[C320-list] Seperate starting battery or......

Brad Kuether bkuether at comcast.net
Thu Aug 27 03:10:45 PDT 2009 

I took a look in that area last weekend when I was checking the water level 
in the 4Ds.

You CAN, get a group 27 in there, however has anyone thought of putting two 
of the little golf cart batteries there instead?

I would also like to understand what a typical bill of materials would look 
like for a seperate starting battery installation, minus the battery.  (It 
would make a great update on the 320I website)

My goal is to get this boat to the point I can do an entire week without 
worrying about running out of juice.  As you can see I am starting on the 
other end by minimizing the wattage requirements....  (LEDs)

-Brad, Mary, Monica, and Jarod
"Independence"
2004 Catalina 320 Hull 1006
Middle River, MD



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jon Vez" <jonvez at comcast.net>
To: <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2009 5:47 AM
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Fwd: Re: Re Batteries & Fridge


> 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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