Thrusterpedia

Which boat thruster, what it costs, how to get it installed

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Drawing of a retractable thruster: a door in the hull bottom, hinged at its forward edge, swung down with the thruster on it.
Our drawing of a retractable thruster, the same for every maker. It is not Sleipner’s own design.

Sleipner · retractable thruster · bow or stern

Sleipner ERV130 eVision: specs, price and the boats it fits

It gives 287 lb (130 kgf) of push. Sleipner sells it for boats of 43 to 62 ft. It runs on 24 V or 48 V.

  • Haul-out to install
  • DIY 2 of 5: wiring prep only
  • 2-year warranty

Not sold in the US right now. No US store or distributor lists the Sleipner ERV130 eVision: we checked Imtra’s US catalog (the Sleipner distributor), Defender and Fisheries Supply on 15 October 2026. Its specs and parts stay here for owners of boats built or bought abroad. For one to buy here, see the models on the Sleipner (Side-Power) review that have a US price.

Quick stats

  • Thrust 287 lb 130 kgf, Sleipner's rating
  • Boat length 43 to 62 ft Sleipner's own range
  • Price per lb of thrust Not worked out It needs a price and a thrust figure
  • Voltage 24 V or 48 V As sold
  • Battery at 24 V 570 CCA Two batteries, near the thruster
  • Run limit Not published Ask the maker before long use
  • To install it Haul-out The boat comes out of the water
  • Mounts Retractable Drops down, bow or stern

About the Sleipner ERV130 eVision

The ERV130 is a vertical eVision retractable on twin propellers in a 250 mm unit: 287 lb of push for boats of about 43 to 62 ft, at 24 or 48 V.

Sleipner and US dealers print no price, so ask a dealer. The manual gives 300 A at 24 V, where the product page says 295, and 180 A at 48 V. See the specs.

Read more

The motor has no brushes, and speed control is standard. The manual rates it for 2 to 3 minutes at full thrust at 20 C. Warranty: two years.

The full spec sheet for a yard sits lower down, and the Sleipner (Side-Power) review covers Sleipner’s whole 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 (4 sources, read 15 October 2026)

Will the Sleipner ERV130 eVision steer your boat?

67 FT TRAWLER · BOW · 15 KT WIND

Size forThis page always opens on Steering.

Every knot figure here is wind speed, not boat speed or current.

Steers her at 15 kt

On a 67 ft trawler the Sleipner ERV130 eVision (287 lb) steers her in a 15 knot breeze. Her bow needs about 300 lb from a retractable 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 leaves it off her list. We found no US store that sells it, and the finder lists only units you can buy here.

23.4 FT LEVER ERV130 eVision pivot

A retractable at the bow of a 67 ft trawler 300 lb ★ this unit · 1 to 3: the three cheapest others that steer her at 13 kt or more, installed

  1. ★ Sleipner ERV130 eVision this unit 287 lb · retractable no US price Steers her at 15 kt
  2. 1 Sleipner SRV130 353 lb · retractable from $31,432 Steers her at 16 kt
  3. 2 Sleipner ERV170 eVision 375 lb · retractable from $35,451 Steers her at 17 kt
  4. 3 Quick BTR 250-140 309 lb · retractable from $35,576 Steers her at 15 kt

The Sleipner ERV130 eVision on a trawler, by length

  1. 25 ft39 kt
  2. 30 ft33 kt
  3. 35 ft28 kt
  4. 40 ft25 kt
  5. 45 ft22 kt
  6. 50 ft20 kt
  7. 55 ft18 kt
  8. 60 ft16 kt
  9. 65 ft15 kt
  10. 70 ft14 kt
  11. 75 ft13 kt
  12. 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?

What Sleipner says 43 to 62 ft The maker's own range, from its listing
What our sizing says 50 to 68 ft Full thrust in 15 knots, across the kinds of boat it fits
Every kind of boat it fits, by length ten boat types
Which boats it fits, by length
Boat Full thrust at 15 knotsStill a fit, in lighter wind
Pontoon & tritoon Not listed. A retractable drops down inside the hull, and a pontoon has no hull depth to drop into.
Sailboat 48 to 68 ft None
Houseboat 39 to 50 ft 51 to 57 ftfull thrust to about 13 knots at 57 ft
Catamaran 54 to 68 ft None
Trawler 47 to 67 ft 68 ft onlyfull thrust to about 14 knots at 68 ft
Motor yacht 47 to 67 ft 68 ft onlyfull thrust to about 14 knots at 68 ft
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 60 to 65 ft None
Center console No length. More thrust than the boat needs.

The Sleipner ERV130 eVision 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 sailboat to 68 ft. The maker gives one range for every boat.

