ABT TRAC

ABT TRAC is the American option in a market dominated by European brands. It builds thrusters, but it's equally known for stabilizers and the hydraulic systems that run both. Its thrusters are aimed at trawlers and motor yachts, where they often share a hydraulic system with TRAC stabilizers.

Where it came from

The company started in 1986 as Arcturus Marine Systems, founded by D'Milo Hallerberg, building the MiniThruster for domestic yacht and workboat builders. The Magnum series replaced it in 1989. In 1993 the company began marketing as American Bow Thruster and introduced the TRAC gearbox thruster with dual 5-blade counter-rotating propellers, which is still the basis of the range.

TRAC digital stabilizers followed in 1999, Stabilization at Rest in 2005, and custom hydraulic power units in 2007. In 2009 the marketing name changed to ABT TRAC to reflect the wider product line. The company shipped its first ReTRAC retractable thruster in 2013 and introduced TRAC Link, a CAN bus control system, in 2014.

In 2022, owner Roger Fellows combined ABT TRAC with WESMAR and SmartCatch to form Inov8v Marine Group. ABT TRAC's spec sheets list its base in Arlington, Washington.

The thruster range

Hydraulic

The core. Seven sizes from 8 to 28-inch tunnels, with high-efficiency piston motors and twin counter-rotating props. The 10-inch goes up to 30 hp, the 16-inch to 75 hp, the 28-inch to 200 hp. Control is single-speed or proportional. Most run from a TRAC integrated hydraulic system. See our hydraulic thruster review.

DC

The 8, 10 and 12-inch sizes come as 24V DC units rated at 91 to 155 kg nominal thrust, plus a 24 hp 48V 12-inch. ABT TRAC says the larger motors give run times of three minutes or more, and an optional fan cools the motor between bursts. Reviewed in ABT TRAC DC thrusters.

AC

From 25 to 200 hp, ABT TRAC thrusters can be configured for AC motors controlled by a variable frequency drive. The VFD provides variable speed and limits motor starting inrush current, which matters a lot on a generator.

Strengths

• Systems thinking. Thrusters, stabilizers and hydraulics designed together, and TRAC Link to control them from one panel.
• Heavy-duty hardware. Oversized gears and bearings, shrouded gearboxes and rotating seal guards on the hydraulic units.
• Sizing by windage. Spec sheets size thrusters against vessel windage and wind speed rather than just length.
• Domestic factory support from Washington State.

Weak spots

• Nothing for small boats; the smallest unit is an 8-inch, 24V DC thruster.
• Public spec sheets for the hydraulic units give horsepower and windage charts, not a kgf figure, so direct comparisons with European brands take more work.
• Hydraulic installs are complex and expensive to retrofit.

Installer notes

ABT TRAC jobs tend to be planned as systems. On a refit, the questions we ask first are what's already running on hydraulics, where the pump and reservoir can go, and whether the boat needs to thrust with the engines off. For DC units, the spec sheet's battery minimums (two Group 31s for the 8-inch, two 8-Ds for the 10 and 12-inch 24V units) and cable sizes up to 250 MCM decide most of the layout. The hydraulic spec sheets list tunnel dimensions for fiberglass, aluminium and steel, so tunnel choice can match the hull. See bow thruster installation and stern thruster installation, and the bow thruster cost guide for budgeting.

Who it suits

Trawlers, expedition boats and motor yachts, particularly where stabilizers are aboard or planned. If you're weighing ABT TRAC against Sleipner or a package through Imtra, the deciding factor is usually the whole system rather than the thruster. Read electric vs hydraulic thrusters, then contact us with your boat's specs.

Questions people ask