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Max Power · external thruster · stern
Max Power CT80 stern pod (24 V): specs, price and boat fit
It gives 165 lb (75 kgf) of push. Max Power sells it for boats of 28 to 46 ft. It runs on 24 V.
- Haul-out to install
- DIY 3 of 5: split with the yard
- 3-year warranty
Quick stats
- Thrust 165 lb 75 kgf, Max Power's rating
- Boat length 28 to 46 ft Max Power's own range
- Price per lb of thrust $22.33 Unit only. $43 to $67 installed
- Voltage 24 V As sold
- Battery at 24 V 800 CCA Two batteries, near the thruster
- Run limit 3 min At a stretch, the motor's S2 rating
- To install it Haul-out The boat comes out of the water
- Mounts External Fixed mount, stern
About the Max Power CT80 stern pod (24 V)
This is the 24 V CT80 stern pod: 165 lb of push from a pod bolted to the outside of the transom, for boats of about 28 to 46 ft with a 24 V system. It avoids cutting a tunnel through the stern, though the boat still comes out of the water to install it.
Marinedeal sells it for $3,684, and the 12 V pod is $4,299. On top come a panel, a main switch, a fuse and holder, about $307 to $642, and two batteries in series near the stern with cable and charging, about $946 to $1,037. See every part.
Read more
At 24 V it draws about half the current of the 12 V pod, so the cable can be lighter for the same run. Set it one tunnel width below the waterline and clear of trim tabs. The pod manual rates it for 3 minutes at a time. Max Power’s pod warranty runs three years.
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 (5 sources, read 12 October 2026)
- Max Power product page
- US dealer listing (price read 12 Oct 2026)
- Max Power stern pod installation manual, January 2010 (transom mounting, A4 stainless screws, no fuse or panel included)
- 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 CT80 stern pod (24 V) steer your boat?
50 FT TRAWLER · STERN · 15 KT WIND
Every knot figure here is wind speed, not boat speed or current.
On a 50 ft trawler the Max Power CT80 stern pod (24 V) (165 lb) steers her in an 18 knot breeze. Her stern needs about 118 lb from an external unit on the transom to steer her in a 15 knot breeze.
The finder lists it for her.
The Max Power CT80 stern pod (24 V) on a trawler, by length
- 25 ft36 kt
- 30 ft30 kt
- 35 ft26 kt
- 40 ft23 kt
- 45 ft20 kt
- 50 ft18 kt
- 55 ft17 kt
- 60 ft15 kt
- 65 ft14 kt
- 70 ft13 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. Its maker does not name this kind of hull. | |
| Sailboat | 43 to 50 ft | None |
| Houseboat | Not listed. Its maker does not name this kind of hull. | |
| Catamaran | Not listed. An external unit bolts to the side of a single hull at the bow or to its transom, and a cat has two narrow hulls with a bridgedeck between them, so there is nowhere forward to hang one. | |
| Trawler | 43 to 50 ft | None |
| Motor yacht | 43 to 50 ft | None |
| Bass & flats | No length. More thrust than the boat needs. | |
| Wake & ski boats | No length. More thrust than the boat needs. | |
| Express cruiser | No length. More thrust than the boat needs. | |
| Center console | No length. More thrust than the boat needs. | |
The Max Power CT80 stern pod (24 V) 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 every kind of boat it fits gets full thrust to 50 ft. The maker gives one range for every boat.
The table tries the Max Power CT80 stern pod (24 V) 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 where it mounts 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 50 ft, just past Max Power’s own range (28 to 46 ft).
It is sized for three 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 |
|---|---|
| 43 ft | $6,987 to $11,033$42 to $67 a lb of thrust |
| 45 ft | $7,017 to $11,133$43 to $67 a lb of thrust |
| 50 ft | $7,207 to $11,373$44 to $69 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 $770 to $2,410 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 ft | $3,684 | $1,280 to $3,6008 to 20 hours | $770 to $2,070 | $946 to $1,037 | $307 to $642 |
| 45 ft | $3,684 | $1,280 to $3,6008 to 20 hours | $800 to $2,170 | $946 to $1,037 | $307 to $642 |
| 50 ft | $3,684 | $1,280 to $3,6008 to 20 hours | $990 to $2,410 | $946 to $1,037 | $307 to $642 |
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 800 CCA each (Max Power’s minimum), $720 for both; Max Power’s cable table gives 1 to 1/0 AWG: $80 to $171 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: 4 to 8 hours Electrician: 2 to 4 hours Plus a haul-out.
