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Thruster specs
Max Power VIP 150: specs, price and the boats it fits
The VIP 150 is a bow thruster that hides: it drops out of the hull to push and lifts back into its housing when you let go, so the hull stays smooth under way. Max Power aims it at fast sailing yachts and quick motor yachts of 40 to 60 ft. Push runs 212 to 254 lb across its 12, 24 and 48 V builds.
Marinedeal sells the 12 V unit for $8,598 with its joystick, control box and cable; the 24 V one is a little more. Budget about $336 to $815 for a main switch, a fuse and the rest of the wiring. At 12 V the manual wants two or three big AGM batteries side by side, and we put the bank, cable and charging at $1,127 to $2,047. See every part.
Fitting one is a bigger yard job than a tunnel: a large opening in the hull, a housing to bond in, and a lift mechanism to keep healthy. The motor is brushed and rated for two minutes at a stretch. The 48 V build draws less current. Warranty: two years, by the manual.
The full spec sheet for a yard sits lower down, and the Max Power thruster review covers Max Power’s whole range.
Where this summary comes from (5 sources, read 12 October 2026)
Choose a size
The Max Power VIP 150 comes in two sizes. Each has its own price, wiring and boats it suits, so pick one and the facts, the fit, the cost and the spec sheet below show that size.
| Size | Push | Voltage | Max Power’s boat length | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIP 150 electric, 12V | 212 lb (96 kgf) | 12 V | 40 to 60 ft | $8,598 |
| VIP 150 electric, 24V | 254 lb (115 kgf) | 24 or 48 V | 40 to 60 ft | $8,698 |
Key facts
- DIY level 2 of 5 Wiring prep only
- Thrust 212 lb 96 kgf, Max Power's rating
- Boat length 40 to 60 ft Max Power's own range
- Price $8,598 equipment only, marinedeal.com, 12 October 2026
- Fitted by a yard $17,536 to $29,316 Our estimate at 50 ft, unit and job
- Voltage 12 V As sold
- Mounts Retractable Drops down, end not stated
- To fit it Haul-out The boat comes out of the water
- Run limit Not published Ask the maker before long use
Every figure here is the maker’s or a dealer’s, except the fitted cost, which is our estimate. The full spec sheet is further down.
How much of the install is yours
DIY levels
- Level 5: Owner install. No yard, no electrician.
- Level 4: You fit it, electrician connects. You mount and wire it; a marine electrician makes the final connections.
- Level 3: Split with the yard. The yard does the below-waterline part; you do the wiring.
- Level 2: Wiring prep only. The yard fits the unit and does the hull work; you do the wiring prep.
- Level 1: Yard job. A qualified professional does all of it.
You Yard Electrician. The bar is labor hours; a haul-out is a note.
How we rate DIYYou: 4 to 16 h Yard: 40 to 88 h Electrician: 2 to 4 h Plus a haul-out.
- Cut the hull and fit the housing and mechanism Yard 40 to 88 h Nobody publishes an hours figure. Fisheries Supply says installation is significantly more expensive than a tunnel, and that is too loose to turn into a number. So this is the tunnel’s own banded figure plus a quarter, which keeps it above a tunnel as the distributors describe it.
- Mount the battery box, switch and fuse holder; run and secure the cables You 4 to 16 h Our estimate. No maker times this step, and a first-time owner is slower than a yard, so the range is wide.
- Final connections at the battery and the motor, load test Electrician 2 to 4 h Our estimate. Nobody publishes a time for the final connections and test on their own.
Your part needs:Heavy battery cableCrimping big lugs
A qualified marine electrician should make the final connections and test them before first use. Hours are labor only.
Is it right for your boat?
Our figure is the longest boat one unit can steer in a 15 knot wind. It is a range because each kind of boat catches the wind differently. Here a houseboat gets full thrust to 36 ft, and an express cruiser to 62 ft. The maker gives one range for every boat.
The table below tries the Max Power VIP 150 on each kind of boat, at every length that kind of boat is built in. The wind is 15 knots and the rules are the finder’s own. A length counts as a fit when the unit gives the thrust that boat needs at the bow and the maker lists it for that length.
