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Lewmar · retractable thruster · bow
Lewmar 250VRTT Vertical Retractable: specs, price and boat fit
It gives 353 lb (160 kgf) of push. Lewmar's own chart puts it on boats of 56 to 65 ft. It runs on 24 V.
- Haul-out to install
- DIY 2 of 5: wiring prep only
- 3-year warranty
Quick stats
- Thrust 353 lb 160 kgf, Lewmar's rating
- Boat length 56 to 65 ft Lewmar's chart, by windage. See below
- Price per lb of thrust $83.33 Unit only. $108 to $141 installed
- Voltage 24 V As sold
- Battery at 24 V 520 CCA Two batteries, near the thruster
- Run limit 3 min In one direction, then fault mode
- To install it Haul-out The boat comes out of the water
- Mounts Retractable Drops down, bow
About the Lewmar 250VRTT Vertical Retractable
The 250VRTT is Lewmar’s big retractable: a 250 mm unit that drops straight down out of the hull to push and rises back out of the water when you are done. It gives 353 lb of push on 24 V, and Lewmar’s chart puts it on yachts of about 56 to 65 ft that want strong bow control without a tube in the hull.
At $29,417 from Defender it is the most expensive Lewmar on this site by far; the RT185 MX retractable is $8,687. Its panel has raise, lower and power buttons, and the thrust joystick only works once the unit is fully down. It runs from two batteries in series; with cable and charging, about $739 to $800. See the specs.
Read more
If the power fails, the unit can be raised by hand by turning its lead screw. The lift controls need a 24 V supply of their own. Lewmar’s manual for it dates from 2007, so ask the dealer for the current one. Motors and controls get one year of warranty, the rest three.
Installing it yourself? The installer section has every spec, and the Lewmar thruster review sets this model against the rest of the Lewmar range.
Where this summary comes from (6 sources, read 13 October 2026)
- Defender listing (the database’s price)
- Lewmar 250/300 VRTT manual, 2007 (24 V only; raise and lower panel; manual leadscrew)
- Lewmar Thruster Selection Guide (boat length by windage)
- Lewmar Gen 2 TT installation manual 559231 Iss.3 (three minutes one way, then fault mode; warranty one year on motors and controls)
- Lewmar, About (making boat hardware in Havant, England, since 1946)
- Lippert Components acquires Lewmar Marine Limited, 1 August 2019
Will the Lewmar 250VRTT Vertical Retractable steer your boat?
75 FT TRAWLER · BOW · 15 KT WIND
Every knot figure here is wind speed, not boat speed or current.
On a 75 ft trawler the Lewmar 250VRTT Vertical Retractable (353 lb) steers her in a 15 knot breeze. Her bow needs about 375 lb from a retractable to steer her in a 15 knot breeze. Its 353 lb lands within 15 percent of that figure, which this site counts as enough.
The finder lists it for her.
The Lewmar 250VRTT Vertical Retractable on a trawler, by length
- 25 ft43 kt
- 30 ft36 kt
- 35 ft31 kt
- 40 ft28 kt
- 45 ft24 kt
- 50 ft22 kt
- 55 ft20 kt
- 60 ft18 kt
- 65 ft17 kt
- 70 ft16 kt
- 75 ft15 kt
- 80 ft14 kt
Outlined: the finder does not list it at that length (under 13 kt, far more than she needs, or outside Lewmar’s own length range).
- Under 10 kt
- 10 to 15 kt
- 15 to 20 kt: the sweet spot
- Over 20 kt: more than she needs
Prices are the low end of the installed total, from our estimate. For your own boat, drive and installer, the finder prices each unit.
Is it right for your boat?