Your part needs:Heavy battery cableCrimping big lugs
Every step, and who does it
- Drill, seal and bolt the unit below the waterline Yard 4 to 8 hours Our estimate. No maker times it; one owner paid his yard about a day of labor to mount two units. Source.
- 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
$22.33 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 control panel (joystick or red/green push-button type), 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 24 V it wants two batteries of 800 CCA or more, Max Power's figure. The cheapest that meets it is the Optima BlueTop SC27DM Group 27 AGM, $359.99. 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 an external pod below the waterline (no tunnel bore).
Short pushes only: Max Power rates the motor for 3 min at a stretch.
Parts for the Max Power CT80 stern pod (24 V)
See the Max Power CT80 stern pod (24 V) 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 Stern Pod installation manual, read 16 October 2026.
- In the box
- The pod alone. The manual says it is delivered without the fuse, the fuse holder or a control panel.
- Bought separately
- The fuse and its holder, the control panel, the battery isolators, the 8 A control fuse and its breaker, the battery cable, the batteries, the screws and the sealant.
- 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.
In Max Power’s words, from its CT100 and CT125 installation manual, 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, $307 to $642 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 Max Power control panel (joystick or red/green push-button type).
No part number is printed for it. A Max Power dealer can give you the one that suits this model.
Control cable, panel to thruster
Ask for The control cable your manual names.
Not sold at Fisheries Supply. Ask the panel dealer.
Main fuse
Ask for 125 A.
Max Power's figure for the CT80 at 24 V stern pod (stern pod manual, January 2010). The table prints no fuse type: ask a Max Power dealer which fuse and holder to fit. The pod ships without fuse, fuse holder or control panel.
Fuse holder
Ask for The holder for the fuse type your manual names.
Match it to the fuse.
Battery switch
Fisheries Supply lists it as “m-Series 300 A battery switch, on/off”.
Rated at or above the 125 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 “Optima BlueTop SC27DM Group 27 AGM”.
You need 2, each at 800 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”.
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, 1 AWG, bag of 10”.
This is the short run. A longer run takes heavier cable: the wiring calculator sizes yours. 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.
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.
Other sizes and close alternatives
- Size down Max Power CT80 stern pod (12 V) 152 lb · $4,299
- Size up Max Power CT100 stern pod 212 lb · $5,088
- Other maker Sleipner EX95S 148 lb · $9,450
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 | 165 lb (75 kgf) As printed: 75(kg) |
| Motor | 5.3 kW |
| Voltage | 24 V |
| Run limit | 3 min at a stretch, the motor's S2 rating |
| Installation | |
| Type | External, fixed mount |
| End of the boat | Stern |
| What it does to the hull | External pod below the waterline (no tunnel bore) |
| Haul-out to install it | Yes |
| Maker’s boat length | 28 to 46 ft |
| Price and ordering | |
| Price | $3,684 equipment only, a dealer's price, marinedeal.com, 26 October 2026 |
| Part number | 317629Stern pod, double propeller, composite, 24 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 CT80 stern pod (24 V), 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 | 240 Anominal draw | 1 AWG for up to 16 ft of cable counted out and back. Longer runs take heavier cablestern pod installation manual | Not published | Maintenance-free "starting" type batteries, with high CCA outputs. The manual's example is the Exide Maxxima 900, 800 CCA and 55 AhMax Power stern pod installation manual, January 2010 | 3 min at a stretch, the motor's S2 ratingstern pod manual |
The Max Power CT80 stern pod (24 V)’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: Delivered without accessories: the fuse, holder and control panel are bought.
Our note
A pod bolted to the outside of the hull at the stern, so nothing is cut through the hull. The boat still comes out of the water to install it. The 24 V version is rated 75 kg where the 12 V one gets 69. The January 2010 pod manual gives it 240 A. 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.
Where each point above comes from
- The boat comes out of the water to install it: it needs an external pod below the waterline (no tunnel bore).The mounting style
Not sure this is the one? The thruster finder asks about your boat and prices every unit that fits.