A boat up to 10 percent past the maker’s range still counts here, as it does in the finder. So the table runs down to 36 ft and up to 66 ft, just past Max Power’s own range (40 to 60 ft).
| Boat | Full thrust at 15 knots | Still a fit, in lighter wind |
|---|---|---|
| Pontoon & tritoon | Not listed. A retractable drops down inside the hull, and a pontoon has no hull depth to drop into. | |
| Sailboat | 41 to 49 ft | 50 to 66 ftfull thrust to about 11 knots at 66 ft |
| Houseboat | 36 ft only | 37 to 54 ftfull thrust to about 10 knots at 54 ft |
| Catamaran | 46 to 56 ft | 57 to 66 ftfull thrust to about 13 knots at 66 ft |
| Trawler | 41 to 48 ft | 49 to 66 ftfull thrust to about 11 knots at 66 ft |
| Motor yacht | 41 to 48 ft | 49 to 66 ftfull thrust to about 11 knots at 66 ft |
| Bass & flats | Not listed. A retractable needs hull depth to drop into, and these planing hulls have almost none forward. | |
| Wake & ski boats | Not listed. A retractable needs hull depth to drop into, and these planing hulls have almost none forward. | |
| Express cruiser | 52 to 62 ft | 63 to 65 ftfull thrust to about 14 knots at 65 ft |
| Center console | No length. More thrust than the boat needs. | |
Reading the two length columns. The first column is where one unit gives all the thrust the boat needs in 15 knots. The second is where the finder still lists it: the unit falls short of what the boat needs by no more than 10 percent, and gives the whole figure only in the lighter wind named. On a boat shorter than the first column’s shortest length, the unit is more than the boat needs.
It is sized for six kinds of boat here. For your own boat, the finder gives an answer that also counts your drive and who does the fitting. The compare page sets this unit beside others.
What it costs fitted
These totals are our estimate of a yard job: the unit’s price, plus a yard’s hours at $160 to $180 an hour, plus the batteries, cable and charger, plus the other parts the box does not hold. A 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. adds $640 to $3,180 at these lengths, with 5 to 7 days out of the water, worked from eight yards’ own rate cards. The hours are our own estimate. Your own yard will have its own opinion. The cost page builds the same figures line by line.
| Boat length | The unit | Yard labor | Haul-out | Batteries, cable, charger | Other parts | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 ft | $8,598 | $6,400 to $7,92040 to 44 hours | $640 to $1,740 | $1,212 to $1,653 | $336 to $815 | $17,186 to $20,726 |
| 50 ft | $8,598 | $6,400 to $15,84040 to 88 hours | $990 to $2,410 | $1,212 to $1,653 | $336 to $815 | $17,536 to $29,316 |
| 66 ft | $8,598 | $6,400 to $15,84040 to 88 hours | $1,260 to $3,180 | $1,212 to $1,653 | $336 to $815 | $17,806 to $30,086 |
How the batteries, cable and charger add up. We price a battery bank close to the thruster, as the makers recommend, with 10 to 20 ft of cable out and back: red for the positive, black for the negative, cut to length. The low end is the cheapest battery that meets the figure and the shorter run; the high end is a sealed (AGM) battery and the longer run. The charger is a NOCO GEN5X2 two-bank shore charger.
Batteries and lugs are priced at Fisheries Supply and the cable and charger at Defender, read 12 October 2026.
- At 12 V: two 12 V batteries side by side (in parallel), at least 1,150 CCA each (Max Power’s minimum), $886 to $1,104 for both; Max Power’s cable table gives 4/0 to 2 x 2/0 AWG: $180 to $403 for the red and black cable and the lugs; a GEN5X2 charger, $146.
The sizing and the costs on this page are estimates, for guidance only and without warranty. They are no quote, and nobody has inspected your boat. Check them against the maker’s manual and your yard before you rely on them. Terms of use.