Every kind of boat it fits, by length
| Boat | Full thrust at 15 knots | Still a fit, in lighter wind | Lewmar’s chart |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pontoon & tritoon | Not listed. A retractable drops down inside the hull, and a pontoon has no hull depth to drop into. | ||
| Sailboat | 53 to 76 ft | 77 to 80 ftfull thrust to about 14 knots at 80 ft | 61 to 65 ftas the 250TT 8.0, class B |
| Houseboat | 39 to 56 ft | 57 to 64 ftfull thrust to about 13 knots at 64 ft | 56 to 60 ftas the 250TT 8.0, class C |
| Catamaran | 60 to 80 ft | None | 56 to 60 ftas the 250TT 8.0, class C |
| Trawler | 52 to 75 ft | 76 to 80 ftfull thrust to about 14 knots at 80 ft | 56 to 60 ftas the 250TT 8.0, class C |
| Motor yacht | 52 to 75 ft | 76 to 80 ftfull thrust to about 14 knots at 80 ft | 56 to 60 ftas the 250TT 8.0, class C |
| Bass & flats | Not listed. A retractable needs hull depth to drop into, and these planing hulls have almost none forward. | ||
| Wake & ski boats | Not listed. A retractable needs hull depth to drop into, and these planing hulls have almost none forward. | ||
| Express cruiser | No length. More thrust than the boat needs. | ||
| Center console | No length. More thrust than the boat needs. | ||
The Lewmar 250VRTT Vertical Retractable against each kind of boat, in a 15 knot wind. Our sizing, from the finder’s own rules, beside Lewmar's chart.
The first column is where one unit gives all the thrust the boat needs in 15 knots. The second is where the finder still lists it: the unit steers her in a 13 or 14 knot wind, within 15 percent of the 15 knot breeze this site sizes for. On a boat shorter than the first column’s shortest length, the unit is more than the boat needs.
How we size it
Our figure is the longest boat one unit can steer in a 15 knot wind. It is a range because each kind of boat catches the wind differently. Here a houseboat gets full thrust to 56 ft, and a catamaran to 80 ft.
The table tries the Lewmar 250VRTT Vertical Retractable on each kind of boat, at every length that kind of boat is built in. The wind is 15 knots and the rules are the finder’s own. A length counts as a fit when the unit gives the thrust that boat needs at the bow. The listing prints no boat length, so thrust alone decides. Lewmar's own figures are in the opening lines.
Reading Lewmar’s chart. Lewmar publishes a selection guide, checked 15 September 2026, on a dealer’s copy. It names a model by boat length, from 30 to 90 ft, for a The area of the boat the wind can push on: the hull sides, the cabin, the mast and rigging, or the canopy. A tall, boxy boat has a lot of it, and wind force does not care how slowly you are moving. class and a wind band. Our 15 knots falls in its lightest band, 11 to 16 knots.
The Lewmar 250VRTT Vertical Retractable is not on the chart by name. Lewmar rates it at the same 353 lb (160 kgf) as the 250TT 8.0. That tunnel unit is on the chart, so the column shows what the chart says for it. Which class a kind of boat falls in is our reading of its windage. The chart starts at 30 ft.
It is sized for five kinds of boat here. For your own boat, the finder gives an answer that also counts your drive and who does the installing. The compare page sets this unit beside others.
What it costs installed
A yard job, everything in. Our estimate.
| Boat | Total installed |
|---|---|
| 39 ft | $37,584 to $42,980$106 to $122 a lb of thrust |
| 60 ft | $38,044 to $49,760$108 to $141 a lb of thrust |
| 80 ft | $38,374 to $50,720$109 to $144 a lb of thrust |
From the shortest to the longest boat it is sized for.
What is in each total
These totals are our estimate of a yard job: the unit’s price, plus a yard’s hours at $160 to $180 an hour, plus the batteries, cable and charger, plus the other parts the box does not hold. A Lifting the boat out of the water on a travel lift or a trailer so work can be done below the waterline. It is billed separately from the job itself. adds $700 to $3,860 at these lengths, with 5 to 7 days out of the water, worked from eight yards’ own rate cards. The hours are our own estimate. The cost page builds the same figures line by line.
| Boat length | The unit | Yard labor | Haul-out | Batteries, cable, charger | Other parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 ft | $29,417 | $6,400 to $10,08040 to 56 hours | $700 to $1,880 | $739 to $800 | $328 to $803 |
| 60 ft | $29,417 | $6,400 to $15,84040 to 88 hours | $1,160 to $2,900 | $739 to $800 | $328 to $803 |
| 80 ft | $29,417 | $6,400 to $15,84040 to 88 hours | $1,490 to $3,860 | $739 to $800 | $328 to $803 |
For every length in the table above.
