Hi Steve

I know it has been a long time since I bought my thrusters from you but have finely finished the fitting of the said items on my 33ft Princess in Scotland and I must say they are living up to what you say they do as I do quite a lot of canal and lock work here on the Caledonian Canal they have performed very well and they have helped my wifes blood pressure as well as I am not shouting at her to push the bow out off the lock wall, I have had a lot of other boat owners enquiring about your thrusters and have passed on your details to them any one thinking of fitting these thrusters should do so they are a great piece of equipment to help in boat handling.

Regards Ed Wilkie

Hi Steve,

My name is Herb Deane-Freeman I just purchased and installed a Sideshift 340 stern thruster on my 26 ft Tolly Craft with a V drive and single engine. I have been searching for years for the perfect thruster, well I can honestly say I found it in your product, fantastic manouvering that I never had before, everything you say about your thruster is true and then some. I have just returned from a 10 day cruise up Jervis and Princess Louisa inlets, anchoring and rafting in winds, rafting to a anchored boat used to be a real challenge ,now easy My boating buddies were impressed so you will probable get some inquiries from this neck of the woods. Thank you for a great product.

Regards Herb.

Hi Steve,

We have now reached the Mediterranean from England and I thought you would like to know that the Sideshift was fantastic! It has had very heavy use and worked perfectly until the very last stretch when I think I finally burnt out a motor.

As you said, the drag was immeasurably small, certainly less than 5% drop in speed both sailing the 100 miles across the channel to Le Havre and motoring for 1,332 km through France. It is also much easier to keep clean than a conventional tunnel thruster. A plastic bag got jammed round one spindle in Paris and I could free it from the quay. Despite all the logs and debris from the Seine floods, that was the only time it was necessary.

The Sideshift really came into its own in the 174 locks and the narrow, shallow canals between the Seine and the Rhone. We had the mast laid along the length of the boat just before the first Seine bridge at Rouen. It stuck out six feet over both the bow and the stern making fine control in the locks both more important and, of course, more difficult with only two of us. Yet despite all the turbulence from sluice gates and commercial boats we didn't swing into anybody and even the masthead light is still working perfectly.

To avoid big commercial barges we were able to reverse into small slots near the bank or turn in our own length. In the past we couldn't make this old boat steer backwards without lots of ropes, people and bad language! Now we have found that we can even use the morse, helm and sidethruster together to actually move the boat sideways to get off windward lock walls without scraping. In the very shallow canals, whenever we were aground we used it to twist us from side to side to find deeper water...

And the Sideshift is so quiet that onlookers think that all this is simply brilliant helming on my part! I suppose I should have told them...

Used my unit for real for the first time getting back into the slip yesterday evening. There was hardly any wind, but it was effortless nonetheless. Response is immediate, and 3 or 4 second bursts were all that was required. It is a great product.

Regards,
Jerry Jenkins

We recently purchased a new 55' Gibson Cabin Yacht. This vessel weighs 33,000 lbs; has over 800 sq ft of sail area; and draws only 2' 8"of water. It goes without saying, that even in the slightest wind, this vessel is dramatically affected. Additionally owning a large boat with a crew that consists of only myself and my wife, it is necessary to have our vessel perform well in all conditions. Just envision being in a 20 knot crosswind trying to turn 55' of boat into our slip from a 75' wide lagoon! Well we have those conditions, and on a regular basis. Due to the incredible responsiveness of our Sideshift Bow Thruster, manoeuvring our Gibson into our slip is effortless and stress-free!

In addition to our being completely satisfied with our Sideshift Bow Thruster, the residents and staff at the marina are also amazed as to how easily we can manoeuvre our boat. About a month ago, a very strong wind that no one expected kicked up in the afternoon. Four large boats (Some having "Traditional" thrusters) came in and all required the marina staff to help them get into their slips. When we came in, everyone ran to help us, and then just stood there as we manoeuvred into our slip with no outside assistance! Everyone was impressed! More recently, we were leaving the fuel dock in a strong crosswind. The dock attendant stated "A 55' boat going sideways into this wind, that's just not right". That says it all about Sideshift!!

Purchasing our Sideshift Bow Thruster was the best investment we made for our boat, and it was easy to install. We never will be without having a Sideshift Thruster on any vessel we own!

Great product Sideshift! Should you or any customers considering a Sideshift Thruster require any additional information, or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Regards,
Paul & Kerry

Just a line to thank you and your team I received my order and have checked everything was as per invoice, I am very pleased with the items and the build quality of the goods just need to get them fitted onto my cruiser now and will be in contact with you as to there performance, I have had quite a response from various motor cruiser people here regarding your product hope to be in touch with you regarding this soon.

Yours Sincerely Ed Wilkie.

