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Cost · installed prices for 2026
Bow thruster cost: what to expect to pay
What you pay depends most on the kind of thruster you choose. A tunnel is mostly days of yard labor and a haul-out. An external unit bolts on for much less. This page prices all three kinds by boat length, beside what owners paid.
- A tunnel is mostly labor
- Some external units go on afloat
- Forum prices before 2022 run low
- Tunnel, 35 to 40 ft $10,200 to $14,300 › Installed by a yard, the middle of the range.
- Tunnel, 40 to 50 ft $11,800 to $19,700 › Installed by a yard, the middle of the range.
- Lowest external, installed $4,540 › DockStar bow unit, put on by a yard.
- Yard labor $160 to $180 per hour › The rate our estimates bill.
- Haul-out, 35 ft $620 to $1,690 Only for a unit below the waterline, with her out five to seven days.
- Owner prices on file 11 › Each dated and linked. The newest is from Aug 2025.
The short answer
Labor is the big line. On a typical job the thruster itself is under a quarter of the bill, and the tunnel tube is under $500.
An external unit bolts on instead of being glassed in, which removes most of the labor. Sideshift’s kits go on with the boat afloat, so there is no haul-out.
Most forum prices date from 2009 to 2016. Yard labor has roughly doubled since, so an old figure lands well short of 2026 money.
Ask for materials and labor split out, then divide the labor by the yard's hourly rate. More than about 40 hours on a straightforward hull deserves a question.
Pricing the stern too? It is a different job: what a stern thruster costs. For a thruster at each end, see bow and stern thrusters together.
Installed cost by boat length
Makers and dealers publish no installed prices, and yards quote boat by boat. So we priced every thruster in our database, all three kinds, as a yard job at current rates. That is the table below. What owners posted that they paid is further down, every report dated.
An external unit bolts onto the outside of the hull. A A tube bored straight through the hull below the waterline, with a propeller in the middle of it. It is the conventional thruster. Installing one is mostly a labor job rather than a hardware one. thruster sits in a tube cut through the hull. A A thruster that lives inside the hull and drops down through a hatch when you press the button, then pulls back up. It leaves no permanent hole in the water flow. one drops out of the hull when you use it. Each costs a very different amount to install. How the three kinds work.
| Boat length | External | Tunnel | Retractable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 25 ft | External thrusters for a boat under 25 ft Installed by a boatyard, least expensive first:
The thruster itself, before installation: $4,400–$5,000. All of these can be installed with the boat in the water. Find the right one for your boat | Tunnel thrusters for a boat under 25 ft Most jobs cost $8,700–$10,600. The least expensive, installed by a boatyard:
And 18 more models, up to $12,400 for the VETUS Bow Pro 361. The thruster itself, before installation: $900–$4,800. The boat has to come out of the water for these. Find the right one for your boat | None priced for this size |
| 25–30 ft | External thrusters for a boat of 25–30 ft Installed by a boatyard, least expensive first:
The thruster itself, before installation: $4,400–$5,000. All of these can be installed with the boat in the water. Find the right one for your boat | Tunnel thrusters for a boat of 25–30 ft Most jobs cost $9,000–$11,100. The least expensive, installed by a boatyard:
And 24 more models, up to $14,700 for the Sleipner SEP40/125S-1IP. The thruster itself, before installation: $900–$5,800. The boat has to come out of the water for these. Find the right one for your boat | None priced for this size |
| 30–35 ft | External thrusters for a boat of 30–35 ft Installed by a boatyard, least expensive first:
And one more model, up to $10,200 for the Sideshift SS350. The thruster itself, before installation: $4,400–$5,500. All of these can be installed with the boat in the water. One at each end: from $9,000, and that is a DockStar Smart Thruster at the bow with a DockStar Smart Thruster at the stern. Find the right one for your boat | Tunnel thrusters for a boat of 30–35 ft Most jobs cost $9,400–$12,500. The least expensive, installed by a boatyard:
And 42 more models, up to $16,100 for the Sleipner SEP50/140S-IP. The thruster itself, before installation: $900–$8,800. The boat has to come out of the water for these. One at each end, a tunnel at the bow and an external unit at the stern: from $12,000, and that is a Lewmar 110TT Thruster Kit at the bow with a DockStar Smart Thruster at the stern. Find the right one for your boat | Retractable thrusters for a boat of 30–35 ft Installed by a boatyard, least expensive first:
The thruster itself, before installation: $7,400–$18,000. The boat has to come out of the water for these. Find the right one for your boat |
| 35–40 ft | External thrusters for a boat of 35–40 ft Installed by a boatyard, least expensive first:
And one more model, up to $16,500 for the Sleipner EX95S. The thruster itself, before installation: $4,400–$9,500. Three of these can be installed with the boat in the water. One at each end: most jobs cost $13,400–$23,200. Find the right one for your boat | Tunnel thrusters for a boat of 35–40 ft Most jobs cost $10,200–$14,300. The least expensive, installed by a boatyard:
And 42 more models, up to $19,500 for the VETUS Bow Pro Boosted 90. The thruster itself, before installation: $1,500–$8,800. The boat has to come out of the water for these. One at each end, a tunnel at the bow and an external unit at the stern: most jobs cost $17,100–$26,300. Find the right one for your boat | Retractable thrusters for a boat of 35–40 ft Installed by a boatyard, least expensive first:
The thruster itself, before installation: $7,400–$18,000. The boat has to come out of the water for these. Find the right one for your boat |
| 40–50 ft | Bow and stern pair: $9,000–$10,200 two DockStar units External thrusters for a boat of 40–50 ft Installed by a boatyard, least expensive first:
And one more model, up to $25,300 for the Sleipner EX180D. The thruster itself, before installation: $4,400–$17,800. Two of these can be installed with the boat in the water. One at each end: most jobs cost $15,100–$30,800. Two DockStar units, one at the bow and one at the stern, come to $9,000–$10,200. Find the right one for your boat | Tunnel thrusters for a boat of 40–50 ft Most jobs cost $11,800–$19,700. The least expensive, installed by a boatyard:
