On 31 Jan 2006 09:15:38 -0800, "BeeRich" wrote:

Wow a bow thruster for a 35 foot boat? Or do you mean a larger boat?
Why the fixed prop? is 40 horsepower considered a powerful engine for
a 40 footer?

Too many variables. For a racer-cruiser, it's big. For a steel full
keel ketch, it's small. But my buddy at Port Credit sails a 15 tonne
steel ketch with a 35 hp Volvo in it at 8 knots. But then he went to a
lot of trouble to get a special thrust bearing and an AutoProp, which
allowed him after a lot of experimentation to get close to the maximum
out of his relatively small but reliable engine.

A bit of advice: I know a lot of current boats have sail drives, but I
think a lot of moorings/marinas/clubs are very careless with stray
current, and sticking a big strut of aluminum into salty electrified
water makes these units fail. For cruising, I would choose a fully
inboard engine.

R.