Vetus BOW PRO Series Thrusters

Safety Measures

This manual uses the following warning indications:

• DANGER: Indicates a high potential danger that can lead to serious injury or death.
• WARNING: Indicates a potential danger that can lead to injury.
• CAUTION: Indicates that procedures, actions, etc., can result in serious damage or destruction of the device. Some CAUTIONS also indicate potential danger leading to serious injury or death.
• NOTE: Emphasizes important procedures, circumstances, etc.

Symbols:

• ✔️: Indicates that the relevant procedure must be carried out.
• ❌: Indicates that a particular action is forbidden.

WARNING! Be aware of the danger to swimmers or light boats near the thruster tunnel openings when using the bow thruster. Pass these safety instructions to other users. General safety rules and laws must also be observed.

WARNING This product should only be operated by persons who have read and understood the instructions and precautions in this manual. Failure to follow these instructions may result in serious injury or property damage. The manufacturer is not liable for damages resulting from improper operation.

• Never touch moving parts while the thruster is operating.
• Never touch hot parts and keep flammable materials away from the thruster.
• Always stop the thruster before checking or adjusting components.
• Always disconnect battery terminals during maintenance.
• Perform maintenance safely using appropriate tools.
• Always switch off the main switch when the thruster is not in use for extended periods.

Introduction

This manual provides guidelines for using Vetus BOW PRO bow thrusters. The bow or stern thruster system consists of the following basic components:

• Side thruster
• Tunnel
• Energy storage
• Energy supply
• Operation

NOTE Consult the user manuals of all components before putting the complete system into operation.

The BOW PRO bow thrusters have the following features:

• Thrust is continuously variable.
• Runtime is mainly limited by the capacity of the installed batteries.
• Delivered thrust is, within limits, independent of battery voltage.
• With decreasing battery voltage, the controller maintains thrust (APB, Active Power Balancing). Current increases as voltage decreases. If current is too high, power is reduced (ACC, Automatic Current Control).
• When batteries discharge to 10.5V (12V system) or 21V (24V system), power is reduced (AVC, Active Voltage Control).
• If voltage drops further to approx. 10V (12V system) or 20V (24V system), the thruster stops.
• Overheating of motor/regulator is prevented by reducing output power after prolonged continuous use. Thrust decreases only slightly (ATB, Active Temperature Balancing).
• Sudden motor overload due to an object in the tunnel will cause the motor to switch off for safety (ABC, Active Blockage Control).
• Maintenance is minimal as the motor has no carbon brushes.
• User modifications void manufacturer liability for resulting damages.
• Actual thrust varies per vessel depending on windage, displacement, and hull shape.

Maintenance

For maintenance, consult the supplied 'Maintenance and Warranty Book'.

Protection

The bow thruster is protected against:

• Overheating of the motor or controller. If temperature exceeds a certain value, motor output power is reduced.
• Motor overload.
• Deep battery discharge.

If a problem occurs, the control panel emits a warning sound (1) didahdididah (. -.. -) and the LED flashes red. If the problem is resolved, the panel emits a signal didi (..) and the red LED turns off.

LED indicators for thruster problems:

Trouble Shooting

Electric motor does not operate

• Check if the main switch is 'ON'.
• Check battery voltage: 12V: 10.5-14.4V, 24V: 21.0-28.8V, 48V: 42.0-57.6V.
• Check control current fuse [1].
• Check CAN bus power supply fuse.
• Check main supply fuse [2].
• In all these cases, the 'POWER' LED on the motor does not light up.
• An overload has occurred; see protections.
• Once the controller cools sufficiently, the LED turns blue, and the thruster can be used again.
• Check if the propeller can be turned manually. A piece of wood or similar might be caught between the propeller and the tunnel.

Electric motor turns slowly

• Motor or regulator is too hot; motor runs at reduced power.
• Weed or fishing line caught in the propeller.
• Control panel fuse blown [1].
• Short circuit in the control circuit; check wiring.

Electric motor rotates, but there is no thrust

• Propeller blades damaged by an object in the propeller or tunnel.
• Drive pin*) on the propeller shaft broken due to an object. Replace the drive pin and check the propeller hub. (*) Except BOWB150 (150 kgf) which has no drive pin.

Panel does not switch on after pressing the on/off switch

• Press the on/off switch a second time within 6 seconds.
• The LED will turn green, and a buzzer will confirm readiness with a signal (-.-).
• The joystick is not in the middle position when the on/off switch is pressed.

[1] The control circuit fuse is located on the controller. [2] See table on page 32.

Service Parts

The following diagrams show the components and their part numbers.

General Assembly (BOWA Series)

Diagram shows labeled components:

• 1: Controller (Regelaar) for BOWA series (e.g., BOWA0301, BOWA0304, etc.).
• 2: Fuse (Zekering) for various amperage ratings and BOWA series (e.g., 100A, 200A, 300A).
• 3: Fuse (Zekering) 5A.
• 4: Triple grommet.
• 5: Relay cover (Relaiskap).
• 6: Set of 4 pcs knurled nuts.
• 7: Fan.
• 8: Motor for BOWA series models (e.g., BOWA0301, BOWA0421, BOWA0574, etc.).

General Assembly (BOWB Series)

Diagram shows labeled components:

• 1: Controller (Regelaar) for BOWB series (e.g., BOWB057, BOWB065, etc.).
• 2: Fuse (Zekering) for various amperage ratings and BOWB series (e.g., 200A, 300A).
• 3: Fuse (Zekering) 5A.
• 5: Housing complete (Behuizing).
• 6: Set of 4 pcs knurled nuts.
• 7: Fan.
• 8: Motor for BOWB series models (e.g., BOWB057, BOWB090, BOWB180, BOWB285, etc.).

Tailpiece Assemblies

Diagrams show exploded views of tailpiece assemblies for different thruster sizes:

Ø 110 mm Tunnel Tube

Ø 125 mm Tunnel Tube

Ø 140 mm Tunnel Tube

Ø 150 mm Tunnel Tube

Ø 185 mm Tunnel Tube

Ø 250 mm Tunnel Tube

Ø 300 mm Tunnel Tube

Ø 400 mm Tunnel Tube

Fuse Table

The following table lists the fuse specifications for different thruster models: