warning: inspect thruster bolts tightness

Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic

   to make the story short, after 450NM and some slamming i hear the sail locker pump working excessively....an inspection of the thruster shows quite a lot of seawater leaking through the thruster assembly. To a more careful look, 3x bolts are missing and ALL of them are loose!!!
we could recover all bolts and nuts from the bottom of the sail locker, and reinstalled them. Problem fixed, but the lesson is: INSPECT the tightness of the bolts of the thruster assembly, they can get loose!

it was probably moving by various mm - up and down - because it even detached the relay from the thruster motor itself....

My additional surprise: while at the stern i have nylocs, nuts with a nylon ring to avoid unscrewing, at the bow the nuts are standard nuts without any mechanism to prevent vibrations to unscrew them....this is crazy, i think it's an original hanse installation so i would suggest everybody in a long trip to check those nuts and bolts....i will replace the nuts ASAP (24x 13mm nyloc inox nuts for an M8 bolt)

this will make our boats safer...

Edited by Pzucchel - 22 May 2025 at 07:04

Author	Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic
Pzucchel Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Rear Admiral Joined: 13 March 2020 Location: floating Status: Offline Points: 659	Post Options Post Reply Quote Pzucchel Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: warning: inspect thruster bolts tightness Posted: 22 May 2025 at 06:51
	to make the story short, after 450NM and some slamming i hear the sail locker pump working excessively....an inspection of the thruster shows quite a lot of seawater leaking through the thruster assembly. To a more careful look, 3x bolts are missing and ALL of them are loose!!! we could recover all bolts and nuts from the bottom of the sail locker, and reinstalled them. Problem fixed, but the lesson is: INSPECT the tightness of the bolts of the thruster assembly, they can get loose! it was probably moving by various mm - up and down - because it even detached the relay from the thruster motor itself.... My additional surprise: while at the stern i have nylocs, nuts with a nylon ring to avoid unscrewing, at the bow the nuts are standard nuts without any mechanism to prevent vibrations to unscrew them....this is crazy, i think it's an original hanse installation so i would suggest everybody in a long trip to check those nuts and bolts....i will replace the nuts ASAP (24x 13mm nyloc inox nuts for an M8 bolt) this will make our boats safer... Edited by Pzucchel - 22 May 2025 at 07:04
	Hanse588#55

Lyn Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Captain Joined: 04 February 2022 Location: Hampton, VA Status: Offline Points: 190	Post Options Post Reply Quote Lyn Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 22 May 2025 at 22:48
	The bolts that hold the bay cover in place (examples circled in yellow)? A friend of mine also discovered at haulout that he was missing the thruster door. After a long cruise, there was about a foot of water in there -- secondary problem with the bilge pump, obviously! Wondering if you do anything to secure the door on longer passages with slamming?
	Jon S/V Lyn 2017 Hanse 588 \| Hull 19 \| Deep draft \| 150hp \| 220v & 110v systems \| Lithium House Bank

Pzucchel Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Rear Admiral Joined: 13 March 2020 Location: floating Status: Offline Points: 659	Post Options Post Reply Quote Pzucchel Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 23 May 2025 at 02:03
	exactly those bolts. first , verify that they have a nylon locking nut , it costs few dollars and avoids the risk of destroying tens of thousands of dollars of equipment ! ...my boat had standard nuts !!!!!! then check they aren't loose... I already had one flooding of the sail locker once for a seacock that detached, so I know what it mean... to tell you the truth , I don't lock the doors during passages but you can disconnect F43 F44 fuses from the main pcb. I've put a dymo label and it's something very easy and fast ...if you prefer , you could put them on the wurth like others here did. Edited by Pzucchel - 23 May 2025 at 02:05
	Hanse588#55

Black Diamond Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admiral Joined: 24 October 2015 Location: Newport, RI, US Status: Offline Points: 1275	Post Options Post Reply Quote Black Diamond Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 23 May 2025 at 22:43
	Scary. Thanks for the warning. Will check tomorrow.
	Rick S/V Black Diamond Hanse 575 Build #192, Hull# 161 Newport, RI

kipwrite Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Commadore Joined: 14 October 2015 Location: New York Status: Offline Points: 495	Post Options Post Reply Quote kipwrite Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 25 May 2025 at 01:42
	Excellent post. Thank you. Will check this as well.
	Kipwrite

boomjack Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Captain Joined: 24 August 2014 Location: switzerland Status: Offline Points: 212	Post Options Post Reply Quote boomjack Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 25 May 2025 at 17:41
	Thanks for info Piero, I'll check as well.

boomjack Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Captain Joined: 24 August 2014 Location: switzerland Status: Offline Points: 212	Post Options Post Reply Quote boomjack Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 25 May 2025 at 17:44
	By the way, where is the sail locker pump located on a 575? I had a significant leak coming from the water maker once and no pump was working resulting of myself taking care of it with a bucket.....

Wayne's World Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admiral Joined: 18 July 2012 Location: Cruising Status: Offline Points: 1434	Post Options Post Reply Quote Wayne's World Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 25 May 2025 at 20:46
	Boomjack, On our 575 we did not have a sail locker bilge pump. I fitted a manual pump.
	Wayne W Cruising, currently in the Pacific until the end of 2026.

Gale Force Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Commadore Joined: 26 June 2018 Location: Sri Lanka Status: Offline Points: 398	Post Options Post Reply Quote Gale Force Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 26 May 2025 at 05:35
	I fitted a bilge pump after somebody flooded my sail locker with a hose pipe and did thousands of dollars damage to my bow thruster.It feeds in to the chain locker.Not ideal I know!!

boomjack Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Captain Joined: 24 August 2014 Location: switzerland Status: Offline Points: 212	Post Options Post Reply Quote boomjack Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 26 May 2025 at 08:32
	OK Thanks for your answers, I know what I have to do......



Welcome to myHanse.com the forum for Hanse Yachts owners throughout the world.