VETUS’s BOW PRO bow or stern thruster in the 90-kilogram-force configuration with the built-in DC-to-DC smart charger. 185 mm tunnel, brushless induction motor, V-CAN connected, proportional control with lock-and-hold. Sized for 36 to 55 ft (11.5-17 m) sail or motor yachts.
The BOW PRO Boosted 110 is VETUS’s premium bow or stern thruster for boats in the 36-to-55-foot range (11.5 to 17 meters), built around a brushless induction motor and the patented MCV motor controller that the rest of the BOW PRO line shares. The defining feature in this 90 kgf model is the exclusive built-in DC-to-DC smart charger that lets a 24V thruster supply bank live on a boat with a 12V house electrical system, no separate battery charger or DC-DC converter needed elsewhere in the install.
The DC-to-DC charger is the install game-changer for any boat refit. Traditional 24V thrusters on 12V boats require a separate isolated 24V house bank charged by a dedicated 12V-to-24V charger and a separate alternator output stage. The BOW PRO Boosted integrates that whole chain into the thruster itself, the unit accepts 12V house bank input, runs a three-stage smart charging process to a dedicated 24V thruster bank, and only charges when the input voltage is healthy enough not to drain the engine-start bank. For owners refitting from a 12V single-bank install to a higher-thrust 24V thruster, this is the cleanest way to do it.
Brushless induction is the motor choice for thrusters that need to deliver sustained thrust without the brush wear that traditional DC motor thrusters fight. There are no brushes to replace at periodic intervals, the motor runs longer between overhauls, and the proprietary MCV controller modulates the motor with high precision (no on/off behavior the way bang-bang controllers do) for proportional thrust on the joystick. Lock-and-hold control sets a thrust level and maintains it through a long maneuver without you having to hold the joystick at the same deflection, useful for holding the bow against a crosswind during a docking approach.
The MCV controller is V-CAN connected, which is VETUS’s proprietary CANBUS protocol implementation. V-CAN handles control-panel communication, joystick input, fault reporting, and integration with other V-CAN-equipped VETUS accessories on the same boat. For owners building out a VETUS control ecosystem (joystick stations on the flybridge plus the helm plus the cockpit, with smart load management between them), V-CAN provides the backbone.
Performance specs put the BOW PRO Boosted 110 firmly in the upper-mid range of recreational thrusters. 90 kgf of thrust is the right power for the 36-55 ft target envelope, with 5.7 kW of motor power, 255 A current draw at full thrust, and a 10-minute continuous operating duration before the thermal protection kicks in to let the motor cool. The tunnel diameter is 185 mm (7.3 in), which is the standard 185 mm fitment that lets the BOW PRO Boosted 110 drop into existing tunnel installations from VETUS predecessors and from a wide range of competing-brand thrusters. Weight is 33 kg (73 lb).
Built-in protection is comprehensive. Overheat protection cuts the motor before it cooks, with automatic resume when the thermal sensors clear. Low-battery protection prevents the thruster from dragging the supply bank below safe voltage, which is the failure mode that kills lead-acid batteries permanently. Over-current protection guards against fault conditions in the motor or wiring. None of these need manual reset, the controller manages itself.
The BOW PRO line is engineered for drop-in installation in existing thruster tunnels from VETUS and most major competitors. The 185 mm tunnel diameter is the most common size in the 36-55 ft thruster bracket, so retrofitting from a worn-out original-equipment thruster to a BOW PRO Boosted 110 is typically a same-day install rather than a hull-modification project. The flange-mount geometry, the prop diameter, and the leg dimensions are all VETUS standard, with compatibility lists published for the common competing thrusters.
The unit’s not ignition protected, which means it should not be installed in spaces where gasoline vapors can accumulate (gasoline engine compartments specifically). For diesel installations and electric-propulsion boats, this isn’t an issue. The thruster it’s also not retractable (a fixed tunnel thruster), and doesn’t have extended runtime ratings beyond the 10-minute standard duration. For boats that need a retractable thruster for sailing performance, look at the VETUS BOW SQUAT range.
