BENETEAU 461, Owner'S Manual

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197837 RCD-2
Index C
15.3 BOW THRUSTER & STERN THRUSTER (retractable)
General points
- The thruster motor is DC powered.
- The thruster is a steering aid for manoeuvres at low speed (e.g. picking up a mooring buoy or berthing on a pontoon).
The bow thruster must only be used at speeds of less than 2 knots.
- An operating relay is installed in the circuit.
- A fuse protects the electrical circuit.
- The thruster motor has its own battery bank.
Operation
- Before starting the thruster, make sure no swimmers, floating objects or ropes are near the boat.
- Make sure the boat is stationary (with no drift) before deploying and retracting the propeller.
- Turn on the bow thruster battery switches.
- The engine's positive battery isolator automatically switches on and off when the engine is started/stopped. The thruster
circuit negative is connected to the boat's general negative.
- The bow-thruster motor must operate with the boat's engine running.
- A control panel is located in the cockpit.
- Press both ON buttons simultaneously to start the thruster.
- Press the OFF button to switch off the thruster.
NOTE: It is important to switch off the thruster BEFORE switching off the boat's propulsion engine so that the
thruster hatch can close.
- Refer to the manufacturer's instructions for
use and maintenance.
- Never run the motor when the propeller is
out of the water.
- With dual control, be careful to use only one
control at a time.
- The motor must not run for longer than 3
minutes (risk of overheating).
If the thruster hatch remains stuck in the
lowered position, sail at reduced speed to the
nearest port or harbour.
- Never attempt to close the hatch manually.
Doing so may result in serious injury.
- Once in a safe place, consult a professional to
reclose the thruster hatch.
Steering system