We may earn a referral commission from some links on this page. It doesn't change your price or our recommendations.
Max Power · tunnel thruster · bow or stern
Max Power CT100: specs, price and the boats it fits
It gives 231 lb (105 kgf) of push. Max Power sells it for boats of 32 to 51 ft. It runs on 12 V.
- Haul-out to install
- DIY 2 of 5: wiring prep only
- 3-year warranty
Quick stats
- Thrust 231 lb 105 kgf, Max Power's rating
- Boat length 32 to 51 ft Max Power's own range
- Price per lb of thrust $12.23 Unit only. $45 to $86 installed
- Voltage 12 V As sold
- Battery at 12 V 1,000 CCA Two batteries, near the thruster
- Run limit 2 to 3 min At a stretch, depending on the air temperature. The motor's S2 rating is 3 min
- To install it Haul-out The boat comes out of the water
- Mounts Tunnel Fixed mount, bow or stern
About the Max Power CT100
The CT100 is the bow thruster Beneteau and Jeanneau put in many of their mid-size sailboats through the 2010s. Twin propellers in a 185 mm tube give 231 lb of push on 12 V, for boats of about 32 to 51 ft, and it is just as much at home on a motor boat.
Marinedeal sells it for $2,824, thruster only. The tube, a panel, a main switch and a fuse add about $541 to $1,369. The current manual asks for more cranking power than one battery gives at 12 V, so we price two batteries, heavy cable and a charger at $1,212 to $1,879. See the parts.
Read more
One owner’s CT100 beeped, flashed and would not run; a faulty heat sensor was the cause, a cheap fix. A Jeanneau owner lost two sets of batteries in two and a half years, and Max Power’s answer was a bigger bank. Rest it after 2 to 3 minutes. Warranty: two years, three if registered.
Installers will find the wiring figures and dimensions further down. For the rest of Max Power’s line, read the Max Power thruster review.
Where this summary comes from (7 sources, read 12 October 2026)
- Max Power product page
- US dealer listing (price read 12 Oct 2026)
- Max Power CT100 / CT125 installation manual, serials from 83338 ("2000 CCA maximum total output")
- YBW forum, 2016 to 2021: a CT100 that beeped and would not run (a faulty heat sensor)
- Jeanneau owners forum, 2021 to 2022: a Sun Odyssey 44i’s CT100 and its batteries
- Max Power: founded 1987 in Mandelieu, France; Lalizas Italia
- Max Power Warranty Conditions (three years; transferable; two hours of field labor in year one)
Will the Max Power CT100 steer your boat?
56 FT TRAWLER · BOW · 15 KT WIND
Every knot figure here is wind speed, not boat speed or current.
On a 56 ft trawler the Max Power CT100 (231 lb) steers her in a 16 knot breeze. Her bow needs about 210 lb from a tunnel to steer her in a 15 knot breeze.
The finder lists it for her.
The Max Power CT100 on a trawler, by length
- 25 ft35 kt
- 30 ft29 kt
- 35 ft25 kt
- 40 ft22 kt
- 45 ft20 kt
- 50 ft18 kt
- 55 ft16 kt
- 60 ft15 kt
- 65 ft14 kt
- 70 ft12.5 kt
- 75 ft12 kt
- 80 ft11 kt
Outlined: the finder does not list it at that length (under 13 kt, far more than she needs, or outside Max Power’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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pontoon & tritoon | Not listed. A pontoon has no hull body between the logs to bore a tunnel through, and nobody sells one for these boats. | |
| Sailboat | 42 to 56 ft | None |
| Houseboat | 32 to 45 ft | 46 to 51 ftfull thrust to about 13 knots at 51 ft |
| Catamaran | 48 to 56 ft | None |
| Trawler | 42 to 56 ft | None |
| Motor yacht | 42 to 56 ft | None |
| Bass & flats | Not listed. Nobody sells a tunnel kit for these hulls, and a bass boat’s shallow planing bow has almost no depth to hold one. | |
| Wake & ski boats | Not listed. Nobody sells a tunnel kit for these hulls. | |
| Express cruiser | 53 to 56 ft | None |
| Center console | No length. More thrust than the boat needs. | |
The Max Power CT100 against each kind of boat, in a 15 knot wind. Our sizing, from the finder’s own rules.
