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Sideshift thruster review: what it drills, who it suits
Several of the owners quoted on this page came to Sideshift the same way: a A tube bored straight through the hull below the waterline, with a propeller in the middle of it. It is the conventional thruster. Fitting one is mostly a labor job rather than a hardware one. thruster was quoted, and there was no room inside the boat for it. This review sets out what Sideshift publishes, what the install involves, what owners paid, and what to ask before you order.
Sideshift makes bracket-mounted bow and stern thrusters. They bolt to the outside of the hull, the The flat surface across the very back of the boat. or a The shelf across the back of the boat at water level, for boarding and swimming. A stern thruster can hang underneath it., and on the standard mounts every bolt and cable hole is above the waterline. The company has built them in Carleton Place, Ontario since 2001. It sells in over 60 countries by its own count (its history page says over 40), and it describes itself as the only North American volume manufacturer of externally mounted thrusters.
How this review was made. From the documents and from owners: nobody here has fitted or run a Sideshift. It is built from their 76-page installation manual (Rev 3.1, November 2025) and their product pages and FAQ, read 23 September 2026. Owner reports come from the boating forums, 2012 to 2025. Where two of Sideshift's own documents disagree, you get both figures.
The short answer
An external unit that bolts to the outside of the hull, at the bow, on the transom or under a swim platform. On the standard mounts, nothing is drilled below the waterline.
The owner reports cluster on single-screw trawlers and twin-engine cruisers of 34 to 42 ft. Their owners want the stern to behave, and the The storage locker at the very back of the boat, under the aft deck or cockpit. On many boats it is already full of steering gear, tanks and hoses. That is why a stern thruster often has nowhere to go. is already full of generator, tanks and hoses.
It goes where a tunnel cannot, and stern control is the job owners praise most. The joystick is wireless, so no control cable runs to the helm.
Sideshift publishes no thrust rating for any model, so you cannot compare it with other makers on published numbers. It also needs its own cranking batteries and a prop at least 5 inches under the waterline.
The kit is $4,495 for the SS230 and $5,495 for the SS350 or ST350, plus $150 shipping. Sideshift's own table puts the installed cost at $5,750–$9,400, with batteries and a dealer fitting.
What Sideshift publishes
Here is every model Sideshift sells, as their own pages describe it. Horsepower and start current come from the manual's series table. Boat sizes and prices come from the product pages. Click a model to open its card.
Show every Sideshift model (18 rows)
| Model | End | Boat, as they state it | Motor | Start current | Kit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sideshift SS230 Bow Thruster
The maker’s own listing, read 28 August 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on the maker’s site | Bow | up to 30 ft | 2.5 hp, 12 V | 300 A | $4,495 |
| Sideshift SS240 Bow Thruster
The maker’s own listing, read 28 August 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on the maker’s site | Bow | up to 35 ft | 3.5 or 3.75 hp, 24 V | 300 or 200 A | $4,995 |
| Sideshift SS350 Bow Thruster
The maker’s own listing, read 28 August 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on the maker’s site | Bow | 35 to 50 ft, to 20 tons | 7.5 hp, 24 V | 400 A | $5,495 |
| Sideshift ST350 Stern Thruster
The maker’s own listing, read 28 August 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on the maker’s site | Stern | 35 to 50 ft, to 20 tons | 7.5 hp, 24 V | 400 A | $5,495 |
| Sideshift ST350-D Stern Thruster
The maker’s own listing, read 28 August 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on the maker’s site | Stern | 50 to 70 ft, to 35 tons | 15 hp, 24 V | two units, each as above | $8,995 |
| Sideshift OB230 Outboard Stern Thruster
The maker’s own listing, read 28 August 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on the maker’s site | Stern | up to 30 ft, outboard boats | 2.5 hp, 12 V | 300 A | $4,495 |
| Sideshift OB230-D Outboard Stern Thruster
The maker’s own listing, read 28 August 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on the maker’s site | Stern | up to 40 ft, outboard boats | 5 hp, 12 V, two props | 500 A | $4,995 |
| Sideshift OB240 Outboard Stern Thruster
The maker’s own listing, read 28 August 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on the maker’s site | Stern | up to 35 ft, outboard boats | 3.5 or 3.75 hp, 24 V | 300 or 200 A | $4,995 |
| Sideshift OB240-D Outboard Stern Thruster
The maker’s own listing, read 28 August 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on the maker’s site | Stern | 35 to 50 ft, outboard boats | 7.5 hp, 24 V, two props | 400 A | $5,495 |
| Sideshift SD230 Sterndrive Stern Thruster
The maker’s own listing, read 28 August 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on the maker’s site | Stern | up to 30 ft, sterndrive boats | 2.5 hp, 12 V | 300 A | $4,495 |
| Sideshift SD230-D Sterndrive Stern Thruster
The maker’s own listing, read 28 August 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on the maker’s site | Stern | 30 to 40 ft, sterndrive boats | 5 hp, 12 V, two props | 500 A | $4,995 |
| Sideshift SD240 Sterndrive Stern Thruster
The maker’s own listing, read 28 August 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on the maker’s site | Stern | up to 35 ft, sterndrive boats | 3.5 or 3.75 hp, 24 V | 300 or 200 A | $4,995 |
| Sideshift SD240-D Sterndrive Stern Thruster
The maker’s own listing, read 28 August 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on the maker’s site | Stern | 35 to 50 ft, sterndrive boats | 7.5 hp, 24 V, two props | 400 A | $5,495 |
| Sideshift WB230 Wakeboat Stern Thruster
The maker’s own listing, read 28 August 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on the maker’s site | Stern | up to 30 ft, express cruiser, wake boat | 2.5 hp, 12 V | 300 A | $4,495 |
| Sideshift PT230 Retractable Pontoon Thruster
The maker’s own listing, read 28 August 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on the maker’s site | Bow, retracts | up to 35 ft, pontoon | 2.5 hp, 12 V | 300 A | $4,495 |
| Sideshift PT360 Pontoon Joystick System
The maker’s own listing, read 28 August 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on the maker’s site | Bow and stern, retracts | up to 35 ft, pontoon | 2.5 hp, 12 V | two units, each as above | $6,995 |
| Sideshift HB340 Retractable Houseboat Thruster
The maker’s own listing, read 30 August 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on the maker’s site | Bow or stern, retracts | up to 40 ft, houseboat | 5 hp, 12 V | 550 A | $5,995 |
| Sideshift HB350 Retractable Houseboat Thruster
The maker’s own listing, read 28 August 2026. Full page: fit, cost and wiring See it on the maker’s site | Bow or stern, retracts | 40 to 75 ft, to 30 tons, houseboat | 7.5 hp, 24 V | 400 A | $6,495 |
The 240 rows show two motor figures because Sideshift's own documents disagree. The product page says 3.5 hp and 300 A. The manual says 3.75 hp and 200 A for the same motor. The ST350-D is two ST350 units in one kit, each wired to its own batteries.
What they publish about the system
| Rule | Published | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Thrust | Not published, any model | See the next section |
| Propeller depth | Top of the prop at least 5 in below the shallowest waterline | Consistent |
| Run time | Bursts of 3 to 5 seconds. Never more than 20 to 30 seconds. | FAQ says 5 to 10 second bursts, 30 seconds maximum, 10 seconds cool-down |
| Charge | About 50 thruster cycles on new, full batteries | Manual only |
| Speed | In rough water, a recommended maximum of 15 mph. A thruster that lives inside the hull and drops down through a hatch when you press the button, then pulls back up. It leaves no permanent hole in the water flow. models stowed before 3 mph. | FAQ: "zero drag while the boat is on plane" |
| Install time | 6 to 8 hours per thruster | Owners report more; see below |
| In the water | Allowed, with a cordless drill only. The manual adds that "land-based installation is easier, and recommended". | Consistent |
| Battery to controller | Manual: under 10 ft | FAQ: up to 30 ft in one answer, and 30, 40 or 50 ft by series in another (table below) |
| Maintenance | Sealed motor. A block of zinc or aluminum bolted to the thruster that corrodes on purpose, so the seawater eats it instead of the gearbox. It is replaced when it is about half gone, usually once a year. at least yearly. Check the straps for play. Antifouling optional. | Consistent |
| Warranty | 2 years, "faulty workmanship or defective materials" | Seven exclusions. Paint and wear are not covered. |
| Shipping | $150 per kit, US and Canada | Rest of world: $750 on the FAQ page, $250 on the product pages |
| Returns | Within 30 days, uninstalled, freight prepaid, "possible restocking charge" | Consistent |
Sources: the installation manual, the FAQ, the SS350 and ST350 pages, and the refund policy. Sideshift's manuals page also carries the 230 and 240 motor replacement guide, the 340 and 350 motor replacement guide and the propeller replacement instructions.