And 57 more models, up to $30,000 for the Quick BTQ 250. The thruster itself, before installation: $1,500–$10,600. The boat has to come out of the water for these. One at each end, a tunnel at the bow and an external unit at the stern: most jobs cost $20,600–$33,300. Find the right one for your boat | Retractable thrusters for a boat of 40–50 ft Installed by a boatyard, least expensive first:
And 10 more models, up to $48,300 for the Quick BTR 250. The thruster itself, before installation: $7,400–$26,500. The boat has to come out of the water for these. Find the right one for your boat |
| 50–55 ft | External thrusters for a boat of 50–55 ft Installed by a boatyard, least expensive first:
The thruster itself, before installation: $5,500–$17,800. One of these can be installed with the boat in the water. One at each end: most jobs cost $23,400–$37,300. Find the right one for your boat | Tunnel thrusters for a boat of 50–55 ft Most jobs cost $16,700–$20,300. The least expensive, installed by a boatyard:
And 39 more models, up to $28,700 for the VETUS Bow Pro Boosted 180. The thruster itself, before installation: $1,800–$10,600. The boat has to come out of the water for these. One at each end, a tunnel at the bow and an external unit at the stern: most jobs cost $27,100–$36,300. Find the right one for your boat | Retractable thrusters for a boat of 50–55 ft Installed by a boatyard, least expensive first:
And 14 more models, up to $50,300 for the Sleipner ERL170 eVision. The thruster itself, before installation: $7,400–$29,500. The boat has to come out of the water for these. Find the right one for your boat |
| 55–60 ft | External thrusters for a boat of 55–60 ft Installed by a boatyard, least expensive first:
The thruster itself, before installation: $5,500–$17,800. One of these can be installed with the boat in the water. One at each end: from $15,500, and that is a Sideshift SS350 at the bow with a Sideshift ST350 at the stern. Find the right one for your boat | Tunnel thrusters for a boat of 55–60 ft Most jobs cost $17,600–$21,000. The least expensive, installed by a boatyard:
And 34 more models, up to $29,900 for the VETUS Bow Pro Boosted 210. The thruster itself, before installation: $1,900–$10,600. The boat has to come out of the water for these. One at each end, a tunnel at the bow and an external unit at the stern: most jobs cost $28,900–$37,700. Find the right one for your boat | Retractable thrusters for a boat of 55–60 ft Installed by a boatyard, least expensive first:
And 10 more models, up to $50,600 for the Sleipner ERL170 eVision. The thruster itself, before installation: $7,400–$29,500. The boat has to come out of the water for these. Find the right one for your boat |
| 60 ft and up | Sleipner EX180D External thrusters for a boat of 60 ft or more Installed by a boatyard:
The thruster itself, before installation: $17,800. The boat has to come out of the water for this one. One at each end: from $28,200, and that is a Sleipner EX180D at the bow with a Max Power CT125 stern pod at the stern. Find the right one for your boat | Tunnel thrusters for a boat of 60 ft or more Most jobs cost $17,900–$22,500. The least expensive, installed by a boatyard:
And 37 more models, up to $36,300 for the Quick BTQ 300. The thruster itself, before installation: $1,900–$13,600. The boat has to come out of the water for these. One at each end, a tunnel at the bow and an external unit at the stern: most jobs cost $29,200–$38,900. Find the right one for your boat | Retractable thrusters for a boat of 60 ft or more Installed by a boatyard, least expensive first:
And 9 more models, up to $50,800 for the Sleipner ERL170 eVision. The thruster itself, before installation: $8,600–$29,500. The boat has to come out of the water for these. Find the right one for your boat |
That covers the thruster, the labor, batteries and wiring, and hauling the boat out when the job needs it. Tunnel prices are what most jobs cost. There are only a few external and retractable models, so for those we show the cheapest and the most expensive. Where a maker sells a bow-and-stern pair for a boat that size, its price sits under the external figure. Tap any price to see the models behind it.
Want a price for your own boat? Answer a few quick questions and we will show you which thrusters fit it, and what each one costs installed.
How these prices are figured, and how they compare with what owners paid
Each row runs from a boat at the bottom of its band to one at the top, 18 to 65 ft in all. Every row is figured for a boat about the weight of a trawler.
Each row counts only thrusters that steer her bow in 13 knots of wind or more, no more than 15 percent under a 15 knot breeze. Each model in a price card shows the wind it steers her in. A lighter boat can get by with a smaller, cheaper unit. The thruster finder, our free tool that matches a thruster to your boat, works it out for yours.
How do these figures compare with what owners paid? We hold 5 reports from owners who had a tunnel installed or quoted at one end of the boat. Of those, 3 came in under our figure for a boat of the same length. Every one of those dates from 2021 or earlier, before boatyard labor rates roughly doubled. The newest paid job we have is a 42 ft Grand Banks 42C, posted in Aug 2025 at $19,000. That one sits above our figure.
For 6 of the 8 boat lengths, no owner has posted a yard’s tunnel price. Every report we hold is in what owners paid, linked to its post. If your boat is one of those lengths, add your quote to the table. It becomes the first row for that length.
Under 25 feet, finding room for a tunnel is the problem. Yards rarely take the job, because there is often no spot deep enough below the waterline. No owner of a boat that size has posted a tunnel price on any US forum we found.
The under-25 tunnel price assumes your hull can take one. If it can’t, an external unit is the realistic choice, and usually the cheaper one.
Length sets the size of the job. The hull decides which line is expensive. On a fiberglass monohull the labor is about half the bill. On a welded houseboat the hull work is cheap, and the battery bank, charger and cable run to two thirds of the total. What it costs by boat type puts the hulls side by side and names the two that nobody has priced.
What owners paid
The most useful thread we found is from 2021. The owner of a 35 foot Intrepid posted his quote, then posted what he did about it. Here is the quote, in his words.
“Materials $4200 (expected), labor estimate $10k (bit of a shock). I was thinking $10k all in.”
Owner of a 35 ft Intrepid, The Hull Truth, January 2021
At the yard’s own top rate of $90 an hour, a $10,000 labor estimate meant 111 hours. The trade does the job in two to four days. Other owners in the thread said two days for two men.
