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VETUS · tunnel thruster · bow
VETUS Bow 220: specs, price and the boats it fits
It gives 485 lb (220 kgf) of push. VETUS sells it for boats of 50 to 75 ft. It runs on 24 V.
- Haul-out to install
- DIY 2 of 5: wiring prep only
- 3-year warranty
Quick stats
- Thrust 485 lb 220 kgf, VETUS's rating
- Boat length 50 to 75 ft VETUS's own range
- Price per lb of thrust $13.37 Unit only. $34 to $55 installed
- Voltage 24 V As sold
- Battery at 24 V 1,267 CCA Two batteries, near the thruster
- Run limit 2.5 min At a stretch, the manual's S2 rating
- To install it Haul-out The boat comes out of the water
- Anodes $76.99 A change. More than twice another maker's
About the VETUS Bow 220
The Bow 220 is a heavy-duty 24 V push-button thruster for boats of about 50 to 75 ft. It puts out 485 lb of push through a big tube, enough for a large motor yacht or trawler to swing its bow in a crosswind while the engines drive.
The thruster sells for $6,486. The large tube, the helm panel, a main switch and a fuse add about $1,181 to $2,119. Two batteries in series sit near the bow, and our estimate for them, the cable and charging is $2,237 to $2,456. Here’s what else to buy.
Read more
Brushed motors this size work hard, and VETUS rates this one for 2.5 minutes at a time, so it suits quick, decisive taps. For long, gentle pushes, look at the brushless BOW PRO Boosted models of similar size. Yearly brush and zinc checks, done by a VETUS dealer, keep the three-year warranty valid.
Installing it yourself? The installer section has every spec, and the VETUS thruster review sets this model against the rest of the VETUS range.
Where this summary comes from (5 sources, read 12 October 2026)
Will the VETUS Bow 220 steer your boat?
80 FT TRAWLER · BOW · 15 KT WIND
Every knot figure here is wind speed, not boat speed or current.
On a 80 ft trawler the VETUS Bow 220 (485 lb) steers her in a 16 knot breeze. Her bow needs about 428 lb from a tunnel to steer her in a 15 knot breeze.
The finder lists it for her.
The VETUS Bow 220 on a trawler, by length
- 25 ft51 kt
- 30 ft43 kt
- 35 ft36 kt
- 40 ft32 kt
- 45 ft28 kt
- 50 ft26 kt
- 55 ft23 kt
- 60 ft21 kt
- 65 ft20 kt
- 70 ft18 kt
- 75 ft17 kt
- 80 ft16 kt
Outlined: the finder does not list it at that length (under 13 kt, far more than she needs, or outside VETUS’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 | 61 to 80 ft | None |
| Houseboat | 46 to 66 ft | 67 to 75 ftfull thrust to about 13 knots at 75 ft |
| Catamaran | 70 to 80 ft | None |
| Trawler | 61 to 80 ft | None |
| Motor yacht | 61 to 80 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 | No length. More thrust than the boat needs. | |
| Center console | No length. More thrust than the boat needs. | |
The VETUS Bow 220 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 66 ft, and a sailboat to 80 ft. The maker gives one range for every boat.
The table tries the VETUS Bow 220 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 46 ft and up to 80 ft, just past VETUS’s own range (50 to 75 ft).
It is sized for five 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 |
|---|---|
| 46 ft | $15,944 to $25,341$33 to $52 a lb of thrust |
| 65 ft | $16,264 to $26,801$34 to $55 a lb of thrust |
| 80 ft | $16,514 to $27,521$34 to $57 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 $920 to $3,860 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 ft | $6,486 | $5,120 to $12,06032 to 67 hours | $920 to $2,220 | $2,237 to $2,456 | $1,181 to $2,119 |
| 65 ft | $6,486 | $5,120 to $12,60032 to 70 hours | $1,240 to $3,140 | $2,237 to $2,456 | $1,181 to $2,119 |
| 80 ft | $6,486 | $5,120 to $12,60032 to 70 hours | $1,490 to $3,860 | $2,237 to $2,456 | $1,181 to $2,119 |
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 1,267 CCA each (VETUS’s minimum), $1,996 for both; VETUS’s cable table gives 1/0 to 3/0 AWG, priced on 1/0 to 4/0 AWG, the nearest size cut to length: $95 to $314 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 from VETUS’s own channel and three 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
$13.37 a lb The unit’s price over its published thrust. The bars are VETUS’s next sizes and the nearest other makers.Controls
The solenoid switches and the 5 A control fuse are on the motor. The panel, its cable, the main fuse and switch are bought.