The number they do not publish
Sideshift publishes no thrust figure. Every other maker on this site rates its thrusters in pounds or kilograms of push. Sideshift rates theirs in horsepower, volts and amps. We checked all eighteen product pages, the FAQ and the manual twice, and none of them gives a thrust figure.
Why that matters to you. Thrust is the number the whole industry sizes on. It is also the only number that would let you set an SS350 beside a VETUS or a Sleipner of similar price and ask which will keep your bow under control in a breeze.
This page does not work out a figure of its own. A propeller's push depends on its diameter, its pitch and how deep it runs, as well as on motor power. Any figure we worked out would be ours, with nothing of theirs to check it against.
So this page sizes a Sideshift the way the makers do. It uses the length and weight lines on every product page (in the table above) and what owners report. Two published lines matter most:
SS350 and ST350. For 35 to 50 ft boats, up to 20 tons.
ST350-D, two stern units. Above the SS350 line, Sideshift moves you to this kit, for 50 to 70 ft and 35 tons. One 56 ft owner reported the company telling him the same in person.
The thruster finder, our free tool that matches a thruster to your boat, and the calculator size every thruster the same way. They use the turning effort a boat needs to keep steering in a 15 knot breeze. Published figures cannot place a Sideshift on that scale. The finder still lists them, sized cautiously from the motor rating, and prints no thrust figure for them.
Read a Sideshift row in the finder carefully. It means the maker says it fits your length. It does not mean anyone has measured the fit.
What it drills, and how long it takes
The brochure says no holes. The manual says where they go.
On a bow unit, there are pilot holes at the clamp strap's bolt positions. They are enlarged for A bolt that passes right through the hull or deck with a nut on the inside, instead of a screw that only bites into the surface. where you can reach the inside, or for epoxied hull inserts where you cannot. The strap's flange holes sit 2 to 3 inches above the waterline. The power cables go through two half-inch holes in the keel "just above the thruster base", and the base is the part the clamp strap bolts to, so those holes sit higher than the strap.
On a stern unit, there are four mounting holes on the The flat surface across the very back of the boat. or under the The shelf across the back of the boat at water level, for boarding and swimming. A stern thruster can hang underneath it.. There is also one hole per cable "above the highest waterline".
On the standard mounts, every one of those holes is above the water. That is the accurate version of the claim, and it is a real advantage. Our no-hole page sets what each product drills beside every other external unit on the market.
Two rules from the same manual decide whether it fits your boat at all.
Prop depth. The top of the propeller must sit at least 5 inches below the shallowest waterline, with the boat empty.
Clear water. The unit must sit clear of the main propeller's wash and the The blade behind the propeller that steers the boat, and it only works when water is flowing past it. At docking speed it does almost nothing, and in reverse it does nothing at all if it sits behind the propeller..
On a transom that runs out of hull quickly, the 5, 10, 15 inch extension brackets are there to help. The depth rule is also what ended the project for at least one Nordic Tug owner.