How the batteries, cable and charger add up. We price a battery bank close to the thruster, as the makers recommend, with 10 to 20 ft of cable out and back: red for the positive, black for the negative, cut to length. The low end is the cheapest battery that meets the figure and the shorter run; the high end is a sealed (AGM) battery and the longer run. The charger is a NOCO GEN5X2 two-bank shore charger.
Batteries and lugs are priced at Fisheries Supply and the cable and charger at Defender, read 26 October 2026.
- At 24 V: two 12 V batteries in series, at least 520 CCA each (Lewmar’s minimum), $513 for both; Lewmar’s cable table gives 2 AWG, priced on 1 AWG, the nearest size cut to length: $80 to $141 for the red and black cable and the lugs; a GEN5X2 charger, $146.
The sizing and the costs on this page are estimates, for guidance only and without warranty. They are no quote, and nobody has inspected your boat. Check them against the maker’s manual and your yard before you rely on them. Terms of use.
DIY breakdown
DIY levels
- Level 5: Owner install. No yard, no electrician.
- Level 4: You install it, electrician connects. You mount and wire it; a marine electrician makes the final connections.
- Level 3: Split with the yard. The yard does the below-waterline part; you do the wiring.
- Level 2: Wiring prep only. The yard installs the unit and does the hull work; you do the wiring prep.
- Level 1: Yard job. A qualified professional does all of it.
You Yard Electrician. The bar is labor hours; a haul-out is a note.
How we rate DIYYou: 4 to 16 hours Yard: 40 to 88 hours Electrician: 2 to 4 hours Plus a haul-out.
Your part needs:Heavy battery cableCrimping big lugs
Every step, and who does it
- Cut the hull and fit the housing and mechanism Yard 40 to 88 hours Nobody publishes an hours figure. Fisheries Supply says installation is significantly more expensive than a tunnel, and that is too loose to turn into a number. So this is the tunnel’s own banded figure plus a quarter, which keeps it above a tunnel as the distributors describe it.
- Mount the battery box, switch and fuse holder; run and secure the cables You 4 to 16 hours Our estimate. No maker times this step, and a first-time owner is slower than a yard, so the range is wide.
- Final connections at the battery and the motor, load test Electrician 2 to 4 hours Our estimate. Nobody publishes a time for the final connections and test on their own.
A qualified marine electrician should make the final connections and test them before first use. Hours are labor only.
Related videos
One of Lewmar’s own videos, from its YouTube channel. They play only when you tap. A maker’s video is its pitch, so take any claim back to the figures on this page.
Know before you buy
What sets this model apart, what it costs to keep, and what to weigh.
Price per pound of thrust
$83.33 a lb The unit’s price over its published thrust. The bars are Lewmar’s next sizes and the nearest other makers.Controls
The solenoid, the ICU control box and a 2 m motor loom are in the box. The panel, its loom, the fuse and holder are bought.
- Lewmar 58400612 VRTT control panel, no US price found.
- Lewmar 4-wire control cable, 2 m (589021), $38.46 at Fisheries Supply.
Service and warranty
Lewmar gives 3 years, but 1 on electric motors and their electrical equipment and on electronic controls. Service by anyone but an authorized Lewmar representative can void it. Removal, transport and installation costs are not covered.
See Lewmar’s warranty Lewmar's Gen 2 installation manual.Special mentions
Battery: at 24 V it wants two batteries of 520 CCA or more, Lewmar's figure. The cheapest that meets it is the Lifeline GPL-1400T AGM starting, $256.72. Check your own bank.
Charger: a NOCO GEN5X2 two-bank shore charger, $146.41. It is the one our estimate prices.