Wow, does this thing work. I got the boat in the water on Saturday. I was on the Niagara River with a brisk breeze of approximately 11 mph and with a current. The product spun the boat around on a dime. Just a slight touch on the switch was enough to bring an immediate response to the bow thruster. Docking was for the first time easy for me. I did not hit or bump into a thing. I am the first person in my area with a bow thruster and I expect a lot of conversations over the next few weeks about it. The installation process was very easy. Thanks again for all your help.

Mike
Lockport, NY

Hi Steve, I have been using Sideshift for the last 3 weeks and my stress level has been reduced by 90% both in docking and leaving the dock. The installation went well.

Ed
Kingston, Ontario

I installed a Sideshift "SS340" on my boat this year and I am very pleased with the results. The instructions provided were good. The unit was packaged and delivered as promised. I would recommend this product to anyone wishing to have better control of their boat when docking or just manoeuvring in the wind. I am open to anyone who wishes to contact me about this product and the installation. Feel free to share my e-mail with prospective customers.

Garry
Norfolk, NY

I purchased a Sideshift in December of 2006. The product is working great. Sideshift is the talk of the marina. No one has ever seen anything like it before. This is a great product!

Kevin
Burlington, MA

VeryVery helpful company even with me being in the UK excellent excellent 5 *stars*

Gareth Price
Sussex England

Your bow thruster is now an important tool in the "Rescue for Hire" business. With wind and wave action I can hold position while I throw a stranded boater a line, wait for them to hook up, and then I am ready to go. ---- More important - on a grounder, I can only get so close, the bow thruster lets me hold position while the grounded boater walks to my boat, gets the line, walks back to their boat, hook up, and I am in position, ready to go. With out it, sometimes I would have to pay out an additional 300+ feet of line just to get back in position. The thruster is great and a great labor saver for me. -- thanks -- Steve

Captain David S. Burnstine (Steve)

Need an Experienced Captain? Need a Marine Surveyor? Check Out My Resume At:
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Hi Steve --- Received your new bow thruster joy stick last Wednesday. I hooked it up and it works great. Looks a lot better, too, and much easier to operate. THANK YOU. ----- ---- Steve -----

Captain David S. Burnstine (Steve)

Last year, we upsized our boat from a 32 foot twin I/O to a 49 foot Holiday Mansion with twin V-Drives. This new boat has a large full enclosure on the fly bridge and the design of the boat has a very minimal skag, so the boat moves around a lot in any type of wind. Prior to purchasing this boat, I felt I was a very competent captain and could handle any docking situation with ease. Last year after purchasing our new boat, I dreaded leaving the slip even for a pump out, because of the difficulty in docking and bringing it into the slip. Other boaters on the dock got a great kick out of this, and found it necessary to help us into the dock every time we left. This spring, prior to launching, I installed the 340HD Sideshift Bow Thruster. From the moment the boat hit the water, there was a phenomenal difference. Bringing the boat to the dock, even the first time, was a breeze. Last weekend, we took the boat out and when we returned to the dock, we had a cross wind of about 35mph. The boat walked in sideways, using the bow thruster and the engines, without a problem. The comments on the dock have definitely changed, and I feel much more confident of my abilities as well as the boat. I would never have another boat without a Sideshift.

P.B. Plymouth , MN

Hi Steve, I have a 34', 12' 8" beam Silverton express that weighs approx. 16,500 lbs and it works like a charm. It is best investment we made for our boat. It is amazing how easy it is moves the boat. It was easy to install. Our neighbours at our dock are amazed how easily we dock and how the bow just swings against dock like nothing. We have a tight docking space and went from a 26' boat to 34' and the transition has been easy with the help of the bow thruster. We don't think we would ever be without it now that we have had one. When we are on plane the thruster is out of the water. You place it 3 inches below the waterline when installing it. I am able to dock the boat by myself without any one else on board. It gives us real piece of mind. We tighten the screw to the bow after using it for a couple of months. There are alot of boaters who are real curious about it when they see it on the front of our boat. I have enclosed a photo of it on our boat. If you have any other questions please feel free to contact us.

email; thunders05@sympatico.ca
MICHELLE
Quebec, Canada

I purchased a Sideshift bow thruster for my 35 foot Silverton Motor Yacht, I have never felt more in control, even in windy conditions it is stress free. This is an excellent product, easy to install and very powerful!!

Thanks,
Bob Toves
Manotick, Ontario.

The Bow Thruster is making a big hit at the marina... I can handle the boat single handed with wind or current. The installation is a breeze!

Thanks,
Mark LeBrun
Maryland, USA

INSTALLED A BOW THRUSTER AND JOY STICK. EVERYTHING WENT VERY WELL,

THANKS IAN