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 45 ft, and a sailboat to 56 ft. The maker gives one range for every boat.
The table tries the Max Power CT100 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 and the maker lists it for that length.
A boat up to 10 percent past the maker’s range still counts here, as it does in the finder. So the table runs up to 56 ft, just past Max Power’s own range (32 to 51 ft).
It is sized for six 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 |
|---|---|
| 32 ft | $10,267 to $13,372$44 to $58 a lb of thrust |
| 45 ft | $10,497 to $19,762$45 to $86 a lb of thrust |
| 56 ft | $10,787 to $21,372$47 to $93 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 $570 to $2,700 at these lengths, with 5 to 7 days out of the water, worked from eight yards’ own rate cards. The hours come from what owners and yards report. The cost page builds the same figures line by line.
| Boat length | The unit | Yard labor | Haul-out | Batteries, cable, charger | Other parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 ft | $2,824 | $5,120 to $5,760about 32 hours | $570 to $1,540 | $1,212 to $1,879 | $541 to $1,369 |
| 45 ft | $2,824 | $5,120 to $11,52032 to 64 hours | $800 to $2,170 | $1,212 to $1,879 | $541 to $1,369 |
| 56 ft | $2,824 | $5,120 to $12,60032 to 70 hours | $1,090 to $2,700 | $1,212 to $1,879 | $541 to $1,369 |
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 12 V: two 12 V batteries side by side (in parallel), at least 1,000 CCA each (Max Power’s minimum), $886 to $1,104 for both; Max Power’s cable table gives 4/0 to 2 x 3/0 AWG, priced on 4/0 to 2 x 4/0 AWG, the nearest size cut to length: $180 to $629 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: 32 to 70 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, bond and fair the tunnel; fit the gear leg, motor and propeller Yard 32 to 70 hours The low end is two crew over two days, the job as owners describe it on the forums. The high end rises with boat length between two real billed figures: 32 hours at 35 ft, and the largest invoice we hold, 70 hours at 47 ft.
- 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 Max Power’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
$12.23 a lb The unit’s price over its published thrust. The bars are Max Power’s next sizes and the nearest other makers.Controls
Delivered without accessories: the fuse, holder and control panel are bought.
- Max Power 318200, no US price found.
- The control cable your manual names, no US price found.
Service and warranty
Max Power's website gives 3 years. Its manual gives 2, and 1 more if the warranty is registered within 3 months of installation. Outside pleasure craft it is 6 months. It transfers to the next owner, and the first year covers up to 2 hours of labor in the field.
See Max Power’s warranty Max Power's warranty conditions.Special mentions
Battery: at 12 V it wants two batteries of 1,000 CCA or more, Max Power's figure. The cheapest that meets it is the Dyno Group 8D heavy duty marine starting (flooded), $443.02. A sealed one is the Lifeline GPL-3100HC Group 31 AGM starting, $551.95. Check your own bank.
Charger: a NOCO GEN5X2 two-bank shore charger, $146.41. It is the one our estimate prices.
Max Power sells it for either end, so it can go at the bow or the stern.
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 tunnel bore below the waterline.
Short pushes only: Max Power rates the motor for 2 to 3 min at a stretch.
At 12 V it draws 680 A, so the battery cable is heavy and the battery sits close to it.
Parts for the Max Power CT100
See the Max Power CT100 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 Max Power’s CT100 and CT125 installation manual, July 2024, read 25 October 2026.
- In the box
- The manual: "The thruster is delivered without accessories (fuse, fuse holder, control panel)." The motor comes with its relay and the electronic controller, and the leg with its screws, gasket and propellers.
- Bought separately
- 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 and the tunnel.
- Charging
- 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.
The manual’s words, page 3: “The batteries used by the thruster must be charged by both the main engine's alternator and an appropriate battery charger.”
The “other parts” line in the estimate above covers these parts as a range, $541 to $1,369 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.