Five days later he posted again. He had gone to a different yard and paid $9,200 all in.
Show all 11 owner reports, each linked to its post
| Boat | Job | Amount | Basis | Posted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 ft Intrepid | Bow tunnel, quoted then declined Materials $4,200 plus a $10,000 labor estimate, which he reversed into 111 hours. | $14,200 | Quoted | Jan 2021 |
| 35 ft Intrepid | Bow tunnel, same owner, second yard Five days after the quote above, on the same boat. | $9,200 | Paid | Jan 2021 |
| 36 ft Heritage East | Stern thruster, Side-Power, yard installed The owner names the maker and not the kind of unit. | $10,000 | Paid | Jun 2022 |
| 36 ft Grand Banks Classic | External stern: what the owner says the job goes for Not an invoice. Verbatim: "you can have an external stern thruster installed for about $9,000, total cost." | $9,000 | Claim External unit | Jun 2022 |
| 42 ft Nordic Tug | Stern thruster, Side-Power, yard installed, Seattle Installed in early 2018 and posted in 2022. The owner names the maker and not the kind of unit. | $9,000–$10,000 | Paid | Jun 2022 |
| 47 ft Bayliner 4788 | Bow tunnel, itemized invoice $8,577.50 labor and parts across 70 hours, plus $4,500 for the Side-Power SE120/215. The total is our addition of his two figures. | $13,077.50 | Paid | May 2016 Stale |
| 47 ft Bayliner 4788 | Bow tunnel, quoted, a second Bayliner owner He was also quoted $10,163.60 for a stern unit. | $11,564.77 | Quoted | May 2016 Stale |
| 42 ft Grand Banks 42C | Bow tunnel, Sleipner SE120, with battery and charger Posted Aug 2025, installed "last year", so 2024 work at 2024 rates. | $19,000 | Paid | Aug 2025 |
| 41 ft Formula 41PC | Tunnel bow and stern, quoted, never bought He canceled: the tunnels would not fit the hull. The quote itself carries no date. | $25,000 | Quoted | Aug 2025 |
| 41 ft Formula 41PC | External bow and stern, owner installed, same boat Verbatim: "Total cost with 4 AGM batteries, 24 volt thrusters, was about $11K." Bow took two people 1.5 days, stern one day. | $11,000 | Paid External unit | Aug 2025 |
| 1985 Bayfield 32C | DIY tunnel, entire project Whole project including the unit. The owners published no professional comparison. | $2,367.90 | DIY, complete | Mar 2023 |
Only 7 of the 11 rows are a job somebody paid for. The rest are declined quotes or one owner’s view of the going rate. Three come from one afternoon on one thread. It is still the best public record we have found.
11 owner prices on file newest dated Aug 2025 no yard’s tunnel price yet for Under 25 ft, 25–30 ft, 30–35 ft, 50–55 ft, 55–60 ft, 60 ft and up
Have a quote or a paid invoice? Add it to the table.
It joins this table as a dated row: the boat, the port or area, what the job covered and what it cost. The next owner checking a number gets one more real price to check it against.
About two minutes. We never print the yard’s name. Or email it to us.
Thank you. Your quote is in.
Your reference is . We read every one by hand before it goes into the tables.
The seven things that blow a quote up
Quotes on two boats the same length can land thousands apart. It is almost never the thruster that explains the gap.
- Access. A holding tank, the V-berth floor or a bulkhead is often where the tunnel has to go. One owner's yard spent as many hours moving a holding tank two feet and rebuilding the floor as on the glasswork.
- A A deck or hull built as a sandwich: two skins of fiberglass with balsa or foam between them. Bolts through it must be sealed, or water gets into the core and rots it. hull. The core around the hole has to be dug back and sealed solid, or water gets into the laminate. That adds hours.
- Thick laminate. One documented install hit an inch of solid hull. It got through only with a carbide bit, in two half-inch passes. The large hole saws alone run around a thousand dollars.
- A fine bow. The tunnel wants to sit far forward for The distance from the point the boat turns about to the place the push is applied. Double the distance and the same push turns the boat twice as hard., and at least one tunnel diameter below the waterline. On a narrow, sharp bow, the spot that is deep enough is too far back to help or too narrow for the tube. These jobs get expensive or get refused.
- The battery, done properly. A long cable from the engine room is the cheap way, and it costs you thrust through voltage drop. Done right, the bow gets its own battery bank, charger and cable: roughly $1,000 to $1,400 in parts, plus the labor.
- Boat length, through the cable run. The same thruster costs more on a 50 footer than a 35 footer, because the heavy cable runs longer and often goes up a size.
- Joystick integration. Adding joystick control to one documented Grand Banks 42 job cost $4,800 for the hardware and about $5,000 to install. That is roughly three fifths again on a thruster job in that band.
Size up. The labor is the same either way, so one size up adds a few hundred to a few thousand dollars to a five figure job. The most common regret in owner reports is a thruster too small for a real breeze. Work out what your boat needs before anyone sizes it off your length. A length chart cannot see how much boat sits above the water.
The cheaper route, and what it costs you
An external unit bolts on instead of being glassed in, which removes most of the labor. Two makers of external units publish US prices, and the table lists both.
| Unit | Suits | Kinds of boat | Kit price | Est. installed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DockStar stern unit | 20 to 50 ft | Sailboat, Trawler, Motor yacht | $4,270–$4,570 | $4,430–$5,110 |
| DockStar bow unit | 20 to 50 ft | Sailboat, Trawler, Motor yacht | $4,380–$4,500 | $4,540–$5,040 |
| Sideshift SS230 Bow Thruster | Boats to 30 ft | Sailboat, Trawler | $4,495 | $6,384–$8,784 |
| Sideshift OB230 Outboard Stern Thruster | Boats to 30 ft | Pontoon, Bass boat, Center console | $4,495 | $6,384–$8,784 |
| Sideshift SS240 Bow Thruster | Boats to 35 ft | Sailboat, Trawler, Motor yacht | $4,995 | $7,263–$9,674 |
| Sideshift SS350 Bow Thruster | 35 to 50 ft | Sailboat, Trawler, Motor yacht | $5,495 | $7,763–$10,174 |
| Sideshift ST350 Stern Thruster | 35 to 50 ft | Sailboat, Catamaran, Trawler, Motor yacht, Express cruiser, Center console | $5,495 | $7,763–$10,174 |
The Sideshift figures are complete kits, including the controller, joystick, harness, fuse and battery switch. The installed column adds yard hours, batteries and cable. It adds nothing for a haul-out, because Sideshift says in writing that these go on with the boat afloat.
