Thrusterpedia

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

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Drawing of a tunnel thruster: a tube through the bow below the waterline, the hull cut away to show the motor on top.
Our drawing of a tunnel thruster, the same for every maker. It is not VETUS’s own design.

VETUS · tunnel thruster · bow

VETUS Bow Pro 574: specs, price and the boats it fits

It gives 126 lb (57 kgf) of push. It runs on 48 V.

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

Not sold in the US right now. No US store or distributor lists the VETUS Bow Pro 574: we checked Defender, Fisheries Supply and Citimarine 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 VETUS thruster review that have a US price.

Quick stats

  • Thrust 126 lb 57 kgf, VETUS's rating
  • Boat length Not published See our sizing below
  • Price per lb of thrust Not worked out It needs a price and a thrust figure
  • Voltage 48 V As sold
  • Battery Not published Ask the maker before wiring
  • Run limit Not published Ask the maker before long use
  • To install it Haul-out The boat comes out of the water
  • Anodes $76.29 A change, at Fisheries Supply

About the VETUS Bow Pro 574

The Bow Pro 574 is the 48 V version of the 57 kg BOW PRO, for a 150 mm tunnel and a boat that already runs a 48 V bank. Its manual rates it at 126 lb of push.

No US store we checked lists it. At 48 V the draw is small: 72 A, rising to 90 A at 42 V, which lets the cable stay light over a long run. The rating is ten minutes.

Read more

The motor is brushless, so the anode is the regular check. VETUS ties the three-year warranty to dealer servicing.

The full spec sheet for a yard sits lower down, and the VETUS thruster review covers VETUS’s whole range.

Where this summary comes from (4 sources, read 15 October 2026)

Will the VETUS Bow Pro 574 steer your boat?

44 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 44 ft trawler the VETUS Bow Pro 574 (126 lb) steers her in a 15 knot breeze. Her bow needs about 128 lb from a tunnel to steer her in a 15 knot breeze. Its 126 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.

15.4 FT LEVER VETUS Bow Pro 574 pivot

A tunnel at the bow of a 44 ft trawler 128 lb ★ this unit · 1 to 3: the three cheapest others that steer her at 13 kt or more, installed

  1. ★ VETUS Bow Pro 574 this unit 126 lb · tunnel no US price Steers her at 15 kt
  2. 1 Max Power CT80 (12 V) 176 lb · tunnel from $8,917 Steers her at 18 kt
  3. 2 Lewmar 185TT 3.0kW 128 lb · tunnel from $8,938 Steers her at 15 kt
  4. 3 VETUS Bow 60 at 12 V 132 lb · tunnel from $8,944 Steers her at 15 kt

The VETUS Bow Pro 574 on a trawler, by length

  1. 25 ft26 kt
  2. 30 ft22 kt
  3. 35 ft19 kt
  4. 40 ft16 kt
  5. 45 ft14 kt
  6. 50 ft13 kt
  7. 55 ft12 kt
  8. 60 ft11 kt
  9. 65 ft10 kt
  10. 70 ft9 kt
  11. 75 ft9 kt
  12. 80 ft8 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?

What VETUS says No boat length Our sizing is the guide here
What our sizing says 33 to 57 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 pontoon has no hull body between the logs to bore a tunnel through, and nobody sells one for these boats.
Sailboat 31 to 45 ft 46 to 51 ftfull thrust to about 13 knots at 51 ft
Houseboat 30 to 33 ft 34 to 38 ftfull thrust to about 13 knots at 38 ft
Catamaran 35 to 51 ft 52 to 58 ftfull thrust to about 13 knots at 58 ft
Trawler 31 to 44 ft 45 to 51 ftfull thrust to about 13 knots at 51 ft
Motor yacht 35 to 44 ft 45 to 51 ftfull thrust to about 13 knots at 51 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 39 to 57 ft 58 to 65 ftfull thrust to about 13 knots at 65 ft
Center console No length. More thrust than the boat needs.

The VETUS Bow Pro 574 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 33 ft, and an express cruiser to 57 ft.

The table tries the VETUS Bow Pro 574 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. VETUS publishes no boat length, so thrust alone decides.

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 VETUS Bow Pro 574, 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: 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 three steps
  1. 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.
  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 from VETUS’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.

Product Spotlight: BOW PRO ThrustersMaker VETUS’s own channel
The Ideal BOWPRO Technical InstallationMaker VETUS’s own channel
Vetus bow thruster anode replacement on an Albin 28' yacht by Daily Divers Boat Service.Service how-to Daily Divers Boat Services, May 2025

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

Proportional: the joystick sets how hard it pushes. The thruster fuse sits in the connection unit.

Want push you can dial in? The proportional VETUS Bow Pro Boosted 57 has the same thrust. It costs $3,862.

Anodes

$76.29 a change

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

Nothing beyond the specs above.

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.

VETUS publishes no boat length for it. The boat table is our sizing alone.

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

Parts for the VETUS Bow Pro 574

See the VETUS Bow Pro 574 manual

Search 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 box

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 BOW PRO 150 mm installation manual 020805.08 r7, December 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. The thruster fuse sits in the connection unit.
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.”

A yard job adds these parts on top of the unit: $451 to $990 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.

Outside the hull replacement parts in the water

2 parts

Zinc anode

The metal that wears away in the water so the drive does not. VETUS calls it “Zinc anode (guide column)”.

From VETUS's 2022 spare parts guide, which gives the BOW PRO the same anode as the standard unit of its tunnel size.

Part number SET0149

Propeller

The propeller on the drive. VETUS calls it “6-blade propeller, 150mm diameter., blue, for 55/57kgf BOW PRO thrusters”.

The maker lists this part by a name that covers this model, not by the model itself. Check it against your serial number before you order.

Part number DM80019
See it at VETUS No US price found

Inside the boat replacement parts on board

1 part

Motor controller

The electronics that run the motor when you press the panel. VETUS calls it “Motor controler for BOWA0574”.

The maker lists this part by a name that covers this model, not by the model itself. Check it against your serial number before you order.

Part number VP000208
See it at VETUS No US price found

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

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 126 lb (57 kgf) As printed: "Rated thrust : 570 N (57 kgf, 126 lbf)" - VETUS manual 020805.08 r07 (2025-12) BOW PRO 150 mm BOWA0574, Technical data
Motor3.1 kW
Voltage48 V
Run limitNot published
Installation
TypeTunnel, fixed mount
End of the boatBow
Tunnel diameter150 mm
What it does to the hullTunnel bore below the waterline
Haul-out to install itYes
Maker’s boat lengthNot published
Price and ordering
Price No US price published
Part number BOWA057448 V
Documents
Manual Installation manual (PDF)on the maker's site
The site’s reviewVETUS thruster review

Every published figure the site holds for the VETUS Bow Pro 574, with where each came from.

Our notes from the manual and listings

In the box: Proportional: the joystick sets how hard it pushes. The thruster fuse sits in the connection unit.

Our note

The 48 V BOW PRO in a 150 mm tunnel, for a boat with a 48 V bank. The manual gives 57 kgf (126 lb), a 3.1 kW EC motor drawing 72 A at 48 V and 90 A at 42 V, ten minutes at a time (S2), and 31 kg without the tunnel.

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
  • VETUS publishes no boat length for it. The boat table is our sizing alone.The maker's documents, as the database records them
  • 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.