Lewmar 110TT 12V Bow Thruster Kit for Boats up to 28 ft

The Lewmar 110TT 12V Bow Thruster Kit is Lewmar's complete bow thruster system for smaller boats - specifically sized for boats up to 28 feet where most thruster systems available on the market are sized for much bigger yachts. The kit includes the thruster unit, joystick control, electrical wiring components, and a tunnel section - everything you need for a complete install except the hull preparation work and the actual through-hull tunnel installation.

Why bow thrusters matter on smaller boats. Bow thrusters are commonly thought of as yacht-only equipment because most thrusters on the market are sized for 35+ ft boats. But the case for a thruster on a smaller boat is arguably stronger: smaller boats are MORE affected by wind and current (less mass, less keel area), have less prop wash to use for low-speed steering, and are typically owned/operated by less experienced captains who benefit more from the docking confidence a thruster provides. The Lewmar 110TT specifically addresses the smaller-boat market that other thruster manufacturers ignore.

What the thruster actually does. The thruster is a horizontal propeller mounted inside a tunnel that runs through the bow of the boat side-to-side. Press the joystick to the left, the thruster pushes water from right to left, and the bow swings left. Press right, opposite. Press neither, the thruster is off and the prop free-wheels with water flow during normal sailing/cruising. The thruster delivers direct sideways force at the bow regardless of engine speed, rudder position, or wind direction - making it possible to precisely position the bow during docking, anchoring, or close-quarters maneuvering. For a smaller boat in a crosswind trying to side-tie at a slip, the thruster is the difference between an effortless docking and a stressful three-attempt cycle of using engine power and rudder corrections.

The 1.5kW 12V motor. The motor that drives the thruster propeller is a 1.5kW (about 2 horsepower) brushed DC motor running on 12V. This is sized appropriately for the 110kg thrust output and the typical short-burst use cycle of bow thrusters (5-10 second pushes during docking, then off for minutes between pushes). The 12V operation matches typical small-boat electrical systems - if your boat has a 24V house system (less common on sub-28 ft boats), Lewmar makes a 24V variant. Current draw at peak thrust is significant: 200+ amps under load, which is why the kit includes the 200A ANL fuse. Use heavy-gauge cable (4/0 AWG minimum) for the battery-to-thruster wiring, with appropriate marine-grade terminations. The motor runs for the brief seconds of joystick input, so the high peak current doesn't translate to high average current consumption - typical daily use draws very little total energy from the battery.

Composite construction - what it changes vs older metal thrusters. The 110TT uses composite materials (glass-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic) for the thruster saddle (the mount that holds the motor and thruster body in the tunnel) and the thruster hub (the rotating assembly inside the tunnel that drives the propeller). This is a meaningful departure from traditional thrusters which used bronze or stainless steel for these components. Composite advantages: (1) Significantly lighter - the entire thruster assembly weighs about half what an equivalent metal-construction unit weighs, which matters because bow thrusters mount at the very front of the boat where weight has outsized effect on trim. (2) No corrosion - composite materials don't pit, don't electrolyze, don't react with bottom paint or other underwater materials. (3) No zinc anode required - traditional metal thrusters require zinc anodes to control galvanic corrosion, and those anodes need annual replacement requiring boat haul-out. The composite Lewmar requires no anode, no haul-out for thruster maintenance. (4) Maintenance-free hub - no greasing, no bearing service. Saves several hundred dollars per year in maintenance and haul-out costs over the life of the thruster.

5-bladed composite propeller. The propeller is composite construction (vs traditional bronze or stainless propellers) and uses 5 blades. The 5-blade design optimizes for two competing requirements: high thrust per amp of motor current (more blades = more bite per revolution), and quiet operation (more blades = less impulsive noise per blade pass at the same RPM). Older 3-blade thruster propellers were noticeably noisier - you'd hear the thruster pulse through the hull when running. The 5-blade composite is quiet enough that the only audible cue is the water swirl, not the propeller itself. Quiet matters in residential marinas where early-morning or late-night thruster use otherwise annoys neighbors.

Joystick control - what's included. The kit includes the Lewmar 589094 Simple Joystick - the basic joystick configuration with on/off illumination for low-light visibility and Plug 'n' Play wiring for easy installation. The joystick mounts at the helm with two screws and connects to the thruster via the included 10-meter control cable. Joystick operation: press left to thrust bow left, press right to thrust bow right, hold for sustained thrust, release for off. Simple, intuitive, no learning curve. Note: this Simple Joystick does NOT include auto-shutoff timer functionality (which prevents accidentally leaving the thruster running). If you want auto-shutoff, the more sophisticated Lewmar Sophisticated Joystick is available separately - replaces the included Simple Joystick.

Dual-station capability. The thruster system supports dual-station control - add a second joystick (Lewmar 589094 or sophisticated variant, sold separately) at a flybridge, cockpit, or second helm station. Both joysticks operate the thruster simultaneously - whichever joystick gets pressed first controls the thruster. Useful for boats with multiple operating positions where the operator wants thruster access from wherever they're docking from.

What's included in the kit. The Lewmar 110TT 591102 complete kit contains: 591101 Thruster unit (motor + propeller + saddle + hub assembly), 589094 Simple Joystick, 589017 10-meter control cable, 589006 Fuse holder, 589012 200A ANL fuse, 0.75-meter tunnel section (fiberglasses into hull as the thruster passageway). Tunnel diameter is sized for the 110TT propeller.

What's NOT included. Hull preparation/installation work (you need a boatyard or qualified marine fabricator to cut the hull, install the tunnel section, fiberglass it in place, and finish the gel-coat exterior). Heavy-gauge battery cable from the battery to the thruster (4/0 AWG minimum, 10-20 ft typical run depending on battery location - budget $200-400 for the proper cable). Battery upgrade if needed (the thruster needs a battery capable of high amp delivery - typical lead-acid cranking batteries handle the load, but a dedicated thruster battery is sometimes specified). Additional joysticks for dual-station installation.

Install complexity. The complete install is a MAJOR boat project requiring marine fabrication skills: cut a hole through the hull at the bow for the tunnel, install the tunnel section with proper fiberglass bonding and gel-coat finishing, mount the thruster unit in the tunnel, route the battery cables through the boat to the thruster (typical run from battery compartment to bow is 15-25 ft of 4/0 AWG cable), route the control cable from helm to thruster, mount and wire the joystick at the helm, test operation and verify thrust direction matches joystick direction. Realistic professional install cost: $2,000-5,000 labor on top of the parts, depending on hull complexity and the quality of the fiberglass finish required. DIY install is feasible for owners with serious fiberglass and electrical skills, but most owners hire a marine boatyard for the work.

Why Lewmar quality matters. Lewmar has been the leading manufacturer of yacht hardware (winches, windlasses, hatches, portlights, thrusters, hydraulic systems) since 1946. The thruster line specifically has decades of field history with strong reliability when properly installed. The composite construction of the 110TT is the modern third-generation thruster technology that eliminates the corrosion issues that plagued older metal thrusters. Expected service life: 15-20 years of normal recreational use, often longer.

Warranty. Standard Lewmar product warranty - check the current warranty terms on the Lewmar website. Lewmar warranty service is well-established globally with strong dealer network coverage.