BMG Power Systems is the official distributor of Sleipner in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Sleipner makes bow and stern thrusters, stabilisers and the controls that run them. You may know the thrusters by their older name, Side-Power. We supply and install the full range, and connect it to the rest of the boat — the Volvo Penta joystick, Assisted Docking and the Glass Cockpit screens.
Our technicians have trained at Sleipner’s own facility in Norway, and thrusters are among the most common things we fit to boats that are already in use.
Bow and stern thrusters
A bow thruster pushes the bow sideways when the boat is barely moving. It is the difference between docking in a crosswind with confidence and docking in a crosswind with fenders out on both sides. A stern thruster does the same at the back, and with both fitted the boat can move sideways on its own.
Electric or hydraulic. Electric thrusters suit most leisure boats. Hydraulic ones can run continuously and make sense on larger boats that already have a hydraulic system.
On/off or proportional. A standard thruster runs at full power or not at all. A proportional thruster lets you apply as much push as you need — a gentle nudge in a tight berth, full power against a gust. Once you have used one, it is hard to go back.
Tunnel or retractable. Most thrusters sit in a tunnel through the hull. Where a tunnel is not possible or not wanted, for example on fast planing hulls, a retractable thruster drops down when needed and folds away when not.
Getting the size right matters more than the brand. Too small and it will not hold the bow in wind; oversized and you are carrying weight and battery you do not need. We size thrusters from the boat’s length, weight and windage, and plan the battery and cabling at the same time, because an electric thruster draws a lot of current for a short time.
If you are still deciding whether you need one, we wrote about why every boat should have a bow thruster and how to choose a bow or stern thruster.
Stabilisers
Sleipner’s Vector Fins stabilisers reduce roll both underway and at anchor — the rocking that makes a night at anchor uncomfortable and a beam sea tiring.
Fins are one of two ways to stop a boat rolling. The other is a gyro such as Seakeeper. We supply both, and the right answer depends on the hull, the speed you cruise at and where you spend your time. More on that in our articles on fin stabilisers and gyro stabilisation.
Working with the Volvo Penta joystick and Assisted Docking
On boats with Volvo Penta joystick control, a Sleipner proportional thruster can be connected to the same joystick. The bow then moves with the rest of the boat from one lever, rather than from a separate thruster panel.
On compatible installations the thruster also becomes part of Volvo Penta Assisted Docking, so the system uses the bow thruster as well as the drives to hold the boat against wind and current while you move it.
On the Glass Cockpit screen
Thruster and stabiliser status can be shown on the Garmin screens of a Volvo Penta Glass Cockpit, next to the engines and the chart. One helm, one place to look. We cover how that works, and what else can be brought onto the same screens, on our Glass Cockpit integration page.
Retrofit
Adding a bow thruster to a boat that never had one is one of the most worthwhile upgrades there is, and one of the jobs we do a lot. It means cutting a tunnel, fitting and fairing it, installing the motor and controls, and adding battery capacity. Done properly, you would not know it was not there from the factory. Add a stern thruster as well and mooring stops being the moment the shouting starts. It has probably saved a few marriages.
We also upgrade older on/off thrusters to proportional ones, and connect existing thrusters to a Volvo Penta joystick where the installation allows.
Service
Thrusters spend most of their life doing nothing and then have to work perfectly for thirty seconds in a crowded marina. Anodes, propellers and the electric motor need checking, and we do it as part of the annual service.
Talk to us
Thinking about a bow thruster, upgrading the one you have, or wondering whether fins or a gyro would suit your boat? Call or write to us in Tallinn, Riga or Klaipėda.
