Lewmar

Most boat owners know Lewmar from the winch handle in the cockpit or the hatch over the bunk. The company was founded in 1946 in Havant, on England's south coast, starting with dinghy fittings, and has been making marine hardware there ever since. In 2019 it became part of LCI Industries through its subsidiary Lippert Components.

Thrusters are one of Lewmar's quieter product lines in the US, but the TT range shows up on plenty of production boats, and it's a common like-for-like replacement when an older Lewmar thruster gives out.

What Lewmar sells in thrusters

Gen 2 TT tunnel thrusters

The core of the range. On/off DC thrusters with Lewmar's 5-blade TT propeller, designed for equal thrust in both directions. The manual lists tunnels of 110, 125, 140, 185, 250 and 300 mm, motors from 1.5 kW to 15 kW, and thrust from 28 kgf to 280 kgf. Smaller units are 12V; the 185 mm units come in 12V or 24V; the largest go to 24V and 48V. Ignition-protected versions are listed for the 110 to 185 mm sizes. Full detail in our Lewmar Gen 2 TT review.

Small Boat TT

Lewmar packages the 110 to 140 mm units as the Small Boat TT, for boats up to roughly 28 ft. Composite saddle and hub, no zinc anode, and kits that include the joystick, wiring, fuse holder and ANL fuse.

Proportional Thruster

A brushless DC thruster for 24V systems with variable speed, offered in 140, 185 and 250 mm tunnels at 2.2 to 8 kW. Lewmar lists run time as limited only by battery capacity, with no thermal cutouts during long maneuvers, and says it can retrofit into existing Lewmar installations.

Retractables and hydraulics

The Retractable Thruster MX Gen 2 comes in 140 and 185 mm with electric or hydraulic drive, and there's a vertical retracting thruster plus a proportional retro kit for retractables. For bigger boats, Lewmar sells hydraulic TT tunnel thrusters in 185, 250 and 300 mm, and aluminium swing-retracting hydraulic units: the 400 SAH (30 to 60 hp) and 500 SAH (65 to 75 hp).

What Lewmar does well

• Breadth with simple choices. One tunnel thruster family from 110 to 300 mm, with motor size as the main variable in the 185 mm tunnel.
• Retrofit friendliness. Lewmar says Gen 2 can reuse existing mounting holes from earlier generations.
• Clear documentation. The Gen 2 manual includes tunnel wall thickness, fuse ratings, cable tables by current and distance, and positioning rules in one place.
• Wide retail availability in the US through big chandleries.

Where it's weaker

• The mainstream TT is on/off only; the proportional unit is a separate, 24V-only product.
• Lewmar's thruster control ecosystem is simpler than the networked systems some competitors push. That's a plus for some owners and a minus for others.
• Lewmar's website configurator and the printed manual don't always match exactly on the largest 48V models, so confirm the part number before ordering.

Installer notes

Lewmar's install rules are standard and sensible: tunnel as far forward as possible, one diameter below the waterline (0.75 diameter minimum), and at least two diameters long. The manual sets minimum running voltage at the motor of 10V on 12V systems and 21V on 24V systems, so cable sizing is not a place to save money. Our bow thruster installation page covers how we approach it, and the bow thruster cost guide explains where the money goes.

How Lewmar compares

Against Max Power, the closest like-for-like, Lewmar's Gen 2 uses single props through 185 mm while Max Power puts twin props in several smaller tunnels. Our Lewmar vs Max Power comparison covers that in detail. Sleipner and Vetus have larger thruster-specific dealer networks and more emphasis on proportional and networked control.

If you're replacing an old Lewmar or fitting a first thruster to a sailboat, Lewmar belongs on the list. Tell us about the boat and we'll check the tunnel and wiring before you order.

Questions people ask