A DockStar is the unit, $3,950, plus a track for where it mounts, $320 to $620 in this table. It is self-contained and not wired into the boat, so its installed figure is one to three hours at a yard rate. Ask what comes in the box before you order.
What holds up
- It costs less installed. The cheapest external bow unit in the table is $4,540 put on by a yard. A tunnel on a 35 to 40 ft boat typically runs $10,200 to $14,300.
- Nothing is cut through the hull. Sideshift says its kits go on with the boat afloat, and DockStar’s track bolts on above the waterline, so neither needs a haul-out.
- It sits at the very end of the boat, on the longest lever. So it needs about 26 percent less thrust than a tunnel set back from the bow.
- Both makers sell to owners who install their own, so you can save the yard’s labor.
What does not
- No bow unit for a boat that planes. This site lists no external unit for the bow of a planing hull, because a hard wave at speed lands on it. There are stern units for her, on the drive leg or the transom.
- A leg and propeller sit outside the hull, in plain view, where crab and lobster pot lines, debris and a dinghy painter can catch them. DockStar is the exception underway: it is raised clear of the water.
- Sideshift’s manual limits running in rough water to 15 mph.
- A wired unit still needs its own battery bank and heavy cable. Those are in the installed column, and they are why a Sideshift job costs more than its kit.
- DockStar is lowered for docking and raised by hand on a rope and pulley every time.
Not sure your boat is on the list? The thruster finder checks your kind of boat and its length against every unit, these included.
Compare the whole job. A Sideshift unit runs off the boat’s cranking batteries. Budget $250 to $1,000 for batteries and heavy cable, Sideshift’s own published figure, and about 8 to 20 hours to install it by our estimate. A DockStar needs none of that wiring, because its battery and charger are inside, and DockStar puts installation at 1 to 3 hours.
Our installed estimate counts each Sideshift kit’s own batteries, heavy cable and a charger, at $601 to $2,136. The installed estimate adds both to every kit, so compare those figures.
If you install it yourself, the gap between the two price columns is the yard labor you save.
One owner who priced both routes on the same boat
The hardware costs more than a comparable tunnel unit, but the install costs a fraction. The clearest evidence comes from one owner who priced both routes on the same 41 foot Formula. He was quoted $25,000 for tunnel thrusters at both ends. He set that against “about $11K” for Sideshift units he installed himself, four Absorbed glass mat: a sealed lead-acid battery with the acid held in fiberglass matting. It gives off no gas in normal use and holds its voltage well under a heavy draw. That is why thruster makers name it. batteries included.
The bow took about a day and a half with his wife. The stern took a day with a neighbor’s help (Trawler Forum, August 2025).
It is not like for like. He never bought the tunnels: he found they would not fit the hull. So it sets a real bill against a quote that was never tested.
The retrofit page shows which products truly avoid a hole in the hull, and which only say they do.
Pricing both ends? Do not assume the stern costs this page’s number again. The machinery lives there, and owner reports show people routing around it. What a stern thruster costs has those figures, dated, and what changes when both ends are quoted together.
How to read a quote you have been handed
Three checks, all using the tables on this page. You need a calculator, not thruster knowledge.
- Ask for the quote split into materials and labor.
- Divide the labor figure by the yard's own hourly rate. More than about 40 hours on a straightforward hull deserves a question. There may be a good answer, like moving a tank.
- Check the materials line against the tables above. Roughly $3,901 to $5,085 is normal for parts complete on a 35 to 40 foot boat.
Holding a number now? Check your quote line by line against published parts prices and yard rates, and see what makes a big number legitimate.
Every part the job needs
The full list from the makers’ manuals: what comes in the box, what each part costs at one dealer, and how each maker says to charge the battery.
The worked job above has five parts lines. The makers’ own installation manuals, read on 30 September 2026, give a longer list. Here is every part a tunnel job needs, whether it comes in the box, and what each one costs at one dealer, Fisheries Supply.
The installed estimate on the finder and the product pages counts the unit, the yard’s hours and the haul-out. Then it adds one line for the batteries, cable and charger, and a separate line for the other parts in this table that the box does not hold. On a tunnel job that last line is $427 to $2,130 at the dealer’s prices. Each unit’s own line prices the tube for its own tunnel size, so a small tunnel sits lower in that range than a big one.
