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Sleipner · tunnel thruster · bow or stern
Sleipner E100/185T: specs, price and the boats it fits
It gives 220 lb (100 kgf) of push. Sleipner sells it for boats of 44 to 64 ft. It runs on 24 V or 48 V.
- Haul-out to install
- DIY 2 of 5: wiring prep only
- 2-year warranty
Quick stats
- Thrust 220 lb 100 kgf, Sleipner's rating
- Boat length 44 to 64 ft Sleipner's own range
- Price per lb of thrust $31.30 Unit only. $66 to $114 installed
- Voltage 24 V or 48 V As sold
- Battery at 24 V 551 CCA Two batteries, near the thruster
- Run limit Continuous at 22 C ambient, typically limited by battery capacity The maker's own limit
- Weight 55 lb 25 kg, Sleipner's page
- Anodes $28.80 A change, at Defender
About the Sleipner E100/185T
The E100 is Sleipner’s smallest eVision thruster, a new brushless motor in the same 185 mm tube as the SE100, for boats of about 44 to 64 ft. It gives 220 lb of push with speed control built in, and Sleipner rates it to run at full thrust continuously, limited by the batteries rather than heat. It comes in 24 V or 48 V.
Defender sells it for $6,885, a little under the brushed, variable-speed SEP100 ($6,975) and well above the on/off SE100 ($4,455). Its tube, a joystick panel, a main switch and a fuse come to about $541 to $1,369. It runs on two batteries in series at 24 V or four at 48 V; we put the bank, cable and charging at $961 to $1,491. Every part, listed.
Read more
There are no carbon brushes to wear out, a regular job on brushed thrusters, and Sleipner says the motor is up to half the weight of the older generation. Its push holds steady as the battery voltage sags under load. Already have an older Sleipner? Sleipner says many can take the eVision motor directly or with an adapter plate. Two-year transferable warranty for leisure boats.
Installing it yourself? The installer section has every spec, and the Sleipner (Side-Power) review sets this model against the rest of the Sleipner range.
Sleipner sold its thrusters under the Side-Power name until 2021, and many dealers and owners still call them that. It is the same company and the same thrusters.
Where this summary comes from (6 sources, read 12 October 2026)
- Sleipner product page
- Sleipner product page
- Sleipner E100 eVision installation manual, document 7314 rev 12 (runtime at 100% thrust continuous at 22 C, typically limited by battery capacity)
- Sleipner eVision (6-phase PMSM motor, up to 50 percent lighter, integrated inverter for variable speed, existing Sleipner models upgraded directly or with an adapter plate, the Q-PROP propeller)
- Imtra, "Sleipner’s eVision Thrusters: Setting the Standard in Performance & Efficiency" (brushless, no carbon brushes; run time limited by the batteries; less heat; proportional as standard)
- Sleipner warranty statement, effective 1 April 2022
Will the Sleipner E100/185T steer your boat?
59 FT TRAWLER · BOW · 15 KT WIND
Every knot figure here is wind speed, not boat speed or current.
On a 59 ft trawler the Sleipner E100/185T (220 lb) steers her in a 15 knot breeze. Her bow needs about 233 lb from a tunnel to steer her in a 15 knot breeze. Its 220 lb lands within 15 percent of that figure, which this site counts as enough.
The finder lists it for her.
The Sleipner E100/185T on a trawler, by length
- 25 ft34 kt
- 30 ft29 kt
- 35 ft24 kt
- 40 ft22 kt
- 45 ft19 kt
- 50 ft17 kt
- 55 ft16 kt
- 60 ft14 kt
- 65 ft13 kt
- 70 ft12 kt
- 75 ft11 kt
- 80 ft11 kt
Outlined: the finder does not list it at that length (under 13 kt, far more than she needs, or outside Sleipner’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 60 ft | 61 to 68 ftfull thrust to about 13 knots at 68 ft |
| Houseboat | 40 to 44 ft | 45 to 50 ftfull thrust to about 13 knots at 50 ft |
| Catamaran | 47 to 68 ft | 69 to 70 ftfull thrust to about 14 knots at 70 ft |
| Trawler | 41 to 59 ft | 60 to 67 ftfull thrust to about 13 knots at 67 ft |
| Motor yacht | 41 to 59 ft | 60 to 67 ftfull thrust to about 13 knots at 67 ft |
| 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 65 ft | None |
| Center console | No length. More thrust than the boat needs. | |
The Sleipner E100/185T 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 44 ft, and a catamaran to 68 ft. The maker gives one range for every boat.
