A 90s DIY Bow Thruster Idea That Almost Worked? | Steel Sailboat Refit in Alaska

Somewhere in the early 1990s, a creative boat builder decided to build a DIY hydraulic bow thruster system using a pacer pump, a Micro-Commander valve setup, and a lot of determination. Fast-forward a few decades, and I’m in the Wrangell, Alaska shipyard trying to figure out how it ever worked - or if it ever really did!? I heard the pump turned, and maybe it moved the bow, but nobody is for sure. . . In this episode aboard our 80’ steel schooner Alaskan Gypsy: • exploring the bow compartment and old hydraulic plumbing • finding 1,600 pounds of poured lead ballast • freeing seized fittings and tracing mystery hoses • trying to understand this “innovative” 90s thruster idea • deciding whether to rebuild, replace, or retire it for good • watching paint burn and trying not to breath too much of it • yelling at my dad through 5/16" steel plate A respectful look at someone’s ambitious DIY project that might’ve been ahead of its time… or just a little off target. Subscribe for more real-world shipyard projects as we rebuild Alaskan Gypsy — welding, sandblasting, and restoring her for life back on Alaska’s wild waters. ⸻ 📑 Chapters 00:00 – Demoing more in the bathroom/head 00:30 – Inside the Bow Compartment 02:00 – Discovering the Hydraulic System 04:00 – Lead Ballast and Leverage 06:00 – Breaking Free the Seized Fittings 08:00 – Trying to Decode the 1990s Setup 10:30 – The “Innovation” That Maybe Worked 12:30 – Options for Modern Refit 14:30 – Wrap-Up: Keep It or Cut It