| Part | What it is | In the box? | Dealer price | What a maker says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tunnel tube | The fiberglass, aluminum or steel pipe the thruster sits in, bonded through the bow. | No | $90–$1,315fiberglass tunnel tubes, 110 to 300 mm, up to 60 in (1.5 m) long, at Fisheries Supply | Max Power: "The thruster is delivered without accessories". Quick lists the package as "Thruster, Drilling template, Gasket, O-ring" and no tube. Lewmar: "The recommended tunnel is designed to fit a Lewmar saddle". Source |
| Control panel | The buttons or joystick at the helm. One helm, one panel: a second steering station needs a panel of its own. | Some makers | $219–$374Side-Power touch panel and single joystick, VETUS push-button panel, Lewmar single joystick, at Fisheries Supply | Sleipner: "Install the control panel according to the instructions in the Installation Guide included with the control panel". Quick: "Recommended Quick accessories not included: TCD 2022 remote control". Lewmar lists its four controllers under Accessories. Sideshift, ezDrive and DockStar ship theirs. Source |
| Control cable, panel to motor | The thin cable from the helm to the motor. Sold by length. | No | $29–$173Side-Power control cables, VETUS panel cables, Lewmar Gen 2 connecting cables, at Fisheries Supply | VETUS: "Fit the control cable between the bow thruster and the control panel through the vessel". Lewmar lists the panel looms, 2 to 22 m, under Accessories. Source |
| Main fuse | A slow-blow fuse of the ANL type at the battery, in the size the maker prints for the model. | Some makers | $18–$57Side-Power ANL fuses, Blue Sea ANL fuses, at Fisheries Supply | Sleipner: "The thruster power supply circuit must include the recommended sized fuse and a battery isolation switch". VETUS: "A fuse must be included in the 'positive cable' for the main switch, as close to the battery as possible". ezDrive ships a 225 A breaker; DockStar needs none. Source |
| Fuse holder | The block the ANL fuse bolts into, with a cover. | No | $27–$93Egis and Blue Sea ANL fuse blocks, Side-Power ANL fuse holders, at Fisheries Supply | Max Power: "delivered without accessories (fuse, fuse holder, control panel)". VETUS sells the holder as "VETUS part no.: ZEHC100". Quick: "THF3 - THF6 fuse holder" not included. Source |
| Main battery switch | The switch that cuts the thruster off from its battery when you leave the boat. | No | $35–$107Egis m-Series 300 A, Blue Sea e-Series 350 A and HD-Series 600 A on/off switches, at Fisheries Supply | Lewmar: "The installation MUST have a battery switch that is switched off whilst the thruster is not in use or the boat is unoccupied". Max Power: "It is essential to install a manual battery isolator". VETUS names its BATSW250 or BATSW600. ABYC E-11 asks for one on any bank over 800 CCA. Source |
| Control-circuit fuse and switch | A small fuse, and often a switch, on the thin wire that powers the panel or control box. | Some makers | $8–$12Blue Sea in-line ATO fuse holders, at Fisheries Supply | Quick: "Insert a 4A quick-acting fuse on the controls power supply line (not supplied)". Max Power: "protect the positive supply cable of the thruster's control box by means of a 8A fuse". VETUS and Lewmar carry theirs on the motor or in the control unit. Source |
| Battery cable and lugs | The two heavy cables from the battery to the motor, sized to the length of the run. The wiring calculator sizes them. | No | In the electrical line | Every maker prints a cable table by run length. Sideshift: "high-quality, tin-coated copper, marine-grade" 1/0 or 2/0 AWG. ezDrive: "MINIMUM of 1/0awg". Source |
| Battery bank | A cranking-type bank near the motor, sized by the maker's cold cranking amps. The battery calculator checks it. | No | In the electrical line | VETUS: "each bow thruster is powered by its own separate battery or batteries". Sleipner: "a dedicated battery for each thruster should be considered". Sideshift: "cranking type (NOT deep cycle)". DockStar carries its own inside. Source |
| Charger or charge feed | How the thruster bank gets charged: a shore charger of its own, a DC-to-DC charger or charging relay from the boat's system, or a charger built into the unit. | Some makers | $146–$305NOCO GEN5X2 shore charger, Victron Orion-Tr Smart DC-DC charger, Blue Sea ML-ACR charging relay, at Fisheries Supply | Max Power: "must be charged by both the main engine's alternator and an appropriate battery charger". Sideshift names a NOCO shore charger or a Victron DC-DC charger. VETUS draws a battery separator and builds a charger into its Boosted units. Sleipner, Lewmar and Quick are silent. Source |
| Solenoid or contactor | The heavy relay that switches the motor. On every tunnel and retractable here it comes with the motor. | Yes | With the unit | VETUS parts list: "Electromotor 3 kW - 12 V for BOW5512D c/w solenoid switches". Lewmar's parts list has the solenoid and its loom. Max Power: "Motor + Relay". Quick: "the reversing contactor" on the unit. Sleipner's SEP ships "the included PPC unit". Sideshift's controller and ezDrive's iBox are in the kit. Source |
| Anode | The zinc or aluminum piece on the gear leg, installed to corrode instead of the drive. | Yes | With the unit | VETUS: "the bow thruster is supplied with a zinc anode". Lewmar's parts list: "PROPELLER ANODE KIT". Quick fits it with the propeller. Max Power: "The composite drive leg does not require an anode." Source |
| Glass, resin, filler and sealant | What bonds the tube or housing into the hull and seals the gear leg. | No | Not priced | Sleipner: "use at least eight layers of 300g fibreglass and resin" and "MS Polymer sealant or equal". VETUS: "Sikaflex-292". The yard's materials on a yard job. Source |
How the battery gets charged
Every maker wants a cranking-type bank near the motor. Few say how to keep it charged. Max Power and Sideshift name one. Sleipner, Quick and Lewmar say nothing about it. VETUS builds a charger into its BOW PRO Boosted units. DockStar carries a pack inside and charges from a wall outlet.
