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VETUS · tunnel thruster · bow or stern
VETUS BOW PRO Boosted 385: specs, price and the boats it fits
It gives 849 lb (385 kgf) of push. VETUS sells it for boats of 100 to 120 ft. It runs on 24 V or 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 Boosted 385: 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 849 lb 385 kgf, VETUS's rating
- Boat length 100 to 120 ft VETUS'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 48 V 220 Ah Four batteries, near the thruster
- Run limit 6 min At a stretch, the manual's S2 rating
- To install it Haul-out The boat comes out of the water
- Mounts Tunnel Fixed mount, bow or stern
About the VETUS BOW PRO Boosted 385
The Bow Pro Boosted 385 belongs to the 400 series VETUS introduced in 2022 for large yachts of about 100 to 120 ft. It puts out 849 lb of push from a brushless motor, with joystick control and a built-in charger feeding its own batteries.
VETUS quotes it through its dealers. The very large tube, a control panel, a main switch and fuses add about $1,181 to $2,119, and the bow needs a four-battery bank of its own, which with its cable we put at $4,080 to $4,349. Installing a tube this size is serious yard work, so get a quote for the whole job. The parts list is below.
Read more
VETUS’s installation manual rates it for 6 minutes at a stretch, or 6 minutes in any hour at full power, where the smaller BOW PRO models get 10, so plan on briefer pushes. Brushless, so no brushes; change the zinc each year. The three-year warranty expects servicing by an authorized dealer.
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 (6 sources, read 12 October 2026)
- VETUS webshop, BOWB385
- VETUS BOW PRO Boosted 400 mm installation manual 020816.02 (BOWB385, 420)
- VETUS BOW PRO user manual 020810.04 (thrust not dependent on battery voltage; run time limited by the batteries)
- VETUS Maintenance and Warranty Manual for thrusters, 020901.02
- VETUS warranty policy (three years since 2011, claimed through the dealer)
- VETUS, Our Legacy (founded 1964, first bow thruster 1982, Yanmar Group 2013, BOW PRO 2018)
Will the VETUS BOW PRO Boosted 385 steer your boat?
23 FT TRAWLER · BOW · 15 KT WIND
Every knot figure here is wind speed, not boat speed or current.
On a 23 ft trawler the VETUS BOW PRO Boosted 385 (849 lb) steers her in a 74 knot breeze. Her bow needs about 35 lb from a tunnel to steer her in a 15 knot breeze.
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.
The VETUS BOW PRO Boosted 385 on a trawler, by length
- 25 ft67 kt
- 30 ft56 kt
- 35 ft48 kt
- 40 ft43 kt
- 45 ft38 kt
- 50 ft34 kt
- 55 ft31 kt
- 60 ft28 kt
- 65 ft26 kt
- 70 ft24 kt
- 75 ft23 kt
- 80 ft21 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 | No length. More thrust than the boat needs. | |
| Houseboat | No length. Outside the maker's length range. | |
| Catamaran | No length. More thrust than the boat needs. | |
| Trawler | No length. Outside the maker's length range. | |
| Motor yacht | No length. Outside the maker's length range. | |
| 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 PRO Boosted 385 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. The maker gives one range for every boat.
The table tries the VETUS BOW PRO Boosted 385 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.
No boat type and length in the table is a fit. 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 Boosted 385, 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 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 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.
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 charger is built in (12 V, 80 A), fed from the boat's own bank. Proportional: the joystick sets how hard it pushes. The thruster fuse sits in the connection unit.
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 48 V it wants four batteries of 220 Ah or more, VETUS's figure. The cheapest that meets it is the Mastervolt 8D AGM start / deep cycle, $930.00. Check your own bank.
VETUS 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.
No US dollar price is published for it, so we can work out no installed cost.
Short pushes only: VETUS rates the motor for 6 min at a stretch.
Parts for the VETUS BOW PRO Boosted 385
See the VETUS BOW PRO Boosted 385 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 BOW PRO Boosted BOWB385, 420 and 400 installation manual 020816.02 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, and sealed batteries if they share its compartment. The Boosted unit carries its own charger (12 V, 80 A), fed from the boat's bank through a fused cable.
The manual’s words, page 22: “By connecting the 24 Volt battery bank to the MCVB boosted charge connection, the 48 Volt, battery bank is charged. An additional charging facility is not required.”
A yard job adds these parts on top of the unit: $1,181 to $2,119 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
Motor controller
The electronics that run the motor when you press the panel. VETUS calls it “Motor controler BOWB385”.
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.
No part matches. Try the number without spaces, or the part’s name.
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 PRO Boosted 320 705 lb
- Size up VETUS BOW PRO Boosted 420 926 lb
- Other maker Sleipner E350 HD eVision 772 lb · $17,750
- Other maker Max Power CT325 (24 V) 717 lb · $6,510
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 | 849 lb (385 kgf) As printed: Thrust (kgf): 385 (VETUS webshop product page) |
| Motor | 18.4 kW |
| Voltage | 24 V or 48 V |
| Run limit | 6 min at a stretch, the manual's S2 rating |
| Installation | |
| Type | Tunnel, fixed mount |
| End of the boat | Bow or stern |
| Tunnel diameter | 400 mm |
| What it does to the hull | Tunnel bore below the waterline |
| Haul-out to install it | Yes |
| Maker’s boat length | 100 to 120 ft |
| Price and ordering | |
| Price | No US price published |
| Part number | BOWB38524/48 V, 24 V DC / 48 V DC |
| 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 PRO Boosted 385, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 V | 480 Anominal draw | 2 x 3/0 AWG per leg for up to 6 ft of cable counted out and back. Longer runs take heavier cableinstallation manual 020816.02, r07, December 2025 | 500 Ainstallation manual 020816.02, r07, December 2025 | 4 x 220 Ah - 12 V, in amp-hoursVETUS installation manual 020816.02, r07, December 2025 | 6 min at a stretch, the manual's S2 ratinginstallation manual 020816.02, r07, December 2025 |
The VETUS BOW PRO Boosted 385’s draw, cable, fuse, battery and run limit, as the maker publishes them.
- At 48 V: size the cable for your run, or check the battery you have.
Our notes from the manual and listings
In the box: A charger is built in (12 V, 80 A), fed from the boat's own bank. Proportional: the joystick sets how hard it pushes. The thruster fuse sits in the connection unit.
Our note
The smaller of the two 400 mm Boosted units, the series VETUS introduced in 2022. It runs at 24/48 V on four 12 V batteries in series. Boosted means the thruster runs on its own bank, charged from the boat's system through a built-in charger (120 A at 24 V maximum, fused at 125 A). So the feed cable is sized for the charger, not the motor.
It is brushless and proportional, so the joystick sets how hard it pushes instead of switching it on and off. The installation manual rates it S2 6 minutes: six minutes continuously, or at most six minutes in an hour at full power, the same figure the product page prints. The user manual says run time is mainly limited by the battery. The US press release's "unlimited runtime" appears in neither.
The manual gives 480 A at 48 V (540 at 42), an example battery of four 220 Ah 12 V batteries and a 500 A fuse. The cable table starts at two 2/0 AWG per leg (or one 300 MCM) to 6.6 ft of total run and ends at two 300 MCM per leg at 32.8 ft. We found no US dealer listing. VETUS publishes no price.
Where each point above comes from
- VETUS 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
- 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.