The table tries the Sleipner E100/185T 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 down to 40 ft and up to 70 ft, just past Sleipner’s own range (44 to 64 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 |
|---|---|
| 40 ft | $14,217 to $20,315$65 to $92 a lb of thrust |
| 55 ft | $14,587 to $24,995$66 to $114 a lb of thrust |
| 70 ft | $14,837 to $25,725$67 to $117 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 $710 to $3,380 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 ft | $6,885 | $5,120 to $8,64032 to 48 hours | $710 to $1,930 | $961 to $1,491 | $541 to $1,369 |
| 55 ft | $6,885 | $5,120 to $12,60032 to 70 hours | $1,080 to $2,650 | $961 to $1,491 | $541 to $1,369 |
| 70 ft | $6,885 | $5,120 to $12,60032 to 70 hours | $1,330 to $3,380 | $961 to $1,491 | $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 24 V: two 12 V batteries in series, at least 551 CCA each (Sleipner’s minimum), $720 for both; Sleipner’s cable table gives 1/0 AWG: $95 to $171 for the red and black cable and the lugs; a GEN5X2 charger, $146.
- At 48 V: four 12 V batteries in series, at least 251 CCA each (Sleipner’s minimum), $1,027 for all four; Sleipner’s cable table gives 1/0 AWG: $95 to $171 for the red and black cable and the lugs; two GEN5X2 chargers, $293.
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
Two from Sleipner’s own channel and one from other channels. Each one is labeled. They play from YouTube only when you tap. Take any claim in a video back to the figures on this page, which are the ones we checked.
Know before you buy
What sets this model apart, what it costs to keep, and what to weigh.
Price per pound of thrust
$31.30 a lb The unit’s price over its published thrust. The bars are Sleipner’s next sizes and the nearest other makers.Controls
A brushless eVision motor on S-Link control. The panel, fuse and main switch are bought.
Anodes
$28.80 a change- Anode (SM71190A): $14.40 at Defender, $18.01 at Fisheries Supply, and it takes two.
They sit below the waterline, so a change means a haul-out or a diver.
Service and warranty
Sleipner gives 2 years for leisure use and 1 for commercial use. It transfers to the next owner, and it starts no later than 18 months after the boat's first launch.
See Sleipner’s warranty Sleipner's warranty statement, effective 1 April 2022.Special mentions
Battery: at 24 V it wants two batteries of 551 CCA or more, Sleipner'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.
Sleipner 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.
Parts for the Sleipner E100/185T
See the Sleipner E100/185T manualThe US dealer number comes first, then Sleipner’s own. 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 product page. It has the hull, wiring and fuse figures for this model.
From Sleipner’s E100 eVision installation guide, document 7314 rev 12, 2025, read 25 October 2026.
- In the box
- The guide prints no box list. It has you install the unit with the gasket and the bolts provided.
- Bought separately
- The ANL fuse and a main switch ("must include"), an S-Link control panel with its own guide, the S-Link cables, the tunnel and the battery cable. Imtra, Sleipner's US distributor, lists the same items to buy with a new thruster.
- Charging
- 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.
In Sleipner’s words, from its SE80 to SE150 installation guide, document 2687 rev 30, page 19: “For installations on large vessels with bow and stern thrusters or catamarans a dedicated battery for each thruster should be considered.”
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.
Outside the hull replacement parts in the water
Anode (takes two)
The metal that wears away in the water so the drive does not. Sleipner calls it “Anode, aluminium SE60/80/100”.
Propeller (185 mm)
The propeller on the drive. Sleipner calls it “Propeller SE80/100 5bl Q-Prop™”.
Drive pin (the pin that drives the propeller)
The pin that locks the propeller to its shaft. Sleipner calls it “Drive pin propeller SE60/80/100 (4/6/7HP)”.
Gear leg gasket
The leg under the motor that turns the propeller. Sleipner calls it “Gasket kit for gearleg/tunnel”.
Gear leg, complete
The leg under the motor that turns the propeller. Sleipner calls it “Gearleg SE80/100”.
