We may earn a referral commission from some links on this page. It doesn't change your price or our recommendations.
Sleipner · tunnel thruster · bow or stern
Sleipner E130/250T: specs, price and the boats it fits
It gives 287 lb (130 kgf) of push. Sleipner sells it for boats of 42 to 63 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 287 lb 130 kgf, Sleipner's rating. The listing prints 284 lb
- Boat length 42 to 63 ft Sleipner's own range
- Price per lb of thrust $26.66 Unit only. $53 to $91 installed
- Voltage 24 V or 48 V As sold
- Battery at 24 V 513 CCA Two batteries, near the thruster
- Run limit Continuous at 22 C ambient, typically limited by battery capacity The maker's own limit
- To install it Haul-out The boat comes out of the water
- Anodes $33.75 A change, at Defender
About the Sleipner E130/250T
The E130 is the eVision unit for a 250 mm tube, aimed at boats of about 42 to 63 ft. Twin propellers give 287 lb of push, steady from a full battery to a tired one, with variable speed as standard. It takes 24 V or 48 V.
Defender’s price is $7,650, against $7,290 for the brushed, variable-speed SEP130 and $5,670 for the on/off SE130. Add about $643 to $1,646 for the tube, a joystick panel, a main switch and a fuse. The batteries, cable and charging come to about $754 to $1,491, with two batteries on 24 V or four on 48 V. The parts list.
Read more
Sleipner links the E130 as the successor to the discontinued SEP130 24 V and SE130-IP, so this is where the range is heading. Its motor runs at full thrust continuously in 22 C air, limited by battery capacity, and has no carbon brushes to wear. Sleipner’s warranty is two years for leisure boats and passes to the next owner.
Installers will find the wiring figures and dimensions further down. For the rest of Sleipner’s line, read the Sleipner (Side-Power) review.
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 (5 sources, read 12 October 2026)
- Sleipner product page
- Sleipner product page
- Sleipner E120 to E170 eVision installation manual, document 6825 rev 21
- 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 E130/250T steer your boat?
67 FT TRAWLER · BOW · 15 KT WIND
Every knot figure here is wind speed, not boat speed or current.
On a 67 ft trawler the Sleipner E130/250T (287 lb) steers her in a 15 knot breeze. Her bow needs about 300 lb from a tunnel to steer her in a 15 knot breeze. Its 287 lb lands within 15 percent of that figure, which this site counts as enough.
The finder lists it for her.
The Sleipner E130/250T on a trawler, by length
- 25 ft39 kt
- 30 ft33 kt
- 35 ft28 kt
- 40 ft25 kt
- 45 ft22 kt
- 50 ft20 kt
- 55 ft18 kt
- 60 ft16 kt
- 65 ft15 kt
- 70 ft14 kt
- 75 ft13 kt
- 80 ft12 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 | 48 to 68 ft | 69 ft onlyfull thrust to about 14 knots at 69 ft |
| Houseboat | 38 to 50 ft | 51 to 57 ftfull thrust to about 13 knots at 57 ft |
| Catamaran | 54 to 69 ft | None |
| Trawler | 47 to 67 ft | 68 to 69 ftfull thrust to about 14 knots at 69 ft |
| Motor yacht | 47 to 67 ft | 68 to 69 ftfull thrust to about 14 knots at 69 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 | 60 to 65 ft | None |
| Center console | No length. More thrust than the boat needs. | |
The Sleipner E130/250T 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 50 ft, and a catamaran to 69 ft. The maker gives one range for every boat.
The table tries the Sleipner E130/250T 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 38 ft and up to 69 ft, just past Sleipner’s own range (42 to 63 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 |
|---|---|
| 38 ft | $14,847 to $20,177$52 to $70 a lb of thrust |
| 55 ft | $15,247 to $26,037$53 to $91 a lb of thrust |
| 69 ft | $15,477 to $26,717$54 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 $680 to $3,330 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 ft | $7,650 | $5,120 to $7,56032 to 42 hours | $680 to $1,830 | $754 to $1,491 | $643 to $1,646 |
| 55 ft | $7,650 | $5,120 to $12,60032 to 70 hours | $1,080 to $2,650 | $754 to $1,491 | $643 to $1,646 |
| 69 ft | $7,650 | $5,120 to $12,60032 to 70 hours | $1,310 to $3,330 | $754 to $1,491 | $643 to $1,646 |
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 513 CCA each (Sleipner’s minimum), $513 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 304 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
$26.66 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
$33.75 a change- Anode (250 and 300 mm gear leg) (SM201180A): $33.75 at Defender, $42.19 at Fisheries Supply.
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 513 CCA or more, Sleipner'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.
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 E130/250T
See the Sleipner E130/250T 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 E120 to E170 eVision installation guide, document 6825 rev 21, 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, $643 to $1,646 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 (250 and 300 mm gear leg)
The metal that wears away in the water so the drive does not. Sleipner calls it “Anode kit, aluminium aloy (Al-Zn-In)”.
Propeller, right hand (250 mm)
The propeller on the drive. Sleipner calls it “Propeller, Q-Prop™ Ø250mm RH”.
Gear leg gasket
The leg under the motor that turns the propeller. Sleipner calls it “Gasket for gearleg/tunnel SE130/170/210”.
Sleipner lists it on the gear leg parts page for these models.
Gear leg, with propellers
The leg under the motor that turns the propeller. Sleipner calls it “Gearleg SE130”.
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 “E130 Motor 24V”. This one is for the 24 V version.
Replacement motor
The electric motor that turns the propeller. Sleipner calls it “E130 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 E120/215T 265 lb · $7,335
- Size up Sleipner E150/215T 331 lb · $7,875
- Other maker VETUS BOW PRO Boosted 130 287 lb · $6,369
- Other maker Lewmar 250TT GEN 2 308 lb · $4,949
- Other maker Max Power CT125 (24 V) 254 lb · $2,947
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 | 287 lb (130 kgf) As printed: 130 kg / 284 lbs |
| Motor | 5.1 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 | 250 mm |
| What it does to the hull | Tunnel bore below the waterline |
| Haul-out to install it | Yes |
| Maker’s boat length | 42 to 63 ft |
| Price and ordering | |
| Price | $7,650 equipment only, a dealer's price, defender.com, 26 October 2026 |
| Part number | 99968224 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 E130/250T, 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 | 270 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 | 270 CCA DIN minimumSleipner installation guide, E120 to E170 eVision, document 6825 rev 21 (2025) | Not published |
| 48 V | 160 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 | 160 CCA DIN minimumSleipner installation guide, E120 to E170 eVision, document 6825 rev 21 (2025) | continuous at 22 C ambient, typically limited by battery capacityproduct page, "Motor cycle duty" |
The Sleipner E130/250T’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 250 mm tunnel with a 5.1 kW motor, sold at 24 or 48 V, for boats of 42 to 63 ft.
The maker's page names it as the replacement for the discontinued SE130-IP. At 48 V the same motor draws 160 A, with an ANL 125 fuse and a minimum battery of 160 cold cranking amps DIN. Sleipner's FAQ wants the tunnel at least three quarters of its diameter below the surface, never less than half.
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.