[C320-list] Question re Battery Charger

[Brad Kuether]

Typically I try to do the following.

  1.. Shore power switch off, battery charger switch off, outlets off.
  2.. Plug up the boat
  3.. Turn on the power at the dock.
  4.. Turn on the shore power switch.
  5.. Turn on the outlets.
  6.. Check the polarity
  7.. Turn on the battery charger.
The way I kinda see it, I don't want an electrical "surge" to go all the way through the system.

It may be superstitious but thats the way I like to do it.

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



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Annie Bennett" <annie at sydneyprivatesailing.com.au>
To: <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
Sent: Saturday, April 09, 2011 8:36 PM
Subject: [C320-list] Question re Battery Charger


Topcat is going up on the slips early tomorrow morning for her annual anti-fouling.  A mechanic is coming down later in the day to check her cutlas bearing (not quite sure what he does to check it?) and to do a load test on the batteries.  The batteries are 5 years old but appear to be still going strong at the moment.

The mechanic asked me to plug in the shore power when she goes up on the slips so that when he goes there to test, the batteries will be fully charged.

Topcat lives on a mooring so I'm not that familiar with the shore power.  (I'm going to the boat this afternoon to make sure the sea cocks are turned off under the sink.  I usually leave these ones open but learnt a lesson a few years ago when the ceiling of the boat above the galley sink was splattered with anti-foul because I hadn't closed the seacock!)

My question is, should I turn the battery charger switch on the panel down below on so I can leave the shore power cable in the cockpit for the marina staff to plug in or should I ask them to go below and turn the panel switch on after they've plugged in the shore power.  Does it matter?

Many thanks
Annie Bennett
Topcat III  #1073