Tunnel tube
Fisheries Supply lists it as “Sleipner fiberglass tunnel tube, 185 mm bore, 750 mm”.
Sold in lengths from about 30 to 60 in. This is the shortest: the yard cuts the tube to the width of your hull at the thruster. No Max Power tube is listed at this bore. This one is another maker's.
Control panel
Ask for Max Power 318200.
Not sold at Fisheries Supply. Ask a Max Power dealer.
Control cable, panel to thruster
Ask for The control cable your manual names.
Not sold at Fisheries Supply. Ask the panel dealer.
Main fuse
Fisheries Supply lists it as “ANL fuse 400 A”.
The maker's figure: 315 A ceramic or 400 A ANL.
Fuse holder
Fisheries Supply lists it as “ANL fuse block, 35 to 750 A, cable up to 4/0, with cover”.
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.
Control-circuit fuse holder
Fisheries Supply lists it as “Waterproof in-line ATO/ATC fuse holder”.
The maker asks for an 8 A fuse on the control supply.
Batteries
Fisheries Supply lists it as “Dyno Group 8D heavy duty marine starting (flooded)”.
You need 2, each at 1,000 CCA or more, in parallel. The cheapest listing that meets it.
Battery cable, red and black
Defender lists it as “Ancor tinned battery cable 4/0 AWG, cut to length, red or black”.
This is the short run. A longer run takes heavier cable: the wiring calculator sizes yours. You need 5 ft of each color. For about 10 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, 4/0 AWG, bag of 10”.
This is the short run. A longer run takes heavier cable: the wiring calculator sizes yours. The listing runs $47.52 to $49.44 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.
Outside the hull replacement parts in the water
Propeller
The propeller on the drive. Max Power calls it “Propeller”.
Max Power prints two 185 mm propellers: 35040 and 636576 (Nut Version). Check which one your drive leg takes before ordering. The CT100 and CT125 manual for serials 42250 to 83327 prints 35040.
Propeller (nut version)
The propeller on the drive. Max Power calls it “Propeller Ø185 (Nut Version)”. This one is for the serial numbers above 83338 version.
The CT100 and CT125 manual for serials above 83338 prints this nut version; the manual for serials 42250 to 83327 prints 35040. Confirm with your serial number.
Propeller pin (drives the propeller)
The pin that locks the propeller to its shaft. Max Power calls it “Propeller Pin”.
Drive leg (complete)
The leg under the motor that turns the propeller. Max Power calls it “Composite Leg”.
Drive leg gasket (seals the leg to the tunnel)
The leg under the motor that turns the propeller. Max Power calls it “Leg Gasket”.
Inside the boat replacement parts on board
Rubber coupling (flexible link between motor and drive leg)
The leg under the motor that turns the propeller. Max Power calls it “Rubber Coupling”.
Motor brush
Carbon brushes inside the motor. They wear down with use. Max Power calls it “Motor Brushes”.
Max Power lists the brush singly; the motor takes 8.
Relay (the motor switch)
A small switch in the motor’s control circuit. Max Power calls it “Relay 12V”.
Relay assembly (complete)
A small switch in the motor’s control circuit. Max Power calls it “Complete Thruster Relay 12V”.
Controller (control box)
The electronics that run the motor when you press the panel. Max Power calls it “Electronic Controller”.
Main fuse (315 A)
The main fuse at the battery, in the rating the maker gives. Max Power calls it “Fuse CT100 12V 315A”.
The holder is 35018 (T2).
Main fuse holder
The main fuse at the battery, in the rating the maker gives. Max Power calls it “Fuse Holder T2”.
Control panel, on/off dual joystick (bow and stern)
The control at the helm. Max Power calls it “Dual joystick, black (318205 gray)”.
The gray one is 318205.
Control panel, on/off single joystick
The control at the helm. Max Power calls it “Single joystick, black (318203 gray)”.
The gray one is 318203.
Control panel, on/off touch panel
The control at the helm. Max Power calls it “Touch panel, two buttons, black (318201 gray)”.
The gray one is 318201.
Motor heat sensor
The electric motor that turns the propeller. Max Power calls it “Heat sensor”.