One mount does drill below the waterline. Where neither an L-bracket nor a platform mount will work, the manual's third option is to bolt the unit flat to the transom. That one "requires holes under the waterline".
| Who | What | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sideshift, installation page and FAQ | Per thruster | 6 to 8 hours |
| Sideshift, product pages | The whole job | "will normally take you only hours to complete" |
| Adelaide, Jun 2012 | Stern unit, L-bracket, with two friends | "longer than I thought" |
| carpedatum, Feb 2021 | Bow and stern, boat in the water | "a couple of months worth of weekends" |
| Comodave, Jul 2022 | Bow unit, with his wife | About a day and a half |
| Comodave, Jul 2022 | Stern unit, with a neighbor, very tight access | One day |
| Commodore Gary, Jan 2025 | ST-340 on a swim platform, alone | One day |
| kabyak, Jan 2025 | ST350, boat in the water, from a paddleboard | Done, "but I wouldn’t do it again" |
The ST-340 in Commodore Gary’s row is not among the models on Sideshift’s current pages (the range table above).
The bracket goes on quickly. The wiring is what takes the time, on this unit as on every other external thruster.
Comodave's account is the useful one, because he did both ends and timed them. His stern unit went on in a day. He built the batteries, fuse and controller onto a plywood tray on the dock and slid the whole assembly into the engine room.
A tip worth copying. The manual recommends exactly that. Our DIY page prices the split job for people who will drill and bolt but hand the electrical to a yard.
Batteries and cable
This is where owners get caught, and all of it is published.
Cranking batteries only. Sideshift wants A battery built to deliver a large current for a few seconds, the kind that starts an engine. Many thin plates suit a thruster’s short, hard burst. rated by cold cranking amps, or Cold cranking amps: how much current a battery can deliver in a short, hard burst, which is the rating starter batteries carry. A thruster draws like a starter, so the makers size its battery this way rather than by capacity., "NOT deep cycle".
Dedicated to the thruster. Put them as close to the controller as possible. A The batteries that run the boat’s lights, fridge and electronics, as distinct from the engine’s starting battery. They are built for a slow, steady draw. is "not recommended", and only the smallest unit may borrow a The electric winch at the bow that raises the anchor. It has its own heavy cable and often its own battery. That is why a bow thruster is sometimes wired alongside it. battery.
A second voltage on the 24 V units. They want two 12 V batteries in series, wired end to end so the pair makes 24 V. So a boat with a 12 V system gains a second voltage and needs a charger for it. The manual's own advice is a multi-bank shore charger or a A charger that takes the boat’s 12 volt supply and puts out a different voltage. It lets a 24 or 48 volt thruster bank charge from a 12 volt boat. off the alternator.
| Series | Batteries | Minimum CCA | Cable | Longest run, FAQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 230 | one 12 V starting battery | 850 A | 1/0 American wire gauge, the size scale for electrical cable. The number falls as the cable gets thicker: 2 AWG is thicker than 6, and 1/0, 2/0, 3/0 and 4/0 are thicker still. | 30 ft |
| 240 | two 12 V starting batteries in series | 850 A at 24 V | 2/0 American wire gauge, the size scale for electrical cable. The number falls as the cable gets thicker: 2 AWG is thicker than 6, and 1/0, 2/0, 3/0 and 4/0 are thicker still. | not stated |
| 340 | two 12 V starting batteries in parallel | 1700 A | 2/0 American wire gauge, the size scale for electrical cable. The number falls as the cable gets thicker: 2 AWG is thicker than 6, and 1/0, 2/0, 3/0 and 4/0 are thicker still. | 40 ft |
| 350 | two 12 V starting batteries in series | 850 A at 24 V | 2/0 American wire gauge, the size scale for electrical cable. The number falls as the cable gets thicker: 2 AWG is thicker than 6, and 1/0, 2/0, 3/0 and 4/0 are thicker still. | 50 ft |
Settle two things on the phone before you buy batteries.
The 24 V pairs. For two batteries in series, the FAQ says "a total of 850 cold cranking amps". The manual, on the ST350-D page, says "min. 850CCA each". Those are two different battery sizes.