- VETUS push-button thruster panel with time delay (BPSE2), $228.37 at Fisheries Supply.
- VETUS bow thruster control cable, 6 m (BP29), $86.58 at Fisheries Supply.
Pricey wear part: anodes
$76.99 a change- Zinc anode (SET0221): $76.99 at Defender.
A change costs $76.99. That is over twice the $33.75 for Sleipner’s anode on the same 300 mm tunnel (SM201180A, Defender). An anode is a plain block of metal that wears away by design, so you will buy it again.
They sit below the waterline, so a change means a haul-out or a diver.
Service and warranty
VETUS gives 3 years, or 1 for professional use, and it transfers to the next owner. Claims go through the dealer only. It is void unless an authorized VETUS dealer does the periodic maintenance, and transport, labor and lifting are excluded.
See VETUS’s warranty VETUS's warranty policy.Special mentions
Battery: at 24 V it wants two batteries of 1,267 CCA or more, VETUS's figure. The cheapest that meets it is the Odyssey Extreme PC1800-FT start / deep cycle, $998.12. 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 a tunnel bore below the waterline.
Short pushes only: VETUS rates the motor for 2.5 min at a stretch.
Parts for the VETUS Bow 220
See the VETUS Bow 220 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 VETUS’s BOW220D installation manual 020529.06 r5, January 2025, read 25 October 2026.
- In the box
- The manual prints no box list. It says the thruster is supplied with a zinc anode and has you drill with the template that comes with it.
- Bought separately
- The tunnel, the main switch (BATSW250 or BATSW600), the main fuse (ZE) and holder (ZEHC100), the cable, the control panel and its cable.
- Charging
- The manual wants the thruster on its own battery or batteries, close by so the power cables stay short, and sealed batteries if they share its compartment. Its wiring diagram shows an alternator and a battery separator, and it says nothing more about charging.
The manual’s words, page 22: “We also recommend that each bow thruster is powered by its own separate battery or batteries.”
The “other parts” line in the estimate above covers these parts as a range, $1,181 to $2,119 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, 300 mm bore, 1000 mm”.
Sold in lengths from about 39 to 59 in. This is the shortest: the yard cuts the tube to the width of your hull at the thruster. No VETUS tube is listed at this bore. This one is another maker's.
Control panel
Fisheries Supply lists it as “VETUS push-button thruster panel with time delay”.
Control cable, panel to thruster
Fisheries Supply lists it as “VETUS bow thruster control cable, 6 m”.
Sold in lengths from 6 to 20 m. This is the shortest: measure the run from the helm to the thruster and buy the length that reaches.
Main fuse
Ask for 500 A (VETUS ZE500).
A VETUS strip fuse in its own holder (VETUS ZEHC100). Not listed at Fisheries Supply; ask a VETUS dealer.
Fuse holder
Ask for VETUS ZEHC100 strip fuse holder.
Ask a VETUS dealer.
Battery switch
Fisheries Supply lists it as “HD-Series 600 A battery switch, on/off”.
Rated at or above the 500 A main fuse. If your manual names its own switch, use that one.
Batteries
Ask for 2 at 1,267 CCA or more, in series for 24 V.
You need 2. No listing at Fisheries Supply meets this in stock.
Battery cable, red and black
Defender lists it as “Ancor tinned battery cable 1/0 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, 1/0 AWG, bag of 10”.
This is the short run. A longer run takes heavier cable: the wiring calculator sizes yours. The listing runs $23.74 to $28.04 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
Zinc anode
The metal that wears away in the water so the drive does not. VETUS calls it “Zincanode c/w screw”.
From VETUS manual 020529.06.
Propeller
The propeller on the drive. VETUS calls it “Plastic propeller c/w mounting set”.
From VETUS manual 020529.06.
V-ring seal
It keeps water out of the joint it sits in. VETUS calls it “V-ring”.
From VETUS manual 020529.06.
Gear leg gasket, 1 mm
The leg under the motor that turns the propeller. VETUS calls it “Gasket 1 mm”.
From VETUS manual 020529.06.
Gear leg gasket, 2 mm
The leg under the motor that turns the propeller. VETUS calls it “Gasket 2 mm”.
From VETUS manual 020529.06.
Tailpiece (gear leg), complete
The leg under the motor that turns the propeller. VETUS calls it “Tailpiece compl.”.
