[C320-list] Chargers...still!

[Amirault Family - S&B]

An administrative matter out of the way first. Bruce, thank you for the
details of the "Allan Treatment". I am not leaking at the moment, but this
appears to be a sound preventative procedure and I have always preferred
prevention to cure. It will be done this spring and going forward. You too
can come looking for libation when in town without fear of rejection. 

 

Bear came with the original charger and with modified wiring as the PO had
installed a separate starting battery under the port settee. On delivery the
batteries were not completely connected and I did this function as seemed
appropriate while on the hard pre-launch. At that time I connected the shore
power cable and with the charger switched on, the panel meter immediately
went to hard-right full charge. This struck me as not normal so I turned off
the charger and disconnected it from the battery terminal. I charged the
batteries using a smart charger connected to the boat's AC supply. Through
this process I discovered that the two house 4Ds were not holding charge and
I replaced them with four 6V AGMs.

 

It is now a year later and I will shortly have the local boat electrician
look at the system to determine whether I have a mere connection issue with
the charger or if the charger is toast.  I have been charging batteries from
the alternator the past year, and the batteries really got very little use
as we never had an opportunity at overnighting  in the way we did with our
previous boat. For the next five years I will be docked at a sail club which
has shore power available only at the short-stay service dock.  The boat
will motor out and back to the races Thursday nights and spend one-to-two
night overnights every week or two in the brief Canadian summer with a one
week trip thrown in I intend to continue to use the original alternator for
the next three years or unto death; whichever comes first.  I intend to
supplement the alternator with a small portable generator which will be
connected to the shore power plug at the boat's stern and power the boat's
internal charger through this.

 

The question for you all is, in the event that a new charger is in order,
and as xantrex seems to get the majority of the positive responses here,
what size/model charger is required given the constraints above? Is charger
replacement a straight swap, or are there other considerations or items to
be purchased. The upgrades budget this year was exhausted with a new head
sail and Kiwi prop.

 

Regards;

 

Brian Amirault

797 Waltzing Bear, too