The distance. The manual keeps the battery-to-controller run under 10 ft. The FAQ allows up to 30 ft in one answer, and 30, 40 or 50 ft by series in another (the table above). If the only place for the batteries is more than 10 ft from the controller, ask Sideshift which document to follow.
Sideshift sizes the bank in cranking amps, as most makers do. Our battery page explains why a thruster bank is rated that way rather than in How much a battery can supply slowly, over hours: ten amps for ten hours is a hundred amp-hours. It is the right measure for lights and a fridge. It is the wrong one for a thruster, which wants a lot of current for a few seconds.. The wiring page works out the voltage drop at both of Sideshift's distances, and the wiring calculator works it out at yours.
Owners split on this. Comodave fitted four batteries for his two 24 V units, and later lost a set to a faulty charger. One 34 ft owner ran his 12 V stern unit off two Absorbed glass mat: a sealed lead-acid battery with the acid held in fiberglass matting. It gives off no gas in normal use and holds its voltage well under a heavy draw. That is why thruster makers name it. house batteries with the engine running, against the maker's advice. He reports two seasons without trouble.
One Rinker owner (boatowner, Rinker owners' forum, Jul 2017) was not told about the second battery until after the install. He then found he could not run bow and stern together without the supply shutting down. Following the FAQ's battery rules would have avoided that.
Strengths and limitations
The limitations column is longer. Its two most serious lines are things the maker does not publish: a thrust figure, and one battery rule its two documents agree on.
What holds up
- Nothing below the waterline on the standard mounts. The bow clamp strap bolts through the hull 2 to 3 inches above the waterline, the cable holes sit above the strap, and the manual allows the job with the boat afloat.
- It goes where a tunnel cannot. Three owners chose it because a generator, a fuel tank or an air-conditioner sat exactly where a conventional stern thruster’s motor would have to go, and nothing had to be moved.
- "It gives me as much control over the stern as I have from my factory installed tunnel bow thruster." Stern control on a single-screw boat is the job owners praise most.
- "The boat has a windage problem and we back her into the slip, usually with a crosswind. The Sideshift thrusters make quick work of it." A 42 ft, 24,000 lb cruiser with an SS350 forward and an ST350 aft.
- The joystick and the key fob are wireless, so no control cable runs from the bow or the transom to the helm. "It would have been a major pain to run wires from the bow and stern to the helm on my boat."
- Long service is on record: eight years in fresh water without a fault, five years "and no issues what so ever", three years in salt water with both units "operating just fine".
- Every price is on the page, including shipping at $150 a kit in the US and Canada. The warranty is 2 years, the 76-page manual is free to read before you buy, and owners describe the support as "good to work with" and "excellent".
What does not
- No thrust rating, in any unit, for any model. Horsepower, volts and amps only. You cannot compare a Sideshift with a VETUS, a Sleipner or a DockStar on published numbers, and neither can we.
- The claim is 6 to 8 hours per thruster. Owners with the boat out of the water report a day to a day and a half per unit. Two who did it afloat report "a couple of months worth of weekends" and "I wouldn’t do it again".
- Dedicated cranking batteries, separate from the house bank: one 850 CCA battery for a 230, two in series for the 24 V units, "NOT deep cycle". One owner learned of the second battery after the install, at his own cost, and could not run bow and stern together.
- Their two documents disagree on the battery run: the manual keeps battery to controller under 10 ft, the FAQ allows 30 in one answer and 30, 40 or 50 ft by series in another. They also disagree on whether the 24 V pair needs 850 CCA in total or 850 each, and on the 240 series motor (3.5 hp and 300 A on the page, 3.75 hp and 200 A in the manual).
- The motor hangs on two stainless straps with nothing around the props. One second-hand owner’s straps failed; another owner’s caution is that "the exposed mount and props can snag lines like a dinghy painter".
- On a displacement hull the unit never leaves the water. Anodes at least yearly by the manual; one salt-water owner changed them every 12 to 18 months, kept a special wrench for the divers, and reported "a fair amount of marine growth". Paint, corrosion from neglect and entanglement are outside the warranty.
