[C320-list] Re Batteries & Fridge

[Robert Seastream]

Jack, we're on a mooring at Great Bay Marina, six miles up the  
Piscataqua river from Portsmouth harbor, and wouldn't have it any  
other way.
Our reasons were:  Cheaper, less hassle than docking (although we can  
do that), and no noise (as would occur on a dock) from late night  
revelers returning from a night out.  We even have solutions to the  
fresh water/AC power/AC cooling issues.

Regarding batteries:  Yes, the alternator only charges whatever  
battery the master switch is set to (1, 2, or Both), so you must  
choose accordingly.  What I (and many others) have done is to  
substitute a dedicated starting battery for battery 1, then connect  
the original battery 1 in parallel with battery 2.  Then use battery 2  
for everything; having battery 1 as backup for starting if you drain  
(both) batteries connected to battery 2.  Regarding moving the battery  
switch while under power, the switch is of the 'make before break'  
type.  If you look at the switch, it's impossible to pass through the  
'off' position when selecting either battery or both.  Thus, the  
alternator is never disconnected from a battery unless you turn the  
switch to off.  When I upgraded the charging system on our boat, I ran  
the (heavy gauge) alternator output cables directly (through a 150 amp  
fuse at the batteries) to the battery bank rather than to the switch,  
again making it impossible to disconnect the alternator from the  
batteries.

Bob Seastream
Intuition # 906


On Aug 26, 2009, at 12:59 PM, Jack McDonough wrote:

> Irv:
>
> Yes, I'm sure you're right about all that. The first time we used  
> shore power, I had to enlist the expertise of our daughter, the  
> engineer, to read the wiring schematic and advise me what to do. So  
> you see where I'm coming from.
>
>
> jack
> 2003  #947
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Irving Grunes" <igrunes at gmail.com>
> To: <C320-List at catalina320.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2009 8:03 AM
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Re Batteries & Fridge
>
>
>> Jack,
>> I'm not sure but I think that the engine alternator only charges  
>> the battery
>> that it is connected to.
>> So if you use both batteries to start, leave it there until you  
>> shut it
>> down, then you will be putting charge into both batteries.
>> One thing that I am sure of is that if you have both batteries  
>> connected in
>> parallel, the higher charged battery will send current to the lower  
>> charged
>> battery until both are at equilibrium.  So you lose the advantage  
>> of having
>> at least one battery with a higher charge.
>>
>> Irv Grunes
>> 2001 #851
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Aug 26, 2009 at 10:52 AM, Jack McDonough <mcdonough5 at verizon.net 
>> >wrote:
>>
>>> Irv:
>>>
>>> I always start the engine on Both (or ALL), to make certain I have  
>>> enough
>>> juice to get it  going. Then I switch to either 1 or 2. I don't  
>>> understand
>>> what you mean when you say to switch to 1 or 2 after you STOP  the  
>>> engine.
>>> Why not switch while it's running? Once it's stopped, what  
>>> difference does
>>> it make which battery setting you're on unless you're running  
>>> refrigeration
>>> or lights or something else?
>>>
>>> I have discussed this battery subject over the years with any  
>>> number of
>>> boat owners and yacht yard personnel. I have learned that
>>> (1) it's OK to run it on All; (2) It's not wise to run it on All;  
>>> (3) It's
>>> OK to switch batteries while the engine is running (but, of  
>>> course, don't
>>> turn it to Off.); (4) Everything in 1, 2 and 3 is right. (5)  
>>> Everything in
>>> 1,2 and 3 is wrong. In other words, ask 10 people and you'll get 10
>>> different answers.
>>>
>>> On a totally different subject, am I the only 320 owner on the  
>>> planet whose
>>> boat is on a mooring? Everyone else on this 320 website seems to  
>>> be at a
>>> slip.
>>>
>>> jack
>>> #947
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Irving Grunes" <igrunes at gmail.com 
>>> >
>>> To: <C320-List at catalina320.com>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2009 6:42 AM
>>> Subject: [C320-list] Re Batteries & Fridge
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Brad,
>>>> No sense FREAKING
>>>>
>>>> It is not advisable to ever have the batteries on both because  
>>>> then the
>>>> higher battery will try to charge toe lower battery with the end  
>>>> result
>>>> two
>>>> lower batteries.
>>>> If you try to start the engine and either of the batteries won't  
>>>> do it
>>>> independently, then connect to both to get a little more power.  
>>>> Keep them
>>>> on
>>>> both until you stop the engine and go back to 1 or 2
>>>> If you are out and know you will be running the engine for a  
>>>> while, then
>>>> put
>>>> the batteries to both so the engine generator will be charging  
>>>> both. As
>>>> soon
>>>> as you stop the engine go back to 1 or 2
>>>>
>>>> Re the fridge. When in the slip, with the charger on, the charger  
>>>> is
>>>> connected to each battery independently.so there is no advantage  
>>>> to having
>>>> them on both. So leave the switch on one or two
>>>> If you leave the fridge on and for some reason you lose dock  
>>>> power, the
>>>> charger turns off and the fridge will just knock down the one  
>>>> battery and
>>>> not both. Thats why you only want one battery on.
>>>>
>>>> At our slip on Sue Creek, the dock power is very sensitive to  
>>>> lightening
>>>> and
>>>> so we just don't leave the fridge on.  And since the fridge cools  
>>>> off
>>>> quickly, and  by the time we want a beer, its cold.
>>>>
>>>> Hope this helps the question on the battery switch position
>>>>
>>>> Irv Grunes
>>>> 2001 #851
>>>>
>>>
>