun to do🤓

My question also. That small of a boat handles like a dream and I make the wind do my maneuvering work for me. Work that bow...

Fair enough I guess, where abouts are you? I have to admit if I was gonna install one I would use this video as tool to help, very well done mate, also at a crowded gas dock on a windy day I’m sure it is a welcome feature to have...🍀

I’m in Denmark 🇩🇰. Thanks! I have to admit that I try not to use the thruster unless absolutely necessary or I just don’t want to make an ass out of myself in a busy marina😊

Please feel free to turn down your volume

I see..!

Please keep a proper tone on my channel. This project might seem extremely difficult for you to do, but with the right skills it’s not that hard. Had the install approved by a professional surveyor with the remarks “outstanding”. Take that haters😂

But what about the rest?😂

Really could have faired the glass out .

Well, I kinda enjoyed doing it. Also I would argue that no matter the skill level, when the wind is high enough and you have a single stern drive, the bow will be impossible to turn. Simple physics.

We have a 28 foot chaparral and we just use it without bow thrusters. You could argue that it's easier to maneuver on the ozarks but sometimes the current is throwing the front end around when docking. It just takes practice to not need thrusters

Bob Stahnke - No it's not! Stop with the pessimism and negativity. To each his own and if someone wants a bow thruster, then they can get a bow thruster! I hate this negative bullshit from you people. "Man up and learn how to drive your boat!" Pfffttt. This makes the boat much better and easier AND SAFER to spin and dock and pull out of pinched-in gas dock and makes life much easier in winds and heavy current. Why not make life easier and safer?

always one that wants to brag about piloting a boat or reversing a car, he’s chosen to fit it (like so many others) because he wants to not because he cares what you can or cannot do

Do you drive manual or automatic in your car?

Point being that yes it’s probably not needed, but I enjoyed the project. If I find myself in strong winds (which we have quite often here in DK) it’s a nice feature since I only have a single stern drive

Sir, you have no need to explain why you put a bow thruster on your boat; you did an amazing job and you took the time and effort to explain it for us, so the critics can go jam themselves. If there's a bow thruster video, there are guys who seem to want to debate the merits of them. I wonder why they watch? I think actually they have thruster envy.

TheBircat - You are 100% correct, sir! These tough guys talking shit about how you don't need a bow thruster are nothing but a bunch of jealous, tough-guy wanna be punkass bitches. Most new boats with twin engines come with bow thrusters now lol.