- Coating and corrosion disputes are on record: a factory coating that peeled in its first salt-water season (2017), and a second-hand account of a one-year-old unit whose powder coat came off in a sheet, with the claim refused as "galvanic corrosion" (2021).
- The propeller must sit 5 inches below the shallowest waterline. Extension brackets of 5, 10, 15 inches exist, at extra cost, and one builder told an owner a stern unit could not be got deep enough on his hull to be effective.
- The no-hole claim has one exception in their own manual: the horizontal transom mount "requires holes under the waterline". And a 15 mph maximum is recommended in rough water, which matters on a boat that planes.
- Returns: nothing once installed, nothing after 30 days, "a possible restocking charge", freight prepaid by you.
Who it is for
The owner reports cluster on boats of about 34 to 42 ft: One engine driving one propeller. It steers with a rudder, so it loses steering at low speed, and in reverse the propeller kicks the stern one way only. trawlers and twin-engine cruisers. The owner wants the stern to behave. The The storage locker at the very back of the boat, under the aft deck or cockpit. On many boats it is already full of steering gear, tanks and hoses. That is why a stern thruster often has nowhere to go. is already full of generator, water heater, tanks and hoses. None of the ST350 owners on record regrets the unit.
Good fit if…
You want the stern of a single-screw boat to behave. Stern control is the job owners praise most.
There is no room inside for a tunnel. Three of the owners quoted above chose it for that reason.
You want a thruster at both ends. Two owners fitted both, on 41 and 42 ft cruisers, with the one dual joystick Sideshift sells for the job. Both report being pleased with the result. Our page on bow and stern thrusters together prices the Sideshift pair beside every other route to a pair.
These owners also tend to say that a bow thruster is the better answer to a strong crosswind. They use the stern unit in bursts of a few seconds to walk the boat in, which is how the manual says to use it.
It may not suit your boat if…
Your The flat surface across the very back of the boat. cannot give the prop 5 inches of water.
You cannot add dedicated cranking batteries and a charger to go with them.
You run a fast boat in rough water. The 15 mph limit in rough water applies.
On a sailboat, the record is empty. Sideshift's comparison table lists sailboats among the hulls it fits. No sailboat owner's report is on record, and nothing is published on how the unit behaves with the boat heeled over under sail.
Houseboats and pontoons get their own models, the HB and PT series, which lift clear of the water. They are external units, and this site lists them with the other external thrusters.
What it costs
Sideshift is unusual: it publishes an installed figure. Every SS and ST product page carries a comparison table. Their own system is in one column and "Other Thrusters" in the other.
The left column is what they say about themselves. The right column is what they say about their competitors, and we have not checked it.
| Line | Sideshift, their figure | "Other Thrusters", their claim |
|---|---|---|
| Thruster hardware | $4,000–$6,300 | $5,000–$8,000 |
| Additional hardware | $300 | $500–$800 |
| Batteries and cable | $250–$1,000 | $250–$1,000 |
| Dealer installation | $1,200–$1,800 | $6,000–$10,000 |
| Total installed | $5,750–$9,400 | $11,750–$19,800 |
Our own estimate for one SS350 on a 42 ft trawler, fitted by a yard at the hourly rates this site uses everywhere, is $7,763 to $10,174 with no Lifting the boat out of the water on a travel lift or a trailer so work can be done below the waterline. It is billed separately from the job itself.. That overlaps the range they publish and runs past the top of it. Our labor hours for an external unit start from the installed figure Sideshift publishes and rise with boat length, so the two ranges share a starting point.