Key facts
- DIY level 2 of 5 Wiring prep only
- Thrust 254 lb 115 kgf, Max Power's rating
- Boat length 40 to 60 ft Max Power's own range
- Price $8,698 equipment only, marinedeal.com, 12 October 2026
- Fitted by a yard $17,551 to $29,810 Our estimate at 50 ft, unit and job
- Voltage 24 V or 48 V As sold
- Mounts Retractable Drops down, end not stated
- To fit it Haul-out The boat comes out of the water
- Run limit Not published Ask the maker before long use
Every figure here is the maker’s or a dealer’s, except the fitted cost, which is our estimate. The full spec sheet is further down.
How much of the install is yours
DIY levels
- Level 5: Owner install. No yard, no electrician.
- Level 4: You fit it, electrician connects. You mount and wire it; a marine electrician makes the final connections.
- Level 3: Split with the yard. The yard does the below-waterline part; you do the wiring.
- Level 2: Wiring prep only. The yard fits the unit and does the hull work; you do the wiring prep.
- Level 1: Yard job. A qualified professional does all of it.
You Yard Electrician. The bar is labor hours; a haul-out is a note.
How we rate DIYYou: 4 to 16 h Yard: 40 to 88 h Electrician: 2 to 4 h Plus a haul-out.
- Cut the hull and fit the housing and mechanism Yard 40 to 88 h Nobody publishes an hours figure. Fisheries Supply says installation is significantly more expensive than a tunnel, and that is too loose to turn into a number. So this is the tunnel’s own banded figure plus a quarter, which keeps it above a tunnel as the distributors describe it.
- Mount the battery box, switch and fuse holder; run and secure the cables You 4 to 16 h Our estimate. No maker times this step, and a first-time owner is slower than a yard, so the range is wide.
- Final connections at the battery and the motor, load test Electrician 2 to 4 h Our estimate. Nobody publishes a time for the final connections and test on their own.
Your part needs:Heavy battery cableCrimping big lugs
A qualified marine electrician should make the final connections and test them before first use. Hours are labor only.
Is it right for your boat?
Our figure is the longest boat one unit can steer in a 15 knot wind. It is a range because each kind of boat catches the wind differently. Here a houseboat gets full thrust to 39 ft, and an express cruiser to 65 ft. The maker gives one range for every boat.
The table below tries the Max Power VIP 150 on each kind of boat, at every length that kind of boat is built in. The wind is 15 knots and the rules are the finder’s own. A length counts as a fit when the unit gives the thrust that boat needs at the bow and the maker lists it for that length.
A boat up to 10 percent past the maker’s range still counts here, as it does in the finder. So the table runs down to 36 ft and up to 66 ft, just past Max Power’s own range (40 to 60 ft).
| Boat | Full thrust at 15 knots | Still a fit, in lighter wind |
|---|---|---|
| Pontoon & tritoon | Not listed. A retractable drops down inside the hull, and a pontoon has no hull depth to drop into. | |
| Sailboat | 44 to 53 ft | 54 to 66 ftfull thrust to about 12 knots at 66 ft |
| Houseboat | 36 to 39 ft | 40 to 59 ftfull thrust to about 10 knots at 59 ft |
| Catamaran | 50 to 61 ft | 62 to 66 ftfull thrust to about 14 knots at 66 ft |
| Trawler | 44 to 53 ft | 54 to 66 ftfull thrust to about 12 knots at 66 ft |
| Motor yacht | 44 to 53 ft | 54 to 66 ftfull thrust to about 12 knots at 66 ft |
| Bass & flats | Not listed. A retractable needs hull depth to drop into, and these planing hulls have almost none forward. | |
| Wake & ski boats | Not listed. A retractable needs hull depth to drop into, and these planing hulls have almost none forward. | |
| Express cruiser | 56 to 65 ft | None |
| Center console | No length. More thrust than the boat needs. | |
Reading the two length columns. The first column is where one unit gives all the thrust the boat needs in 15 knots. The second is where the finder still lists it: the unit falls short of what the boat needs by no more than 10 percent, and gives the whole figure only in the lighter wind named. On a boat shorter than the first column’s shortest length, the unit is more than the boat needs.
