The RIMDRIVE, the silent thruster! 
Do you want a thruster that you cannot hear? 
The latest innovation from VETUS makes this possible!

There are two main reasons why the Rimdrive is silent. Firstly, the propeller forms the rotating part of the electric permanent magnet motor and therefore noisy gears are not used in this design. 

Secondly, a ring mounted around the propeller, prevents the propeller tips from cutting through the water. In other words, it prevents cavitation and noise! The proportional speed control also helps to prevent cavitation.

In contrast with conventional thrusters, the electric motor does not take up much valuable space inside the boat. The propeller forms the rotating part of the electric motor (rotor) and the fixed winding (stator) is mounted in the tunnel. This results in a very compact and self-contained thruster.

The motor control circuitry is mounted on top of the thruster with the significant advantage of being cooled by water in the tunnel. Maintaining a constant temperature in this circuitry is vital for the proper operation of the motor.

The Rimdrive features proportional control as standard. This means that the correct amount of thrust is always available to the helmsman, in order to cope with different manoeuvres and wind conditions. Furthermore, the Rimdrive offers virtually unlimited runtime, with the only limitation being the capacity of the battery bank.

Unique features 

• No carbon brushes 
• Silent operation due to a virtually cavitation free propeller and no use of gears 
• Proportional control as standard 
• Virtually unlimited runtime 
• Easy to install 
• Maintenance free 
• Lock the thruster at any speed and hold the boat alongside the dock 
• Can be used as a stern thruster 
• Suitable for aluminum, steel and GRP boats

The RIMDRIVE is available with thrust outputs of 125 or 160 kgf and requires a supply voltage of 48 Volts DC. This 48VDC can either be delivered by a 110/230VAC to 48VDC charger or by converting the normal 12 or 24V battery supply voltage by a DC to DC converter solution.