| Maker | On charging | In the box | Bought separately |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleipner | The word "charging" is not in any of the Sleipner guides we read. The battery is sized by cold cranking amps, and a battery near the thruster is suggested. How it gets charged is left to you and your installer. SE80 to SE150 installation guide, document 2687 rev 30, page 19. | The gasket, bolts and anode come with the unit. The SEP guides call the power controller "the included PPC unit". | The ANL fuse and a main switch ("must include"), the control panel with its own guide, the panel cable, the tunnel and the cable. |
| VETUS | Every VETUS BOW and BOW PRO manual wants "its own separate battery or batteries" near the thruster, sealed if it shares the motor's compartment. The BOW PRO Boosted units carry a charger (12 V, 80 A) fed from the boat's bank, with a fused feed cable. The other manuals show an alternator and a battery separator on the wiring diagram and say nothing more. BOW55D installation manual 020522.11 r08 and the BOW PRO Boosted manual 020808.04 r09, page 22 of the Boosted manual. | The unit assembled or in parts, the zinc anode, insulated gaskets, the drill template, the solenoid switches and the 5 A control fuse on the motor. BOW PRO: the thruster fuse in the connection unit. | The tunnel, the main switch (BATSW250 or BATSW600), the main fuse (ZE) and holder (ZEHC100), the cable, the control panel and its cable. |
| Max Power | Max Power is the one maker that asks for both: the engine's alternator and a charger. A dedicated bank is optional and goes "as close as possible to the thruster". It wants starting-type batteries with high cold cranking amps. CT100 and CT125 installation manual, page 3. | The motor with its relay, the electronic controller, the composite leg with screws and gasket, two propellers. "The thruster is delivered without accessories (fuse, fuse holder, control panel)." | The fuse and holder, a manual battery isolator and an electric one, the control panel, an 8 A control fuse, a breaker on the DC panel, the cable, the tunnel. No anode on the composite leg. |
| Quick | The manual gives a battery table by model, in amp-hours and cold cranking amps, and a diagram with the panel on the service battery. It says nothing about how the thruster bank is charged. BTQ Series installation manual REV 005A and the TCD control manual, page 10. | The thruster with its reversing contactor and anode, a drilling template, gasket, O-ring, the manual. | "Recommended Quick accessories not included": the TCD control panels, the line switch, the THF fuse holder. Plus the fuse, the cable, a battery disconnection switch, a 4 A control fuse and switch, the tube. |
| Lewmar | The manual sizes the battery by cranking amps and says to "ensure batteries are fully charged before switching on the main power". It gives no rule on a charger, a feed or a bank of its own. Gen 2 TT installation manual 559231 and the RT manual 55110070, page 12. | The motor, the solenoid and its loom, the ICU control box, a 2 m motor loom, the saddle, gasket, hub, propeller, anode kit and fixings. The RT ships with its own housing and actuator. | Under Accessories: the control panels, the panel looms, the fuse holders and ANL fuses, the automatic battery switch. "The installation MUST have a battery switch". The tunnel fits a Lewmar saddle. |
| Sideshift | The thruster gets a bank of its own: cranking type, 850 cold cranking amps per battery, within 10 ft of the controller. You buy the charger too, either a shore charger or a DC-to-DC charger fed off the bank the alternator charges. Monohull installation manual Rev 3.1, page 40. | The thruster, the motor controller, the wireless joystick and its receiver, a wireless key fob, the wiring harness and mounting hardware, the fuse in a holder with a digital voltage display, and a battery switch. Sideshift lists these on each product page. The manual adds the crimper, anti-seize, Loctite, Sikaflex and heat shrink. | The batteries, the 1/0 or 2/0 battery cable and the charger. The joystick is wireless: no wire runs from it to the thruster. It still needs 12 V at the helm for its own power, so plan a small feed there. |
| ezDrive | It wires straight to a 12 V battery, and ezDrive suggests a Group 31 AGM of its own. The guide says nothing about a charger. Streamline installation guide and the FAQ, page 2. | The thruster, the iBox, the rocker control, mounting hardware, nozzles and tools, and the protection: a 225 A push-to-trip breaker with the standard unit, which also serves as its quick shut-off, and a 325 A slow-blow fuse with the PLUS. | The 1/0 AWG battery cable, sealant, a 5 A in-line fuse for the joystick or throttle option. |
| Yacht Thruster | A 12 V unit may share the boat's supply, even a windlass feed if a specialist agrees. A 24 V unit on a 12 V boat needs a bank of its own. Neither page names a charger. Overview and FAQ pages, from the FAQ. | The thruster with its through-hull fitting and seals, the rods and seals of the mounting kit, the control box and controls. | Fuse, switch, cable and battery are not named on either page. |
| DockStar | Nothing is wired to the boat. A 12.8 V, 15 Ah lithium pack inside, and a 4 A charger in the box. Smart Thruster user manual, version 260305, page 12. | The thruster, the charger and its cord, the remote, antenna, two propellers with pins and nuts, lanyards, rope, the quick start guide. | The track assembly for the hull, and extra remotes. |
What the hardware lists for on its own
Unit-only prices for VETUS, Sleipner, Quick and Lewmar tunnels, and why a unit price is not a parts-complete price.
These are unit-only prices, and that catches people out. The box that arrives is smaller than the job. Most US dealer listings price the motor, The underwater part of a thruster: the housing in the tunnel that holds the gears and the propeller. The motor sits above it, inside the boat. and prop. The tunnel tube, control panel, wiring harness, An electrical switch worked by a small current that closes a large one. In a thruster it connects the battery to the motor when you press the joystick, and it is a common part to fail. Solenoid, relay and contactor are three names for this one part. pack, fuse and battery switch are separate line items. Fisheries Supply says so outright on its product pages. The gap between a unit price and a parts-complete system is roughly $1,600 to $2,600.
| Model | Thrust | Volts | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| VETUS Bow 25
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 55 lb | 12V | $1,456.61 |
| VETUS Bow 35
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 77 lb | 12V | $1,607.27 |
| VETUS Bow 45
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 99 lb | 12V | $1,733.97 |
| VETUS Bow 55, 12V
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 121 lb | 12V | $1,923.46 |
| VETUS Bow 60, 12V
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 132 lb | 12V | $2,018.21 |
| VETUS Bow 75, 12V
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 165 lb | 12V | $2,444.70 |
| VETUS Bow 95, 12V
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 210 lb | 12V | $3,510.87 |
| VETUS Bow 125, 12V
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 275 lb | 12V | $4,129.58 |
| VETUS Bow 160
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 352 lb | 24V | $5,231.87 |
| VETUS Bow 220
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 485 lb | 24V | $6,485.62 |
| VETUS Bow 285
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 628 lb | 48V | $8,357.43 |
The table shows the standard units. Built so it cannot make a spark that would ignite gasoline fumes. Required for anything electrical in the same compartment as a gasoline engine or tank. versions of the same models list higher, so match the version on your quote before comparing.
| Model | Thrust, full battery | Thrust under load | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleipner SE30/125S DC, on/off
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 88 lb at 12V | 66 lb at 10.5V | $1,755.00 |
| Sleipner SE40/125S
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 105 lb at 12V | 88 lb at 10.5V | $1,845.00 |
| Sleipner SE60/185S
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 161 lb at 12V | 132 lb at 10.5V | $2,295.00 |
| Sleipner SE80/185T
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 212 lb at 12V | 176 lb at 10.5V | $3,285.00 |
| Sleipner SE100/185T
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 256 lb at 12V | 220 lb at 10.5V | $4,455.00 |
| Sleipner SE150/215T-24V
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 400 lb at 24V | 330 lb at 21V | $5,895.00 |
| Sleipner E150/215T
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 331 lb at 24V/48V | — | $7,875.00 |
The SE100 row shows the effect. It makes 256 pounds of thrust at 12 volts and 220 pounds at 10.5 volts. A volt and a half of sag costs you 14 percent of your thrust.