It is sized for six kinds of boat here. For your own boat, the finder gives an answer that also counts your drive and who does the fitting. The compare page sets this unit beside others.
What it costs fitted
These totals are our estimate of a yard job: the unit’s price, plus a yard’s hours at $160 to $180 an hour, plus the batteries, cable and charger, plus the other parts the box does not hold. A 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. adds $640 to $3,180 at these lengths, with 5 to 7 days out of the water, worked from eight yards’ own rate cards. The hours are our own estimate. Your own yard will have its own opinion. The cost page builds the same figures line by line.
| Boat length | The unit | Yard labor | Haul-out | Batteries, cable, charger | Other parts | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 ft | $8,698 | $6,400 to $7,92040 to 44 hours | $640 to $1,740 | $1,127 to $2,047 | $336 to $815 | $17,201 to $21,220 |
| 50 ft | $8,698 | $6,400 to $15,84040 to 88 hours | $990 to $2,410 | $1,127 to $2,047 | $336 to $815 | $17,551 to $29,810 |
| 66 ft | $8,698 | $6,400 to $15,84040 to 88 hours | $1,260 to $3,180 | $1,127 to $2,047 | $336 to $815 | $17,821 to $30,580 |
How the batteries, cable and charger add up. We price a battery bank close to the thruster, as the makers recommend, with 10 to 20 ft of cable out and back: red for the positive, black for the negative, cut to length. The low end is the cheapest battery that meets the figure and the shorter run; the high end is a sealed (AGM) battery and the longer run. The charger is a NOCO GEN5X2 two-bank shore charger.
Batteries and lugs are priced at Fisheries Supply and the cable and charger at Defender, read 12 October 2026.
- At 24 V: two 12 V batteries in series, at least 1,150 CCA each (Max Power’s minimum), $886 to $1,104 for both; Max Power’s cable table gives 1/0 to 3/0 AWG, priced on 1/0 to 4/0 AWG, the nearest size cut to length: $95 to $314 for the red and black cable and the lugs; a GEN5X2 charger, $146.
- At 48 V: four 12 V batteries in series, at least 800 CCA each (Max Power’s minimum), $1,440 for all four; Max Power’s cable table gives 1/0 to 3/0 AWG, priced on 1/0 to 4/0 AWG, the nearest size cut to length: $95 to $314 for the red and black cable and the lugs; two GEN5X2 chargers, $293.
The sizing and the costs on this page are estimates, for guidance only and without warranty. They are no quote, and nobody has inspected your boat. Check them against the maker’s manual and your yard before you rely on them. Terms of use.
What else you buy
What follows comes from Max Power’s CT100 and CT125 installation manual, July 2024, read 30 September 2026. That manual is written for the tunnel units. A retractable unit brings its own housing, so there is no tunnel to buy.
- In the box
- The motor with its relay, the electronic controller, the composite leg with screws and gasket, two propellers. "The thruster is delivered without accessories (fuse, fuse holder, control panel)."
- Bought separately
- The fuse and holder, a manual battery isolator and an electric one, the control panel, an 8 A control fuse, a breaker on the DC panel and the battery cable.
- Charging
- Max Power is the one maker that asks for both: the engine's alternator and a charger. A dedicated bank is optional and goes "as close as possible to the thruster". It wants starting-type batteries with high cold cranking amps.
The manual’s words, page 3: “The batteries used by the thruster must be charged by both the main engine's alternator and an appropriate battery charger.”
