I'm only slightly tongue in cheek here. Moored in Menemsha a few weeks back, I was startled by that godawful sound, the bow thruster. Uggg. It was just a couple yards behind me. It sounds like a bad sound effect from Jurasic Park.

When I turned around in the cockpit, I couldn't see where it had come from. All there was behind me was a sloop about 34' long.......

"GRAAAAAAAK", the sloop blasted the horrible sound again. He was backing into his slip, actually just two pilings. But it was his permemant slip and I'm sure he had the bow thruster installed for it. His boat, a familiar design to me, is a fin keel with skeg mounted rudder.

So what is the smallest boat with a bow thruster I wonder? Anyone seen one under 34'?

I'd try the spring line idea first though, I'd have an awful time with your slip in my boat.