[C320-list] Fwd: Re: Re Batteries & Fridge

Jon Vez jonvez at comcast.net
Thu Aug 27 02:47:12 PDT 2009 

Jack, there is room forward of your current batteries. I've done it as well
as many on this list. I use a Group 27 AGM (all my batteries are AGM)--

-----Original Message-----
From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
[mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Jack McDonough
Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2009 10:11 PM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Fwd: Re: Re Batteries & Fridge

Karl:

This is all good information. I guess there might be room forward of my two 
existing batteries. (Aft of them is the holding tank.)
We've got a number of Catalinas in our club. I'll ask around and see if 
others have done something like you describe.

jack



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Karl Mielenhausen _/)" <c320 at suddenlink.net>
To: "C320IA Discussion List" <C320-List at catalina320.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2009 6:59 PM
Subject: [C320-list] Fwd: Re: Re Batteries & Fridge


> Jack,
>
> On my 2000 model (hull 690) I found plenty of room to install the starting

> battery just forward of the 2 4D's (which I turned into 4 GC2 golf car 
> batteries).
> Being that this is a starting battery and should not get drawn down like 
> the house bank, you do not need a deep-cycle battery or a "combo" battery 
> for that matter. I happened to use a group 42 Walmart auto battery. I 
> wanted lots of cranking amps and side terminals. Others will tell you you 
> need the thicker plates and more rugged construction of a "made for a 
> boat" battery but this auto battery is working fine for me.
>
http://www.catalina320.com/mediagallery/media.php?f=0&sort=0&s=2008111614275
2219
>
> Regards,
> Karl Mielenhausen
>
> ------- Forwarded message -------
> From: "Jack McDonough" <mcdonough5 at verizon.net>
> To: C320-List at catalina320.com
> Cc:
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Re Batteries & Fridge
> Date: Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:33:01 -0400
>
> Bob:
>
> Having grown up in Dover, I'm very familiar with Great Bay. Driving south
>  from Dover, the marina is off to the right as one croses the bridge, if 
> I'm
> correct. Off to the left, before the bridge, a number of boats are on
> moorings. I always wonder how the owners get to them.
>
> Your battery configuration makes sense. I only wonder where you found the
> space to install a separate starting battery. And what is it? A 12-volt
> Sears marine battery? Also, although I have done my share of house wiring
> (outlets, etc., mostly with 14-2 wire) and I installed new wiring and
> lights
> on our old Pearson 27, I'm reluctant to mess around with battery wiring
> because I wouldn't really know what I was doing.
>
> Meanwhile, I'll continue to start the engine on Both and then switch from 
> 1
> to 2 as appropriate to keep both batteries charged.
>
> Thanks for the tutorial. I'm only an hour away from Great Bay and would
> like
> to see your boat some time.
>
> jack
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Robert Seastream" <robert.seastream at comcast.net>
> To: <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2009 5:40 PM
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Re Batteries & Fridge
>
>
>> 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
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>
>>
>
>
>
> -- 
> Karl Mielenhausen
> Catalina 320 Hull 690
> New Bern, NC

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