BOWPRO AC Boustrahlruder

BOW PRO proportional bow and stern thrusters

Revolutionary concept matched with proven technology
Vetus BOW PRO thruster use proven induction brushless motors. As a result, the bowthruster and/or stern thruster motor is maintenance-free and has longer runtimes!
The induction motor is controlled by the VETUS MCV motor controller.
The built-in over-temp and low battery protection, combined with the brushless induction motor make the BOW PRO thruster series highly resistant to abuse and ideal for the most demanding boater in the most difficult manoeuvring situations!

BowPro installation Video guide: how to select the right bowthruster, battery bank and control panels.

The BOW PRO thruster is controlled by proprietary CANBUS protocol V-CAN (digital control). There are three fully-proportional panels available for the BOW PRO thruster series;

• Basic panel (BPPPA)
• Panel with lock-and-hold function for easy docking (BPPJA).
• Joystick which controls the bow and stern thruster simultaneously (DBPPJA).
• Wireless (not proportional) bow and stern propeller control (CANVWRC)

BOW PRO thrusters utilize the same propellers and gearboxes proven in VETUS thrusters for over 30 years. Upgrading a boat with an existing thruster to a BOW PRO thruster is easily accommodated as the BOW PRO thruster was made to share tunnel sizes with current VETUS thrusters as well as many other brands.

For boats with electric propulsion, VETUS offers the 48 V series. The BOW PRO range continues to expand.

Specifications

• Precision proportional control
• Endurance Rated Run-time - Limited by the size of your battery bank
• Maintenance-free brushless motor
• Built-in over-temp and low battery protection
• The thruster(s) and their control panels are connected by cables carrying digital
• V-CAN signals (VETUS canbus type allowing future integration into boat-wide electronic systems and information displays)

BOW PRO Thruster series
VETUS offers three ranges of BOW PRO thrusters:

• the BOW PRO series (BOWA)
• the BOW PRO Boosted series (BOWB).
• the BOW PRO 48 volt series 

BOW Pro series (BOWA)
The first available BOW Pro thruster with proven induction brushless motors. As a result, the bow / stern thruster motor is maintenance-free and has longer runtimes!

BOW PRO Boosted Thruster series (BOWB)
At the top of this advanced range of thrusters, VETUS offers the BOW PRO Boosted series (BOWB), innovative and significantly different from existing thrusters. All the features of the amazing BOW PRO with a bonus!
There is a third connection on the motor, leading current to an internal charger which steps up the voltage from 12 to 24 volt, allowing a 12 volt charging source such as the propulsion engine alternator, to charge a 24 volt battery bank.
Connecting the BOW PRO Boosted directly to a 24 volt power supply is also possible of course.
The built-in charger recharges your battery bank when the thruster is not in use, doubling the value of having the BOW PRO Boosted thruster on your boat.

Recommended battery sizes for the BOW PRO Boosted series are slightly larger than advised for conventional DC thrusters, to take full advantage of the motor efficiencies and resulting long run-times of these thrusters.

BOW PRO 48 volt Thruster series (BOWA) for electric propulsion
The increasing popularity of environmentally friendly boats with 48 volt electric propulsion required the development of thrusters running at the same voltage, and these BOWPROs are designed to meet that need. The 48 volt BOW PRO thrusters offers all the advantages of the standard BOW PRO; available in several propeller and tunnel diameters and are more than powerful enough to turn your runabout in the desired direction. Recommended battery sizes for the BOW PRO series are slightly larger than advised for conventional DC thrusters, to take full advantage of the motor efficiencies and resulting long run-times of these thrusters.

Examples of BOW PRO series thruster installations
The thruster you'll wish you'd had all along
BOW PRO Boosted thrusters are unique machines with intelligent motor controllers, in some applications providing more than just optimal boat control. Below we illustrate a couple of the many possible arrangements in installation.

Regular 12 volt connection (BOWA)
This is the scenario where the BOW PRO (BOWA) thrusters are installed just like every other thruster. The alternator delivers its output (either 12 volt, 24 volt or 48 volt) to the battery bank, which then distributes it to the various energy users. Plain and simple - the motor controller offers you the advantage of proportional control and Endurance-rated runtime

Boosted connection (BOWB): secondary power system

Here is where things get interesting: the 12 volt alternator of the propulsion engine feeds the main battery, which in turn feeds the BOW PRO Boosted (BOWB) motor controller. This converts the 12 volt input to a 24 volt charging current for the secondary battery bank. Depending on which battery bank you choose, this gives you the freedom to choose between 12 volt and 24 volt on board equipment. From the 24 volt power bank you can use high efficiency 24 volt equipment such as windlasses and power winches. At the higher voltage and consequent lower amperage, your vessel can use smaller battery cables, making equipment like winches easier to accommodate.
However if 12 volt equipment is already installed on your vessel, you can also choose to stick with the 12 volt system. The choice is yours! In short the addition of a BOW PRO Boosted thrusters enables a secondary power system on board from your regular 12 volt alternator!

BOW PRO Series Auxiliary items
BOW PRO thrusters are controlled by one of the following panels (available separately). Selecting the correct model depends on your personal preference and needs, as all panels are plug-and-play. See below for the specifications for each model.

BPPPA Panel

• Compact design and high quality materials
• Safe and easy proportional control of your vessel
• Aluminium bezel
• Quick installation in Ø 75 mm cut-out hole
• Waterproof housing IP65
• V-CAN CANBUS protocol compliant
• Twin connector for multiple stations
• Status indicator

BPPJA Panel

• Compact design and high quality materials
• Safe and easy proportional control of your vessel
• Aluminium bezel
• Quick installation in Ø 75 mm cut-out hole
• Waterproof housing IP65
• V-CAN CANBUS protocol compliant
• Twin connector for multiple stations
• Status indicator
• With thruster hold and lock function

DBPPJA Panel

• Controls both bow and stern thruster
• Unique twist function to rotate the boat
• Compact design and high quality materials
• Safe and easy proportional control of your vessel
• Aluminium bezel
• Easy installation in Ø 75 mm cut-out
• Waterproof housing IP65
• V-CAN CANBUS protocol compliant
• Status indicator
• With hold and lock function

Wireless control for both BOW PRO and/or DC control

The CANVWRC is designed to work with “on-off” DC devices, but it can also work with VETUS V-CAN devices.
These will also be controlled in an on-off control method. In the CANVWRC, a DC-connected device can be combined with a V-CAN device or only a DC power, or only a V-CAN setup is allowed.

Specification reciever

• The receiver accepts 12 or 24 VDC power supply
• Connections to one or two DC or hydraulic thrusters or to a DC or hydraulic thruster and a DC electric or hydraulic anchor winch
• Maximum five handheld remote transmitters
• Detachable antenna
• Protection class IP40 (only for use in dry places

Specifications handheld remote transmitter

• Power supply - 3 V battery type CR2032
• Maximum distance to the receiver 10 - 15 meters
• Protection class IP66 (resistant to high pressure water from all directions)