The table tries the Sleipner ERV130 eVision 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 39 ft and up to 68 ft, just past Sleipner’s own range (43 to 62 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

No US dollar price is published for the Sleipner ERV130 eVision, so we build no total for it. The yard’s share of the job is on the cost page.

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 2 of 5: Wiring prep only. The yard installs the unit and does the hull work; you do the wiring prep.

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 DIY

You: 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 three steps
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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 of Sleipner’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.

Solo Sailing Made Easy: X-Yachts Reviews Sleipner's ERV100 Retract Thrusters on the XC-47Maker Sleipner’s own channel
Sleipner Retract Installation guide for the SRV and SRL models (2019).Maker Sleipner’s own channel

Know before you buy

What sets this model apart, what it costs to keep, and what to weigh.

Price per pound of thrust

There is no US price to divide by its thrust.

Controls

A brushless eVision motor on S-Link control. The panel, fuse and main switch are bought.

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 570 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 large hull opening below the waterline.

No US dollar price is published for it, so we can work out no installed cost.

Parts for the Sleipner ERV130 eVision

See the Sleipner ERV130 eVision manual

The 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 box

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 eVision retract installation manuals, documents 7444 rev 13 and 7241 rev 22, 2025 and 2026, read 16 October 2026.

In the box
The manuals print no box list. They do not say whether the SRF flange or the controller is in the box.
Bought separately
The battery, the ANL fuse, a main switch (manual or Sleipner's automatic one), the battery cable, the control panel, and the S-Link cables with their T-connectors and end terminators.
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.”

A yard job adds these parts on top of the unit: $336 to $815 for the priced ones, at Fisheries Supply’s prices on 30 September 2026 and 26 October 2026, plus the batteries, cable and charger. The cost page has what every maker says about each part.

Inside the boat replacement parts on board

4 parts

Main fuse (125 A)

The main fuse at the battery, in the rating the maker gives. Sleipner calls it “Recommended fuse A”. It fits the 48V size on this page.

The rating Sleipner prints on the own page of each model listed here; read on each page.

Part number SMANL125 Sleipner ANL125

Main fuse (250 A)

The main fuse at the battery, in the rating the maker gives. Sleipner calls it “Recommended fuse A”. It fits the 24V size on this page.

The rating Sleipner prints on the own page of each model listed here; read on each page.

Part number SMANL250 Sleipner ANL250

Replacement motor

The electric motor that turns the propeller. Sleipner calls it “E130 Motor 24V”. It fits the 24V size on this page.

Part number E130-24VSPR
See it at Sleipner No US price found

Replacement motor

The electric motor that turns the propeller. Sleipner calls it “E130 Motor 48V”. It fits the 48V size on this page.

Part number E130-48VSPR
See it at Sleipner No US price found

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

Compare them side by side

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, motor, mounting, price, part number, documents
Full spec sheet
Thrust and motor
Thrust 287 lb (130 kgf) As printed: 130 kg
Motor5.1 kW
Voltage24 V or 48 V
Run limitNot published
Installation
TypeRetractable, drops down
End of the boatBow or stern
Tunnel diameter250 mm
What it does to the hullLarge hull opening below the waterline
Haul-out to install itYes
Maker’s boat length43 to 62 ft
Price and ordering
Price No US price published
Part number ERV130/250T-24V24 V, 24 V DC (nominal 21 V DC)
ERV130/250T-48V48 V, 48 V DC (nominal 42 V DC)
Documents
Manual Installation manualon the maker's product page
The site’s reviewSleipner (Side-Power) review

Every published figure the site holds for the Sleipner ERV130 eVision, with where each came from.

Draw, cable, fuse and battery at each voltage 24 V and 48 V

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.

Draw, cable, fuse and battery
Voltage Draw Maker’s cable Fuse Battery Run limit
24 V 300 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 300 CCA DIN minimumSleipner installation guide, ERL and ERV 130 to 210 eVision, document 7241 rev 22 (2025) Not published
48 V 180 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 180 CCA DIN minimumSleipner installation guide, ERL and ERV 130 to 210 eVision, document 7241 rev 22 (2025) Not published

The Sleipner ERV130 eVision’s draw, cable, fuse, battery and run limit, as the maker publishes them.

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.

24 V

This retractable lives in a housing let into the hull through a large opening, and drops when used. It is a bigger yard job than a tunnel. It also has a mechanism to keep in order. The brushless eVision 130 kg retractable with its motor standing vertical. The product page gives 295 A; the manual gives 300 A.

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 large hull opening below the waterline.The mounting: a bore through the hull, or a housing recessed into it
  • No US dollar price is published for it, so we can work out no installed cost.The maker and the dealers the database reads

Not sure this is the one? The thruster finder asks about your boat and prices every unit that fits.

Where to go next

The specs are the maker’s and the dealers’, on the dates shown. The sizing and the costs are our arithmetic, done without seeing your boat.