Sleipner describes it as the complete gearbox.
Inside the boat replacement parts on board
Main fuse
The main fuse at the battery, in the rating the maker gives. Sleipner calls it “Recommended fuse A”. This one is for the 24 V version.
The rating on Sleipner's product page for this model.
Main fuse
The main fuse at the battery, in the rating the maker gives. Sleipner calls it “Recommended fuse A”. This one is for the 48 V version.
The rating on Sleipner's product page for this model.
Replacement motor
The electric motor that turns the propeller. Sleipner calls it “E100 Motor 24V”. This one is for the 24 V version.
Replacement motor
The electric motor that turns the propeller. Sleipner calls it “E100 Motor 48V”. This one is for the 48 V version.
No part matches. Try the number without spaces, or the part’s name.
Spare part numbers come from Sleipner’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 Sleipner SE80/185T 212 lb · $3,285
- Size up Sleipner E120/215T 265 lb · $7,335
- Other maker Lewmar 185TT GEN 2 five sizes, 128 to 214 lb · $1,912 to $4,825
- Other maker Max Power CT100-IP 212 lb · $4,237
- Other maker Quick BTQ 185 six sizes, 121 to 209 lb · $3,476 to $7,511
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 | 220 lb (100 kgf) As printed: 100 kg / 220 lbs |
| Motor | 5.6 kW |
| Voltage | 24 V or 48 V |
| Run limit | continuous at 22 C ambient, typically limited by battery capacity |
| 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 |
| Weight | 25 kg (55 lb)Sleipner’s product page |
| Maker’s boat length | 44 to 64 ft |
| Price and ordering | |
| Price | $6,885 equipment only, a dealer's price, defender.com, 26 October 2026 |
| Part number | 99967624 V/48 V |
| Documents | |
| Manual | Installation manualon the maker's product page |
| The site’s review | Sleipner (Side-Power) review |
Every published figure the site holds for the Sleipner E100/185T, 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 | 290 Anominal draw | 1/0 AWG for up to 22 ft of cable counted out and back. Longer runs take heavier cableinstallation guide | ANL 250installation guide | 290 CCA DIN minimumSleipner installation guide, E100 eVision, document 7314 rev 12 (2025) | continuous at 22 C ambient, typically limited by battery capacityproduct page, "Motor cycle duty" |
| 48 V | 132 Anominal draw | 1/0 AWG for up to 22 ft of cable counted out and back. Longer runs take heavier cableinstallation guide | ANL 125installation guide | 132 CCA DIN minimumSleipner installation guide, E100 eVision, document 7314 rev 12 (2025) | Not published |
The Sleipner E100/185T’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.
- At 48 V: size the cable for your run, or check the battery you have.
The tunnel: length and depth rules
Tunnel length. Avoid a tunnel longer than four times its diameter. Friction inside a long tube slows the water and cuts thrust. Too short, and the flow reaches the propeller before it has straightened, which the manual says causes cavitation and noise. The propeller must sit entirely inside the tube. Sleipner’s installation manual.
Depth below the waterline. As deep as possible under the waterline, and as far forward as possible. The depth for a given model is in that model’s own measurements. Deeper prevents air being sucked in from the surface and raises the water pressure at the propeller. SE20 to SE40 installation guide, 5611 rev 25 (2025).
Our notes from the manual and listings
In the box: A brushless eVision motor on S-Link control. The panel, fuse and main switch are bought.
Our note
The brushless eVision motor comes from the series launched in 2022. The page rates it continuous at 22 C, limited only by the battery. The motor holds one thrust figure across the voltage range. The brushed series print a lower figure at the voltage a battery sags to. A 185 mm tunnel, 25 kg, sold at 24 or 48 V.
The 24 V page gives 290 A, an ANL 250 fuse and a minimum battery of 290 cold cranking amps DIN. Sleipner's FAQ wants the tunnel at least three quarters of its diameter below the surface, never less than half. Defender's price sits below Imtra's list. Since the 2025 tariffs, that list carries a separate tariff line.
Where each point above comes from
- Sleipner sells it for either end, so it can go at the bow or the stern.The maker's listing
- It is sold at 24 V and at 48 V.The maker's and dealers' listings
- 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.