From VETUS manual 020529.06. VETUS's 2022 spare parts guide lists SET0165 for this model. Confirm with your serial number.
Inside the boat replacement parts on board
Flexible coupling
VETUS calls it “Coupling”.
From VETUS manual 020529.06.
Intermediate flange
VETUS calls it “Intermediate flange”.
From VETUS manual 020529.06.
Motor brush kit
Carbon brushes inside the motor. They wear down with use. VETUS calls it “Set of 8 pcs of carbon brushes”.
From VETUS manual 020529.06.
Replacement motor (comes with solenoids)
The heavy switch that sends battery power to the motor. VETUS calls it “Electromotor 11 kW - 24 V c/w solenoid switches”.
From VETUS manual 020529.06. VETUS's webshop now lists VP000074, Motor with solenoid for BOW220, and the 2022 parts guide lists BP1010E. Confirm with VETUS.
Replacement motor (comes with solenoids)
The heavy switch that sends battery power to the motor. VETUS calls it “Motor with solenoid for BOW220”.
The BOW220 manual 020529.06 lists BP1010. Confirm with VETUS.
Solenoid set (the motor switch)
The heavy switch that sends battery power to the motor. VETUS calls it “Set of solenoid switches 24 V”.
From VETUS manual 020529.06.
Control circuit fuse, 5 A
The main fuse at the battery, in the rating the maker gives. VETUS calls it “Spare fuse 5 A”.
From VETUS manual 020529.06.
Thermal protection switch
It cuts the motor out when it runs too hot. VETUS calls it “Thermal Protection”.
From VETUS manual 020529.06.
Control panel, on/off dual joystick (bow and stern)
The control at the helm. VETUS calls it “Dual joystick panel with time delay”.
Runs a bow and a stern thruster.
Control panel, on/off joystick
The control at the helm. VETUS calls it “Joystick panel with time delay”.
For one thruster.
No part matches. Try the number without spaces, or the part’s name.
The install parts are matched to VETUS’s own figures and priced at Fisheries Supply, with the battery cable at Defender, cut to length.
Spare part numbers come from VETUS’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 VETUS Bow 180 397 lb
- Size up VETUS Bow 285 628 lb · $8,357
- Other maker Sleipner SE170/250TC 463 lb · $6,264
- Other maker Quick BTQ 250 four sizes, 265 to 529 lb · $8,624 to $10,571
- Other maker Max Power CT225 (composite leg) 551 lb · $3,991
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 | 485 lb (220 kgf) As printed: 485 lbs force |
| Motor | 11 kW |
| Voltage | 24 V |
| Run limit | 2.5 min at a stretch, the manual's S2 rating |
| Installation | |
| Type | Tunnel, fixed mount |
| End of the boat | Bow |
| Tunnel diameter | 300 mm |
| What it does to the hull | Tunnel bore below the waterline |
| Haul-out to install it | Yes |
| Maker’s boat length | 50 to 75 ft |
| Price and ordering | |
| Price | $6,486 equipment only, a dealer's price, defender.com, 26 October 2026 |
| Part number | BOW22024D24 V |
| Documents | |
| Manual | Installation manual (PDF)on the maker's site |
| The site’s review | VETUS thruster review |
Every published figure the site holds for the VETUS Bow 220, 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 | 760 Anominal draw | 1/0 AWG for up to 14 ft of cable counted out and back. Longer runs take heavier cableinstallation manual 020529.06, r05, January 2025 | 500 Ainstallation manual 020529.06, r05, January 2025 | 1,267 CCA minimum, 2,533 CCA maximumVETUS installation manual 020529.06, r05, January 2025 | 2.5 min at a stretch, the manual's S2 ratinginstallation manual 020529.06, r05, January 2025 |
The VETUS Bow 220’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: The solenoid switches and the 5 A control fuse are on the motor. The panel, its cable, the main fuse and switch are bought.
Our note
A 24 V unit in a 300 mm tunnel, on two 12 V batteries in series. The manual gives 760 A, a battery of 1267 to 2533 cold cranking amps and a 500 A fuse. For cable it gives 1 AWG to 14.8 ft of total run (positive plus negative), and 4/0 to 35.8 ft. The motor is brushed, and its brushes and anode are checked yearly.
No copper-based antifouling goes on the unit. The warranty runs three years and is claimed through the dealer only. It is void unless an authorized VETUS dealer does the periodic maintenance, and labor, transport and lifting are excluded.
Where each point above comes from
- 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.