Replacement motor
The electric motor that turns the propeller. Max Power calls it “Electric Truster Motor 12V”.
No part matches. Try the number without spaces, or the part’s name.
The install parts are matched to Max Power’s own figures and priced at Fisheries Supply, with the battery cable at Defender, cut to length.
Spare part numbers come from Max Power’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 Max Power CT80 (24 V) 196 lb · $1,780
- Size up Max Power CT125 (24 V) 254 lb · $2,947
- Other maker VETUS Bow 95 two sizes, 210 to 231 lb · $3,511
- Other maker Quick BTQ 185 DP six sizes, 143 to 231 lb · $4,201 to $8,752
- Other maker Sleipner E100/185T 220 lb · $6,885
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 | 231 lb (105 kgf) As printed: 105(kg) / 231(lbs) |
| Motor | 7.1 kW |
| Voltage | 12 V |
| Run limit | 2 to 3 min at a stretch, depending on the air temperature. The motor's S2 rating is 3 min |
| Installation | |
| Type | Tunnel, fixed mount |
| End of the boat | Bow or stern |
| Tunnel diameter | 185 mm |
| What it does to the hull | Tunnel bore below the waterline |
| Haul-out to install it | Yes |
| Maker’s boat length | 32 to 51 ft |
| Price and ordering | |
| Price | $2,824 equipment only, a dealer's price, marinedeal.com, 26 October 2026 |
| Part number | 42534Duo propeller, composite drive leg, 12 V |
| Documents | |
| Manual | Installation manual (PDF)on the maker's site |
| The site’s review | Max Power thruster review |
Every published figure the site holds for the Max Power CT100, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 V | 680 Ameasured draw | 4/0 AWG for up to 16 ft of cable counted out and back. Longer runs take heavier cableCT100/CT125 installation manual | 315 A ceramic or 400 A ANLCT100 / CT125 manual | 2,000 CCA minimum, as maintenance-free "starting" type batteries, with high CCA outputs; the manual's example is the Exide Maxxima 900, 800 CCA and 55 Ah, with 2000 CCA total outputMax Power installation manual CT100 / CT125, serials from 83338, July 2024 | 2 to 3 min at a stretch, depending on the air temperature. The motor's S2 rating is 3 minCT100 / CT125 manual |
The Max Power CT100’s draw, cable, fuse, battery and run limit, as the maker publishes them.
- At 12 V: size the cable for your run, or check the battery you have.
The tunnel: length and depth rules
Depth below the waterline. The minimum acceptable position is 139 mm below the waterline. Ideally the top of the installed tunnel sits 185 mm below it. Shallower than the ideal, the manual says, performance falls off progressively. CT100 and CT125 installation manual (July 2024).
Our notes from the manual and listings
In the box: Delivered without accessories: the fuse, holder and control panel are bought.
Our note
The unit Beneteau and Jeanneau installed at the factory through the 2010s, twin props in a 185 mm tunnel. Max Power's selection chart puts it on 31 to 40 ft boats with heavy displacement and high windage, and out to 50 ft on light ones. The July 2024 manual rates the motor at two to three minutes' running, depending on the air temperature.
It measures 680 A at 11 V against its own fuse-table maximum of 550 A. It wants the tunnel at least 139 mm below the waterline, and names an example starting battery of 55 Ah and 800 cold cranking amps. The manual's warranty is two years, three if registered within three months of purchase. The website says three. Hauling the boat is excluded either way.
Standard on/off units are made for lead-acid, AGM or gel batteries. Max Power's FAQ says lithium will damage them unless specified correctly. Max Power publishes no price and sells through dealers. The figure here is one US dealer's listing for the unit alone. The same dealer's package with a control panel and 25 m of control cable costs more.
Where each point above comes from
- Max Power sells it for either end, so it can go at the bow or the stern.The maker's listing
- The boat comes out of the water to install it: it needs a tunnel bore below the waterline.The mounting: a bore through the hull, or a housing recessed into it
Not sure this is the one? The thruster finder asks about your boat and prices every unit that fits.