Dealer prices at Fisheries Supply, read 26 October 2026.What to weigh
The boat comes out of the water to install it: it needs a large hull opening below the waterline.
Lewmar prints no single length band for it. Its selection chart gives one by windage: 56 to 65 ft at 15 knots, across the kinds of boat in the table. The boat table is our sizing alone.
Short pushes only: Lewmar rates the motor for 3 min at a stretch.
Parts for the Lewmar 250VRTT Vertical Retractable
See the Lewmar 250VRTT Vertical Retractable manualSearch for the number as printed here, with no spaces. Prices are each dealer’s on the day shown, before shipping and tax. Check the plate on your motor before you order: some parts change with the tunnel size, the voltage or the year.
For the install what the box leaves you to buy
The manual button above opens it on the maker's site. It has the hull, wiring and fuse figures for this model.
From Lewmar’s 250 and 300 VRTT manual, read 16 October 2026.
- In the box
- The thruster with its raise and lower control box wired to the limit switches and motors, a lead for its power, the mounting bracket and the cable boots. The 48 V model adds a battery switch box.
- Bought separately
- The 58400612 control panel, the thruster control looms, the 7-way raise and lower loom, the main fuse and holder, a battery isolator, the batteries and cable, and the bolts and gasket.
- Charging
- 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.
In Lewmar’s words, from its Gen 2 TT installation manual 559231 and the RT manual 55110070, page 12: “Battery crank capacity should be at least equal to the thruster current.”
The “other parts” line in the estimate above covers these parts as a range, $328 to $803 at Fisheries Supply’s prices on 30 September 2026 and 26 October 2026, because the exact items depend on your boat. The batteries, cable and charger have a line of their own. The cost page has what every maker says about each part.
Control panel
Ask for Lewmar 58400612 VRTT control panel.
Not sold at Fisheries Supply. Ask a Lewmar dealer.
Control cable, panel to thruster
Fisheries Supply lists it as “Lewmar 4-wire control cable, 2 m”.
Sold in lengths from 2 to 22 m. This is the shortest: measure the run from the helm to the thruster and buy the length that reaches.
Main fuse
Ask for 400 A (Lewmar 589010).
The manual lists the fuse as part 589010, with Lewmar's fuse holder 589013. Buy the type the manual names.
Fuse holder
Ask for Lewmar fuse holder 589013.
Ask a Lewmar dealer.
Battery switch
Fisheries Supply lists it as “HD-Series 600 A battery switch, on/off”.
Rated at or above the 400 A main fuse. If your manual names its own switch, use that one.
Batteries
Fisheries Supply lists it as “Lifeline GPL-1400T AGM starting”.
You need 2, each at 520 CCA or more, in series for 24 V. The cheapest listing that meets it.
Battery cable, red and black
Defender lists it as “Ancor tinned battery cable 1 AWG, cut to length, red or black”.
You need 10 ft of each color. For about 20 ft of cable in all, out and back. Measure your run and check it against the cable table in the manual: never go smaller than it asks for.
Cable lugs
Fisheries Supply lists it as “Tin-plated starter lugs, 1 AWG, bag of 10”.
The listing runs $20.52 to $22.06 by stud size. Eight ends on one run, with two spare.
Charger
Fisheries Supply lists it as “GEN5X2 on-board charger, 10 A, 2 banks”.
Or a DC-to-DC charger from the house system: ask the electrician.
Supply for the lift
Ask for A separate 24 V DC, 5 A supply for the raise and lower control box.
From a different source than the drive motor, and able to take a 45 A inrush (VRTT manual).
Inside the boat replacement parts on board
Fuse holder
The main fuse at the battery, in the rating the maker gives. Lewmar calls it “Fuse holder”.
Main fuse, 400 A
The main fuse at the battery, in the rating the maker gives. Lewmar calls it “Fuse 400A (24V system)”. This one is for the 24 V version.
The 250VRTT manual (Rev D, 2007) gives 400 A for a 24 V system. The raise and lower control box needs its own 24 V 5 A supply.
