Dealer Testimonials The Netherlands

Experiences of Jet Thruster dealers

The Jet Thruster system was marketed by manufacturer Holland Marine Parts in 2010. In the years prior the company conducted thorough research on an earlier system, based on a similar principle. This resulted in a completely new design: the ultra-reliable Jet Thruster on the market now.

One of the people involved in development of the Jet Thruster from the start is Karst Braaksma. Together with his wife Yvonne he owns Karyvo Nautische Dienstverlening (Karyvo Nautical Services) in Sneek, the Netherlands. Karst has contributed greatly to the development of our product. For instance, he replaced the original electronic controls, which were sensitive to interference, with electrical controls. Karst: “Electronics and water are each other’s enemy. The new electrical controls make the system 100% reliable. Through the use of HMP quality materials and adjustments to the piping it has been made interference-free and much more powerful.”

Efficient

“It’s not just the reliability, but also the efficiency of the system that makes the Jet Thruster unique,” Karst says. “Because the nozzles have been positioned further to the front (or back) the moment is increased. In other words, less force is required to make the desired turn through the greater leverage from the pivot point.”

Waterproof

Karst points to the fact that if a ship takes in water, all electronics exposed to the water will simply stop functioning and will need to be replaced. An electrical system that gets wet can simply be dried off and used again. “If a switch or relay gives out it can be (temporarily) replaced by standard parts. This is what’s so great about it: in such an event you can repair the Jet Thruster with just a wrench and a screwdriver. If you don’t know how to fix it, it is just a matter of making one telephone call. In this way I can always help people remotely, even from the other side of the world.”

Promotion Happens Automatically

“With the increased use of the bow thruster I expect the Jet Thruster will gain an ever larger share,” said Karst. Rody Gilhuis, owner of GMS Gilhuis Marine Services in Zwijndrecht, the Netherlands, and Jet Thruster dealer, agrees. “The system has the potential to be a great success. In our view it just needs to become better known before it will sell itself. The owners promote the product. By now we have installed the system in a number of vessels, so far in sailing yachts as an alternative to the bow thruster. The installation time is shorter, but the system itself is more expensive. We need to try our best to explain to customers that it is an investment for the future, because the system does not require any maintenance after installation. The bow thruster, usually made of synthetic material, is more vulnerable, and such a system requires regular maintenance. I think it is a fine system, which responds quickly and is certainly not inferior to the bow thruster. On the contrary. The only difference is that the water needs to be expelled before first frost. “That’s right,” said Karst Braaksma. “The system needs to be made water-free before frost sets in. This is to protect the ball valves within the system. By connecting a compressor to an air valve this only takes about ten minutes.”

Modern

Henk-Jan Kok is at the helm of v.o.f. Scheepsbouw Achterbos Theo Kok in Vinkeveen, the Netherlands. He is an eighth generation owner. Just like his fellow dealers, Henk-Jan recognises the added value of the Jet Thruster. And in specific situations, in particular. “I experience the performance of the system as equal to bow and stern thrusters – both systems are incredibly easy to use. And the Jet Thruster indeed produces less noise; you can hear the motor softly, and apart from that you just hear some water bubbling. Sailing yacht owners are taken with the much smaller installation holes. For bow thrusters, holes 12.5 to 18.5 centimetres in diameter are sufficient, and the outlet nozzles only require 3 to 4 centimetres. This results in much decreased resistance. And then there is the optical effect – each captain has a special bond with his ship, and prefers its appearance to be disrupted as little as possible. Furthermore there are various vessels in which space is too limited for the installation of a bow or stern thruster, such as American speedboats.” Henk-Jan puts it nicely when he says: “A bow thruster or Jet Thruster is not a system to be ashamed of. It provides greater pleasure and comfort; we haven’t been making coffee manually for quite some time anymore either, have we? It a modern system. The idea alone breathes calm and confidence.”

New Developments

Karst Braaksma: “By now we also see many owners of the previous Jet Thruster system who want to upgrade to the new one. At a fairly low cost we change the old system into a modern Jet Thruster system. Another novelty is the remote control. Using this sturdy and waterproof long-range remote control the Jet Thruster can even be manoeuvred remotely from ashore. The people who have purchased this extra are immensely enthusiastic about it.”

Address:

Jet Thruster North America
2226 72nd Dr. East
Sarasota, FL 34243

Contact information:

Tel. (855) 584-7878 (941) 212-5023
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All our products are manufactured according to CE regulations. We keep the rights to change descriptions, graphs or statements, which are required for technical development of our Jet Thruster systems.