New jet powered thrusters for quiet and effective control.

The WillDo Jet Thruster allows boats to be turned on the spot, particularly useful for docking and low speed manoeuvring. The Combi-Jet Thruster with two outlets at both the bow and stern, can shift both the bow and the stern of the boat to either port or starboard. By using two openings on one side simultaneously, the entire boat can be moved sideways; very nice when sailing away from a jetty with a stiff wind blowing in at right angles. The WillDo Jet Thrusters can also be supplied as a bow thruster or a stern thruster only, e.g. in the case of a bow thruster being already installed. Fingertip control is provided by a joystick which is normally positioned close to the throttle control/s.

The installation is quick and very easy and not as intrusive as traditional thrusters. The jet unit itself can be positioned anywhere under the waterline and is connected by hosing to the 45 mm through-hull outlets. For some boats, the outlets can be positioned further forward or aft which means extra turning effect. Once installed, all that is visible are the outlets, placed just below the waterline when the boat is at rest and offering negligible resistance once underway. The system is not prone to fouling.

So-Pac Marine installed an electric WillDo Jet Thruster on a 57 ft sloop, the first WillDo Jet Thruster installation in the Southern Hemisphere. Preliminary results show that the system readily turns the boat with minimal noise and effort.

WillDo Jet Thrusters are available electrically and hydraulically powered in a range of models 15 to 100 kg force.