Thin cable or a tired battery is exactly what causes that sag. That is why the cable and battery line in your quote is not the place to save money. Every comparison on this site uses the full-battery figure, because it is the figure most makers publish.
| Model | Thrust | Volts | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quick BTQ 185, BTQ 185-55, 55 KGF, single propeller, 12V
The maker’s own listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Quick USA | 121 lb | 12V | $3,949.57 |
| Quick BTQ 185, BTQ 185-75, 75 KGF, single propeller, 12V
The maker’s own listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Quick USA | 165 lb | 12V | $4,325.68 |
| Quick BTQ 185, BTQ 185-95, 95 KGF, single propeller, 12V
The maker’s own listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Quick USA | 209 lb | 12V | $7,510.83 |
| Quick BTQ 250, BTQ 250-120, 120 KGF, double propeller, 12V
The maker’s own listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Quick USA | 265 lb | 12V | $8,623.55 |
| Quick BTQ 250, BTQ 250-240, 240 KGF, double propeller, 24V
The maker’s own listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Quick USA | 529 lb | 24V | $10,570.80 |
| Quick BTR 185, BTR 185-85, 85 KGF, 12V
The maker’s own listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Quick USA | 187 lb | 12V | $15,717.11 |
| Model | Thrust | Volts | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewmar 110TT Thruster Kit
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 62 lb | 12V | $935.99 |
| Lewmar 110TT 1.5 Bow Thruster Complete Package, Complete Package w/ Tube/Joystick/Cable
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 62 lb | 12V | $1,338.99 |
| Lewmar 140TT Tunnel Thruster
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 82 lb | 12V | $1,485.99 |
| Lewmar 185TT GEN 2 Tunnel Thruster, 3.0kW
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 128 lb | 12V | $1,911.99 |
| Lewmar 140TT Tunnel Thruster Kit, Kit (unit+joystick+cable; tunnel separate)
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 82 lb | 12V | $1,964.99 |
| Lewmar 185TT GEN 2 Tunnel Thruster, 4.0kW
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 143 lb | 12V | $2,338.99 |
| Lewmar 185TT GEN 2 Tunnel Thruster, 5.0kW
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 181 lb | 12V | $2,707.99 |
| Lewmar 185TT GEN 2 Tunnel Thruster, 6.0kW
Defender listing, read 26 October 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on Defender | 214 lb | 12V | $3,426.99 |
Lewmar's 185TT Gen2 range works the way Quick's table above does: one housing and a ladder of motor sizes. It tops out at $3,426.99 for 214 pounds of thrust. Defender publishes thrust in pounds for these units, so they sit in the comparison on the same terms as the other brands.
West Marine has all but stopped selling tunnel thrusters. Its VETUS product pages are still live but show no price and no stock. Max Power publishes no US prices itself; its rows in the tables above are the listings at Marinedeal and WMJ Marine. Jet Thruster publishes none either, and its US dealer lists every model as call-for-price.
The detail
The worked quote line by line with the haul-out from eight yards’ rate cards, why old forum prices run low, and where this data is thin.
What is inside the quote
Here is a 35 foot boat getting one tunnel thruster installed by a yard, built up from published component prices and current yard rates. No single invoice looks exactly like it. Lay your own quote beside it line by line anyway, because the lines a yard leaves off are as telling as the ones it puts on.
| Line | Cost | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Thruster unit | $2,295–$2,445 | Sleipner SE60/185S or VETUS Bow 75, published retail |
| Tunnel tube | $270–$425 | VETUS GRP 185 mm, published retail |
| Control panel and its cable | $248–$547 | Fisheries Supply, 30 September 2026: Side-Power touch panel and single joystick; Side-Power control cables |
| Main fuse, holder, battery switch and control fuse | $88–$268 | Fisheries Supply, 26 October 2026: Side-Power ANL fuses; Egis and Blue Sea ANL fuse blocks; Egis m-Series 300 A; Blue Sea in-line ATO fuse holders |
| Batteries, cable, charger | $1,000–$1,400 | Recurring figure in owner reports from 2022 onward |
| Parts subtotal | $3,901–$5,085 | Sum of the lines above. Sits either side of the “materials $4,200” line on a real 2021 quote |
| Labor, 32 hrs at $160–$180 | $5,120–$5,760 | Two crew, two days, at current published rates |
| Haul-out and five to seven lay days | $620–$1,690 | Eight yards’ published rate cards, a 35 ft boat; the table below |
| Total | $9,641–$12,535 | Parts plus labor plus haul-out. Sits above the $9,200 a 35 ft owner paid in 2021, which is what the labor-rate rise predicts |
The low figure is every line landing at its cheapest. The high figure is every line landing at its most expensive. Very few jobs come in at either extreme, so the real spread is narrower than $9,641 to $12,535 suggests. Plan around the middle of that range.
What the haul-out line is made of
The boat comes out for most of a week. The hands-on work fits in two days, but the glass around the tube cures between coats, and resin does not hurry for anyone. Plan on five to seven days out of the water. The yard bills that as the lift in and out, the blocking (the stands she sits on), a pressure wash, and a lay day charge per foot per day. Some yards fold the blocking and the wash into the lift price. Some add an environmental fee.
