Oceanis 45 Bow Thruster issues...

[LordByron]

After just 400nm spanning 5 months the bow thruster on my new Oceanis 45 ceased working.

A technician advised the motor had burnt out. Because of the tight maneuvering required in some of the marinas here in the south of France I authorised and paid for a replacement. Same make and model. The new thruster works perfectly fine.

My issue is now with Benetau. Through my agent in Melbourne I am being advised that Benetau will probably not pay for the replacement because the assumption is made that if the motor burns out then it must be due to misuse or overuse.

Has anyone else been down this path?

[Arthur Garfield]

Sorry to hear this.
Another SOL support program from dealer and manufacturer.If lucky insurance may pick it up.Hydrolic systems pretty much never fail.

[Kenomac]

If you use it all the time to maneuver, I'm not surprised you burned it out. A bow thruster is intended to be used in short bursts to assist with steering, not for extended use to turn the boat around. Short bursts being less than 10 seconds usually 5 seconds or less. Most have a thermal shut off in case the motor overheats during extended use. For example: if you attempt to turn your boat 180 degrees, leaving the bow thruster on continuously for 30 seconds or so... That's too much, and more than enough to burn it up.

[LordByron]

The bow thruster was and is only used as a last resort. Not to turn the boat 180 degrees as has been suggested. And I can assure you it was and is only ever used in short bursts.

And I was really hoping to hear from any (Benetau?) forum members who have had similar experiences with their bow thrusters.

[deluxe68]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

If you use it all the time to maneuver, I'm not surprised you burned it out. A bow thruster is intended to be used in short bursts to assist with steering, not for extended use to turn the boat around. Short bursts being less than 10 seconds usually 5 seconds or less. Most have a thermal shut off in case the motor overheats during extended use. For example: if you attempt to turn your boat 180 degrees, leaving the bow thruster on continuously for 30 seconds or so... That's too much, and more than enough to burn it up.

Are the motors undersized THAT much? Something is wrong here.

[David B]

For what it is worth, we have a Beneteau OC50. So far (three years) no problems with the thruster. I cannot agree with the 'burning out' due to overuse theory. Any decent design of motor has thermal protection that is designed to prevent this. Also, when the bow thruster is used as part of a 'Dock & Go' system it can potentially get a lot more use than just a few seconds at a time (check out the official Beneteau YouTube clips of this system being demonstrated - the only thing I feel for is the batteries).
I would pursue the warranty claim with vigour - don't take your dealers word for it - don't let them speak on behalf of Beneteau. In our experience Beneteau and our 'Dealer' are poles apart in their attitude toward after-sales service. We would buy a Beneteau again in a flash.