For both ends, an SS350 forward and an ST350 aft come to $15,526 to $20,348 fitted by a yard on that boat.
| Owner | Boat | What the figure covers | Figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| boatowner, Jul 2017 | Rinker, model not stated | Front and rear units, plus a second battery nobody had mentioned | $5,500 |
| boatowner, Jul 2017 | Rinker, model not stated | The second battery, on top | $600 |
| Slowasyougo, Oct 2019 | Not stated | Florida Thruster, tunnel bow thruster, the quote that sent him looking | $13,600 |
| Comodave, Aug 2021 | Formula 41PC | Conventional thrusters at both ends, the quotes he had in hand | $24,000 |
| Comodave, Aug 2021 | Formula 41PC | Both ends, "if I do the installation myself", before he bought | $12,000 |
| Gdavid, Aug 2021 | His father’s trawler, 24 V stern unit | Replacement motor after a shaft seal failed at about seven years | $1,000 |
| Comodave, Jun 2022 | Sideshift parts, self-installed | Parts, own labor | $4,500 |
| Rpoconnor, Jun 2022 | Mainship 390, Sideshift | Not stated what it covers | $6,909 |
| UrsusMaritimus, Jun 2022 | Sideshift, per unit, Canada | Parts, own labor | CA$4,900 |
| Commodore Gary, Jan 2025 | 34 ft single-engine trawler | ST-340 on the swim platform, fitted 2023, one day, his own labor, house batteries | CA$5,000 ("about $3,800 US", his own figure) |
| Comodave, Jan 2025 | Formula 41PC | Both ends: two 24 V units and four batteries, his own labor | $10,000 |
Commodore Gary's ST-340, as noted under the install table, is not among Sideshift's current models.
Read the Comodave rows together. He paid about $10,000 for two 24 V units, four batteries and his own labor on a 41 ft boat. Before buying he had estimated roughly $12,000. He also held quotes of $24,000 for conventional thrusters at both ends.
Those are his Jan 2025 and Aug 2021 figures. The cost page quotes the same two jobs from his Aug 2025 post, where both numbers are a little higher.
The saving depends on doing the work yourself.
Videos
Two of Sideshift’s own videos, from its YouTube channel: a bow unit going on, and an outboard and sterndrive stern kit going on with PowerboatTV. They are the maker’s pitch, and the second was made with a television crew. Watch them for how the kits go in, and take the claims to the sections above.
Questions to ask before you order
Sideshift publishes a phone number and promises unlimited technical support, and owners say the support is good. Get these answered in writing before you order.
- Can my transom get the prop 5 inches under? Measure from the The shelf across the back of the boat at water level, for boarding and swimming. A stern thruster can hang underneath it. or The flat surface across the very back of the boat. to the empty-boat waterline. Ask which bracket or extension that needs, and what it adds to the price.
- Which mount, and does it stay above the waterline? L-bracket and platform mounts do. The flat transom mount does not. Get the mount named on the quote.
- How many cranking amps, total or each? The FAQ and the manual word the 24 V battery pair differently. Ask for the Cold cranking amps: how much current a battery can deliver in a short, hard burst, which is the rating starter batteries carry. A thruster draws like a starter, so the makers size its battery this way rather than by capacity. figure per battery, in writing, and whether your existing bank meets it.
- How far can the batteries be from the controller on my boat? Under 10 ft by the manual, up to 30 ft by the FAQ's general answer and 30, 40 or 50 ft by its per-series one. Where you can physically put two A battery built to deliver a large current for a few seconds, the kind that starts an engine. Many thin plates suit a thruster’s short, hard burst. may decide it.
- Can bow and stern run at the same time on the batteries I plan to fit? The manual says each unit needs its own controller, receiver and batteries. One owner learned that after the install, at his own cost.
- What thrust does it make? They do not publish one. Ask anyway, and ask what they size on when they recommend one unit or two for your length and weight.
- How do the anodes come off, and will my diver's wrench fit? One salt-water owner kept a special wrench aboard for exactly this.
- What does the warranty cover on paint and corrosion? By its own terms, nothing caused by neglect, stray current or missed A block of zinc or aluminum bolted to the thruster that corrodes on purpose, so the seawater eats it instead of the gearbox. It is replaced when it is about half gone, usually once a year., and no paint at all. Ask what evidence they would want if a coating failed in year one.
- Is there a certified installer near me, and what do they charge? The installer map names them: 99 installers on 23 September 2026, 56 of them in the US, with a phone number and a website each, and no prices.