The table is eight yards’ own rate cards, read 30 September 2026, worked for a 35 ft boat. The cheapest column is 5 days out, the most expensive 7. The line above runs from Fairhaven Shipyard’s figure to Oasis Boatyard and Marina’s. Every other estimate on this site works the same cards at your own boat’s length.
| Yard | Lift in and out | Lay days | 5 days | 7 days | Rate card |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEA MarinePort Townsend, Washington | Round trip haul-out, blocking and tarp included: up to 29 ft $11 a foot ($150 minimum), 30 to 39 ft $12, 40 ft and over $13. Pressure wash $150 an hour, bottom only; one hour counted. Environmental compliance and disposal, 3 percent on all labor, service and storage. | Laydays $0.65 a foot a day, $12 daily minimum. | $704 | $751 | Effective August 2026 |
| Albert Jensen and Sons BoatyardFriday Harbor, Washington | Haul and launch round trip, lift, pressure wash, blocking and lift back included: up to 25 ft $273, 26 to 33 ft $12 a foot, 34 to 43 ft $14 a foot; nothing listed past 43 ft. Environmental fee $2 a foot, $50 minimum. | Daily layover, first seven days $1.00 a foot a day, then $1.25. | $735 | $805 | Effective 1 March 2026 |
| Santa Cruz Harbor boatyardSanta Cruz, California | Monohull two-strap haul-out $13 a foot, $300 minimum; the rate includes the haul, the high pressure wash and the shoring, and the haul and launch days are not charged as lay days. Environmental surcharge $6 a day. | Lay days 1 to 14 at $1.50 a foot a day. | $748 | $865 | FY23 fee schedule, as the page cites it |
| Berkeley Marine CenterBerkeley, California | Haul and launch, pressure wash and environmental fees included: up to 29 ft $16 a foot, 30 to 39 ft $17, 40 ft and longer $19; no separate blocking line. | The card prints one lay day rate, its DIY rate of $3.00 a foot a day, rising $0.50 every two weeks, and says lay days may apply once the yard’s own work is complete. It is charged here for every day. | $1,120 | $1,330 | Undated; the page carries a 2026 copyright |
| Snead Island Boat WorksPalmetto, Florida | Standard haul, block and launch $14 a foot; no separate wash line on that rate. | Yard lay day charge $2.00 a foot a day. | $840 | $980 | Undated; the card says all rates are subject to change without notice |
| Oasis Boatyard and MarinaSt. Augustine, Florida | Monohull haul-out $22 a foot, "this gets you out, blocked, and back in the water". | Daily land storage, monohull, $3.75 a foot a day. | $1,426 | $1,689 | Undated |
| Causeway Marina ShipyardGalveston, Texas | Haul and launch, all boats, $13 a foot, $350 minimum. Blocking up to 50 ft $5 a foot, $175 minimum. Pressure washer rental $75 an hour; one hour counted. | Lay days, blocked in the shipyard, $1 a foot a day, $30 daily minimum. | $880 | $950 | Effective 1 January 2026 |
| Fairhaven ShipyardFairhaven, Massachusetts | Travelift haul-out, blocking and launch, boats to 45 ft $17.50 a foot, to 100 ft $35. 2 percent environmental surcharge on all rates. | The $1.00 a foot a day surcharge applies only to a boat the yard is not actively working on, so a job the yard does carries none here. | $625 | $625 | Effective 1 May 2026 |
- Parts thruster, tube, panel, fuse and switch, batteries and cable
- Labor 32 yard hours
- Haul-out lift, blocking, launch
Labor alone is 46–53% of the bill at both ends of the range, more than the thruster, the tube, the panel and the batteries put together.
Look at the tunnel tube line. A 185 mm fiberglass tube, 40 inches long, lists for $209.15. The most expensive tunnel tube VETUS sells, 250mm at 60 inches, is $456.24. Most of what you pay for is the labor of getting that tube into the hull.
Why the forum thread you found is probably wrong
Most of the thruster cost discussion online was written between 2009 and 2016. Yard labor has roughly doubled since. A Florida yard doing thruster work published tiered rates of $70, $80 and $90 an hour in January 2021, depending on the trade. By 2025, owners in the same state were reporting $175 an hour. Published Northeast fiberglass rates had reached $180.
| Yard or market | Trade | Rate | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crocker's Boat Yard, Manchester MA | Fiberglass, electrical, mechanical | $180/hr | 2025–26 rate card |
| Crocker's Boat Yard | Yard work | $110/hr | 2025–26 rate card |
| Berkeley Marine Center, CA | Skilled tech (glass, electrical) | $140/hr | Undated page, read 2 October 2026 |
| Berkeley Marine Center, CA | General marine tech | $125/hr | Undated page, read 2 October 2026 |
| Palm Beach County, FL | Mobile mechanic | $175/hr + $250 trip | Aug 2025, owner reported |
| Seattle | General | ~$180/hr | Aug 2025, owner reported |
| Stockton, CA | General | $140/hr | Aug 2025, owner reported |
| Florida yard quoting thruster work | Tiered by trade | $70 / $80 / $90 | Jan 2021 Stale |
That last row is the useful one. It shows the same kind of yard doing the same job four years earlier, at half the rate. So a price in a 2014 thread still lands well short of 2026 money, even with inflation added, however confidently the thread states it. The labor line roughly doubled, and labor is most of the bill.
Where this data is thin
There are four gaps in the record.
Boats under 25 feet have no usable cost data at all in the US forum record.
Recent yard installs are rare. Few professional tunnel installs after 2022 appear in the record. Most of it dates from 2009 to 2016, exactly the period whose labor rates have since doubled.
Reports often lump bow and stern together. The only same-boat pair we hold is two 2016 quotes to one Bayliner owner. The stern was quoted about 12 percent under the bow. Those are two quotes and nobody paid either, so treat it as a hint. What a stern thruster costs has the rest.
No regional multiplier. We have yard labor rates for Massachusetts, Washington, California and Florida. We have no matched thruster quotes across regions on comparable boats. So we cannot give you a regional multiplier, and anyone who does is guessing.
Hardware prices captured 26 October 2026 from Defender, Fisheries Supply, Quick USA, Hodges Marine, Boat Gear USA and Sideshift, and Max Power’s rows from Marinedeal and WMJ Marine. Owner-reported figures come from dated posts on The Hull Truth, Trawler Forum, Sailboat Owners, Bayliner Owners Club, C-Brats and Sam's Marine.
Labor rates come from the published rate cards of Crocker's Boat Yard and Berkeley Marine Center. The haul-out comes from the published cards of SEA Marine, Albert Jensen and Sons Boatyard, Santa Cruz Harbor boatyard, Berkeley Marine Center, Snead Island Boat Works, Oasis Boatyard and Marina, Causeway Marina Shipyard and Fairhaven Shipyard, read 30 September 2026.