Max Power retractable thrusters

A retractable thruster exists for one reason: the boat can't, or shouldn't, have a hole through the bow. Fin-keel sailboats with a shallow forefoot, fast planing hulls where a tunnel costs speed, and builders who just don't want the drag. Max Power has one of the widest retractable ranges on the market, from a 40 kg electric unit to a 320 kg hydraulic one.

Electric: Compact Retract

The Compact Retract is the one most owners in the 30 to 50 ft range will look at. Max Power describes it as a lightweight composite unit for 9 to 16 m yachts, and the details that matter at install time are:

• It bolts onto a flange instead of being laminated directly into the hull.
• The hull opening and external profile are kept small.
• No exposed moving parts inside the yacht, and a splash-resistant interior.
• Intelligent position detection, so the system knows whether the leg is up or down.

Three versions share the same 40 kg body and 185 mm prop: 70 kgf on 12V, 85 kgf on 24V and 100 kgf on 48V. A joystick, control cable and mounting support are included.

That spread is the clearest illustration we know of why voltage matters. Same hardware, 30 kgf difference between 12V and 48V.

Which voltage? If the boat is 12V and has no plan for a second bank, the 12V version works, but you're accepting the lowest thrust and the heaviest current. If there's already a 24V system, or you're adding a dedicated bow battery anyway, the 24V or 48V version gets more out of the same hull opening, and the opening is the expensive part.

Electric: VIP 150 and VIP 250

The VIP units are aimed higher: Max Power says high-performance sailing yachts and fast motor yachts from 40 to 60 ft. They retract vertically using what Max Power calls a patented thrust plate design.

Max Power says the 48V VIP 150 cuts current draw by 48 percent and increases the operating cycle by 50 percent compared with 24V. For a thruster that already has to share space with a retraction mechanism, smaller cable is welcome.

Proportional versions, the VIP150 ECO and VIP250 ECO, are covered in our ECO and VIP ECO review.

Hydraulic: R200 to R600

The R-series is for yachts that already run hydraulics or have a PTO to spare.

• R200: 6 to 12 kW, around 35 kg, piston motor, for 45 to 68 ft production yachts. Opening and closing is electric with manual backup. Power from a PTO or 24V power pack.
• R300: 11 or 17.6 kW models, 73 kg, duo 3-blade props, for 60 to 104 ft.
• R450: 37 to 57 kW across three motor sizes, 165 kg, duo 5-blade props, hydraulic opening with a gas spring and positive locking. Max Power pitches it at performance yachts, sail and motor.
• R600: up to 83 kW, 320 kg, mono 4-blade prop, twin hydraulic cylinders, for 100 to 167 ft. Max Power says its locking system is inspired by aircraft landing gear.

Max Power quotes R-series thrust as a ratio rather than a fixed figure: around 10 kg per kW for the R200, 11 for the R300 and R450, 12 for the R600. Actual thrust depends on the hydraulic supply you give it. Also listed: VIP 150 HYD and VIP 250 HYD, hydraulic versions of the VIP bodies.

What the install actually involves

Retractables are the most labor-heavy thruster installs we do. Expect:

1. A survey of the forward hull for a flat-enough, deep-enough spot with room above for the unit when retracted.
2. Cutting the hull opening and laminating in the mounting flange or trunk, then fairing.
3. Structural reinforcement around the opening. Thrust and impact loads go into that flange.
4. Power cabling (DC) or hydraulic lines (R-series), plus control wiring and position sensing.
5. Testing the deploy and retract cycle out of the water before launch, then thrust testing in the water.

Our retractable thruster installation page covers the process in more depth, and tunnel vs retractable vs external explains when a retract is worth it.

The honest downsides

More parts move, so more parts can wear. A retract has a deploy mechanism, a seal or door arrangement, position sensors and the thruster itself. Growth and debris in the housing can stop it closing properly, so these units want regular haul-out inspection. None of that is special to Max Power; it's what retractables are.

Weight and space are the other cost. A 40 kg Compact Retract sits right in the bow, and the VIP 250 at 65 kg even more so. On a light performance boat that matters.

Against the competition

The obvious rivals are Sleipner's retractables and Quick's BTR range. Max Power's strengths are breadth (from 30 ft boats to 167 ft yachts under one brand) and the flange-mounted Compact Retract. For the hydraulic end, also read electric vs hydraulic thrusters.

Verdict

For a sailboat or fast cruiser between about 30 and 50 ft, the Compact Retract is the Max Power unit to look at, and the 24V or 48V version is worth the electrical work. Bigger boats have a real choice between VIP electric and R-series hydraulic, and that choice usually depends on what's already aboard. Before anything is ordered, we need to see the forward hull. Book a survey and bring the build drawings if you have them.

Questions people ask