Control panel
The control at the helm. Lewmar calls it “VRTT user interface panel”.
Sold separately from the thruster.
No part matches. Try the number without spaces, or the part’s name.
The install parts are matched to Lewmar’s own figures and priced at Fisheries Supply, with the battery cable at Defender, cut to length.
Spare part numbers come from Lewmar’s parts pages and manuals. A dealer may sell a part we have not priced. Search for the number.
Other sizes and close alternatives
- Size down Lewmar RT185 MX Gen 2 214 lb · $8,687 to $9,034
- Other maker Sleipner SRV130 353 lb · $22,730
The other makers listed are the nearest match each makes, of the same style and for the same end, within a quarter of its thrust. The compare page lists every model, and the thruster index lists every model with a page here.
For the yard and the installer
Every published figure, with its source.
Full spec sheet
| Thrust and motor | |
|---|---|
| Thrust | 353 lb (160 kgf) As printed: 160 kgf max thrust |
| Voltage | 24 V |
| Run limit | 3 min in one direction, then fault mode |
| Installation | |
| Type | Retractable, drops down |
| End of the boat | Bow |
| Tunnel diameter | 250 mm |
| What it does to the hull | Large hull opening below the waterline |
| Haul-out to install it | Yes |
| Maker’s boat length | 56 to 65 ftLewmar's selection chart, by windage; the listing prints none |
| Price and ordering | |
| Price | $29,417 equipment only, a dealer's price, defender.com, 26 October 2026 |
| Part number | 5912710024 V |
| Documents | |
| Manual | Installation manual (PDF)on the maker's site |
| The site’s review | Lewmar thruster review |
Every published figure the site holds for the Lewmar 250VRTT Vertical Retractable, with where each came from.
Draw, cable, fuse and battery at each voltage
These are the maker’s own figures, at each voltage it is sold at. The cable is the size for the shortest run in the maker’s table. A longer run may need heavier cable, and the wiring calculator works that out for your own boat.
| Voltage | Draw | Maker’s cable | Fuse | Battery | Run limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 V | 520 Anominal draw | 2 AWG, the one size Lewmar gives for this model, for any run up to 105 ft of cable counted out and back250/300 VRTT manual (2007) | 400 A250/300 VRTT manual | Crank capacity at least the 520 A draw, Lewmar's ruleLewmar 250/300 VRTT manual | 3 min in one direction, then fault modeGen 2 installation manual |
The Lewmar 250VRTT Vertical Retractable’s draw, cable, fuse, battery and run limit, as the maker publishes them.
- At 24 V: size the cable for your run, or check the battery you have.
Our notes from the manual and listings
In the box: The solenoid, the ICU control box and a 2 m motor loom are in the box. The panel, its loom, the fuse and holder are bought.
Our note
A retractable: the unit lives in a housing let into the hull and drops when used. It is a bigger yard job than a tunnel and a mechanism to keep working. Every Lewmar goes on with the boat out of the water. This is a vertical retractable for the bow, in a 250 mm housing, 24 V only.
Defender publishes 160 kgf and no pound figure, so the pounds here are our conversion. Its own manual is Lewmar's 250 and 300 VRTT manual of 2007, found only as a dealer's copy. That manual says to install the unit as far forward as possible, and it never names the stern. The most expensive Lewmar on the site by a wide margin.
Three years' warranty on paper, but one year on electric motors, associated electrical equipment and electronic controls. Service by anyone but an authorized Lewmar representative voids the warranty, and removal and reinstalling are not covered. Lewmar publishes no boat length for any unit.
Where each point above comes from
- The boat comes out of the water to install it: it needs a large hull opening below the waterline.The mounting: a bore through the hull, or a housing recessed into it
- Lewmar prints no single length band for it. Its selection chart gives one by windage: 56 to 65 ft at 15 knots, across the kinds of boat in the table. The boat table is our sizing alone.Lewmar's Thruster Selection Guide, checked 15 September 2026
Not sure this is the one? The thruster finder asks about your boat and prices every unit that fits.