PB Matilda Installation of stern thruster – August 2019
Ack cknowlegdements ▪ David Tanner, General Manager, Stella Systems, Gold Coast, Qld – suppling the stern thruster and freely given technical advice on the thruster, per se , and its installation ▪ Darrin Broderick, Owner, Karve Constructions, Mannum, SA – installing the tunnel and motor in the hold ▪ Nigel Hitchin, Owner, Hitchin’s Auto Electrics, Palmer, SA – supplying and fixing the electrical components ▪ Mannum Marine Pty Ltd, Mannum, SA - ▪ Slipping Matilda – Tony Greening, Ron Greening, Adam Dycer ▪ Painting the hull – Adam Dycer
Advantages of stern thruster for r Matild ilda [ Matilda has fixed paddles through the differential – they can not be operated independently] ▪ Bank moorings - holding Matilda at right angles to the bank while fixing the bow boarding plank and stern lines with side winds and/or river flow ▪ Assist aligning Matilda when entering the mooring at the marina ▪ Bringing Matilda’s stern around when mooring parallel on wharves/pump-out stations ▪ Improved control of Matilda in reverse ▪ Improved turning Matilda forward in tight situations ▪ Improved control of Matilda when mooring alongside and/or between other vessels
PB B Matil ilda – th the vessel ▪ Side-wheel paddleboat – 3m diameter paddles, not independent ▪ Double-ended, flat bottom, hard chine, 3mm thick steel hull ▪ Hull: 13m waterline x 3m wide x ca. 380mm draft ▪ Perkins diesel A4.107 driving Massey Ferguson gearbox & differential with chain to paddles Th The stern-thruster ▪ Craftsman Marine Thruster9512 & panel ALFA10B ▪ Thrust: 95kgf ▪ Power of motor: 6.5kW ▪ Main fuse: 500A ▪ Tunnel: 1m long x 185mm diameter ▪ Bottom of tunnel 60mm above bottom of hull & top of tunnel ca. 140mm below water line ▪ Battery: 12V lead acid, N200, 1300 CCAs, charged through 240V battery charger ▪ Panel toggle switch: 1 second delay, port ↔ starboard, set for manual on/off ▪ Motor automatically switches off when motor temperature is too high
The components, minus tunnel
Tool to outline elliptical holes in sloping hull – centre of required holes in each side of the hull marked, holes drilled to fit brass tube firmly across the hull, then tube can be fitted and compass turned to mark the outline of the elliptical hole required for the thruster tunnel – mark one side then reverse tube for the other side
Elliptical hole cut on starboard side of hull
Holes in hull & internal steel keel for tunnel
Tunnel fitted – small tolerance
Internal & external welds rounded, not sharp - prevents cavitation
Tail piece fitted in tunnel – bolted to connecting flange on top of tunnel
Propeller fitted – showing zinc anode
Propeller fitted – showing tail piece
The finished installation – starboard side
Motor fixed to tunnel & battery in the hold - raw
Motor fixed to tunnel & battery in the hold - finished
Control panel on the helm
Initial surge – it works!
Underway!
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