[C320-list] DC power system upgrade advice

[Kirk McCullough]

Perfect! particularly the beverage part.

Kirk
#124
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chris Burti" <clburti at gmail.com>
To: <C320-List at catalina320.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 11:18 AM
Subject: Re: [C320-list] DC power system upgrade advice


>
> That is what I do. It is better to have a load on a diesel even when 
> idling.
> When I set the anchor overnight, I reverse at full throttle in order to 
> set
> it properly, so mine are usually dug in pretty good. Once in a while, she
> will set really deep, but never so deep that the windlass can't pull it 
> out.
> The windlass will work on the chain rode if you keep it tight, but it is
> rough on the chrome. A simple solution to protect the finish without a
> conversion to a rope/chain gypsy is to secure an old piece of halyard
> between the anchor shackle and the rope rode shackle. When you get to the
> chain, take it off the windlass and take a couple of wraps of the halyard 
> on
> the drum and haul her on in.
>
> If the engine is running, I feel that good seamanship requires me to keep 
> a
> good watch so I sit in the cockpit, usually partaking of a beverage of 
> some
> sort and enjoy the view.
>
> On Wed, Jul 16, 2008 at 1:45 PM, David Nolte <dcnolte at mac.com> wrote:
>
>> Chris,
>>
>> Do you really run it in reverse at anchor? I guess that allows you to run
>> at a high RPM, and charge better & quicker. But wouldn't that dig your
>> anchor in something fierce? Ever have trouble pulling it loose?
>>
>> I had never thought of doing that. I guess you need to keep a good watch 
>> &
>> make sure you don't drag.
>>
>> Do others run in reverse at anchor?
>>
>> David Nolte
>> Beach House #4
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Jul 16, 2008, at 1:35 PM, Chris Burti wrote:
>>
>> Gary,
>>> This is not a recommendation, consider it a report for evaluation.
>>>
>>> We have hull number 867 with a Yanmar with a 55 amp OEM alternator. We 
>>> try
>>> to get at least one one-week cruise each year. On those cruises, we 
>>> freeze
>>> or buy 10# of block ice for the bottom of the reefer, set the controller
>>> in
>>> the middle and run a small fan for air circulation which dramatically
>>> reduces the current consumption. Other than that, we try to be
>>> conscientious
>>> about not wasting electricity, run the fans only when needed, make sure
>>> that
>>> we rotate battery usage and turn off the anchor light early. We run the
>>> engine about 20-30 minutes in gear, in reverse @ 2500 rpm in the morning
>>> and
>>> evening to heat water and charge the batteries. We replaced our OEM 
>>> Excide
>>> 4d's in 2006 with Excide commercial truck 4'ds along with the charger
>>> which
>>> lightning had fried.
>>>
>>> Have not drawn the batteries below 12v with this regime.
>>> On Wed, Jul 16, 2008 at 1:08 PM, Magnuson's Ragtime <ragtime at gte.net>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hull 205--- I need to replace the 4D batteries, and am not sure if I
>>>> should
>>>> stay with the flooded or go to the Gel cells.  My 30 amp Newmar charger
>>>> is
>>>> humming a 60hz tone that pier walkers can hear, which started this
>>>> project.
>>>> I think I understand the pros and cons of both types of battery and I
>>>> think
>>>> that a new 40A  Xantrex charger will handle either while at the slip. I
>>>> have
>>>> the Perkins engine with the original alternator. If I choose the gel
>>>> technology now, and buy the new charger, do I also need to buy an
>>>> external
>>>> regulator? Does anyone know the output specs of the OEM alternator? Any
>>>> danger of the OEM alternator damaging the gel cells? Option 2 is to 
>>>> stay
>>>> with the wet cells, and the Xantrex charger and keep the internally
>>>> regulated OEM alternator. (KISS)
>>>>
>>>> I did buy the reference book suggested earlier, but it seems to give me 
>>>> a
>>>> lot of choices, that can become expensive and complicated.
>>>> Normal use is shore power most of the time with two or three day trips
>>>> sailing the Apostle Islands.  We are planning a two week trip to the 
>>>> Lake
>>>> Superior North shore, and I am concerned with the charge rate of the
>>>> batteries if we don't spend a lot of time under power. I have 
>>>> considered
>>>> paralleling the two new batteries, and taking along a deep cycle 
>>>> battery
>>>> with jumper cables as an emergency back up just for the duration of the
>>>> trip.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Gary Magnuson
>>>> Time-A-Weigh #205
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Chris Burti
>>> Farmville, NC
>>>
>>
>> David Nolte
>> Nettle Net(R) BOAT POOL(R)
>> 800-962-9020
>> www.nojellyfish.com
>> dcnolte at mac.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> -- 
> Chris Burti
> Farmville, NC