The “other parts” line in the estimate above is the priced parts below, $336 to $815 at Fisheries Supply’s prices on 30 September 2026. The batteries, cable and charger have a line of their own.
| Part | What it is | What to ask for | Dealer price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control panel | The buttons or joystick at the helm. One helm, one panel: a second steering station needs a panel of its own. | A Max Power control panel, sold with its own guide | $219–$374Side-Power touch panel and single joystick, VETUS push-button panel, Lewmar single joystick, at Fisheries Supply. |
| Control cable, panel to motor | The thin cable from the helm to the motor. Sold by length. | Max Power names none | $29–$173Side-Power control cables, VETUS panel cables, Lewmar Gen 2 connecting cables, at Fisheries Supply. |
| Main fuse | A slow-blow fuse of the ANL type at the battery, in the size the maker prints for the model. | Ceramic or ANL, the rating in the manual's table | $18–$57Side-Power ANL fuses, Blue Sea ANL fuses, at Fisheries Supply, read 16 October 2026. |
| Fuse holder | The block the ANL fuse bolts into, with a cover. | Holder T1 OPTI3119 or T2 | $27–$93Egis and Blue Sea ANL fuse blocks, Side-Power ANL fuse holders, at Fisheries Supply, read 16 October 2026. |
| Main battery switch | The switch that cuts the thruster off from its battery when you leave the boat. | A manual isolator, plus the electric isolator OPTI3160/3 (12 V) or OPTI3170/3 (24 V) | $35–$107Egis m-Series 300 A, Blue Sea e-Series 350 A and HD-Series 600 A on/off switches, at Fisheries Supply, read 16 October 2026. |
| Control-circuit fuse and switch | A small fuse, and often a switch, on the thin wire that powers the panel or control box. | An 8 A fuse on the control box feed | $8–$12Blue Sea in-line ATO fuse holders, at Fisheries Supply, read 16 October 2026. |
| Battery cable and lugs | The two heavy cables from the battery to the motor, sized to the length of the run. The wiring calculator sizes them. | Max Power names none | In the electrical line |
| Battery bank | A cranking-type bank near the motor, sized by the maker's cold cranking amps. The battery calculator checks it. | Max Power names none | In the electrical line |
| Charger or charge feed | How the thruster bank gets charged: a shore charger of its own, a DC-to-DC charger or charging relay from the boat's system, or a charger built into the unit. | Max Power names none | $146–$305NOCO GEN5X2 shore charger, Victron Orion-Tr Smart DC-DC charger, Blue Sea ML-ACR charging relay, at Fisheries Supply. |
| Glass, resin, filler and sealant | What bonds the tube or housing into the hull and seals the gear leg. | Max Power names none | Not priced |
The cost page has the whole list with what every maker says about each part.
For the yard and the installer
The full spec sheet, grouped the way a yard reads it. Every figure is the maker’s or a dealer’s, with its source.
| Thrust and motor | |
|---|---|
| Thrust | 212 lb (96 kgf) As printed: 96(kg) / 212(lbs) |
| Motor | 7.1 kW |
| Voltage | 12 V |
| Fitting | |
| Type | Retractable, drops down |
| End of the boat | Not stated |
| Tunnel diameter | 185 mm |
| What it does to the hull | Large hull opening below the waterline |
| Haul-out to fit it | Yes |
| Maker’s boat length | 40 to 60 ft |
| Price and ordering | |
| Price | $8,598 equipment only, a dealer's price, marinedeal.com, 12 October 2026 |
| Part number | 35023VIP 150 electric, 12 V 35024VIP 150 electric, 24 V 636661VIP 150 electric, 48 V |
| Documents | |
| Manual | Installation manual (PDF)on the maker's site |
| Warranty | Max Power's website gives 3 years. Its manual gives 2, and 1 more if the warranty is registered within 3 months of installation. Outside pleasure craft it is 6 months. It transfers to the next owner, and the first year covers up to 2 hours of labor in the field. Max Power's warranty conditions |
| The site’s review | Max Power thruster review |
For the yard and the installer
The full spec sheet, grouped the way a yard reads it. Every figure is the maker’s or a dealer’s, with its source.
| Thrust and motor | |
|---|---|
| Thrust | 254 lb (115 kgf) As printed: 115 (kg) / 254(lbs) |
| Motor | 8.56 kW |
| Voltage | 24 V or 48 V |
| Fitting | |
| Type | Retractable, drops down |
| End of the boat | Not stated |
| Tunnel diameter | 185 mm |
| What it does to the hull | Large hull opening below the waterline |
| Haul-out to fit it | Yes |
| Maker’s boat length | 40 to 60 ft |
| Price and ordering | |
| Price | $8,698 equipment only, a dealer's price, marinedeal.com, 12 October 2026 |
| Part number | 35023VIP 150 electric, 12 V 35024VIP 150 electric, 24 V 636661VIP 150 electric, 48 V |
| Documents | |
| Manual | Installation manual (PDF)on the maker's site |
| Warranty | Max Power's website gives 3 years. Its manual gives 2, and 1 more if the warranty is registered within 3 months of installation. Outside pleasure craft it is 6 months. It transfers to the next owner, and the first year covers up to 2 hours of labor in the field. Max Power's warranty conditions |
| The site’s review | Max Power thruster review |
Draw, cable, fuse and battery, at each voltage
These are the maker’s own figures, at each voltage it is sold at. The cable is the size for the shortest run in the maker’s table. A longer run may need heavier cable, and the wiring calculator works that out for your own boat.
| Voltage | Draw | Maker’s cable | Fuse | Battery | Run limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 V | 210 Ameasured draw | 1/0 AWG for up to 16 ft of cable counted out and back. Longer runs take heavier cableVIP 150 48V installation manual | 125 A ANLVIP 150 48V manual | The manual names the example starting battery, four in seriesMax Power installation manual VIP 150 48V | Not published |
- At 48 V: size the cable for your run, or check the battery you have.
What holds up and what to weigh
Each point names the fact it rests on.
What holds up
- It is sold at 12 V and at 24 V and at 48 V.The maker's and dealers' listings
What to weigh
- The boat comes out of the water to fit it: it needs a large hull opening below the waterline.The mounting: a bore through the hull, or a housing recessed into it
What the manual and listings say
This is the note we keep on the Max Power VIP 150, written from the maker’s manual, its product pages and the dealer’s listing.
In the box: Delivered without accessories: the fuse, holder and control panel are bought.
VIP 150 electric, 12 V
A vertically retracting unit: it drops below the hull to push and lifts back into its housing, leaving the hull smooth under way. Max Power's page says the VIP 150 suits high-performance sailing yachts and super-fast motor yachts of 40 to 60 ft, and that the VIP thrust plate is patented. A brushed DC motor; the manual rates it S2, two minutes at a stretch.
Retractables are a bigger yard job than a tunnel: a large hull opening, a housing, and a lift mechanism to keep working. At 12 V the manual asks for two to three starting batteries in parallel (its example is an AGM battery of 1,150 cold cranking amps and 100 Ah). The dealer price includes the joystick, the control box and its cable. Lithium only with Max Power's consent.
VIP 150 electric, 24 V
At 24 V the manual asks for two starting batteries in series at least, four (two strings) ideally.
VIP 150 electric, 48 V
A brushed DC motor; the manual rates it S2, two and a half minutes on the 48 V build at a stretch. Max Power calls it the first 48 V vertically retracting thruster on the market, and says the 48 V build draws 48 percent less current and runs 50 percent longer per cycle than the 24 V one.
Its manual measures 210 A at 45 V and asks for four starting batteries in series. Max Power publishes no price and sells through dealers.
Videos
One of Max Power’s own videos, from its YouTube channel: a short reel of the range. It is the maker’s pitch. Watch it for what the unit looks like and how it goes in, and take any claim back to the figures above.
Other sizes and close alternatives
These are Max Power’s nearest sizes by thrust, in any of its lines.
- One size down: Max Power Compact Retract, three sizes, 154 to 220 lb, $7,370.
- One size up: Max Power VIP 250, three sizes, 320 to 551 lb.
These are other makers’ units of the same style, for the same end, within a quarter of its published thrust. Each is that maker’s nearest match.
- Sleipner SRV100, 256 lb, $11,750.
- Quick BTR 185, six sizes, 143 to 231 lb, $12,436 to $17,991.
- Lewmar RT185 MX Gen 2, 214 lb, $8,687 to $9,034.
Every model with a page here is listed, maker by maker, on the thruster index.