[C320-list] Flooded batteries to AGM

[William Morack]

I just replaced my 2005 batteries this spring. One had a bad cell, drew the other down, so I had to get it jumped at launch this spring, Nine years, I'm thinking that is about as good a life span as one could expect from OEM supplied equipment. (Exide) Replaced them with Interstate marine deep cycle. About $450.00 for the pair. One of these had to be returned the first month, due to a bad cell. These Interstate batteries have only a six month warranty. They feel like they are twenty pounds heavier! (more lead?)The spec. says they are 125# I think.

I keep the boat plugged in at the marina, with the fridge running 24/7. We anchor almost every weekend.  Some times more than one night. The boat sits all winter with the batteries in it, in upstate NY. I try to put the charger on once during the winter, for an hour or so, but thats about it. They always show almost fully charged in the spring.

I changed out the Charles 30 amp that came with the boat about four years ago, due to it's tendancy to forget to turn back on every year or so, letting the fridge kill the batteries, and spoiling all the food. Replaced with a 20 amp Zantrex, which has not skipped a beat as of yet. 

Bill Morack

FAT CAT

Hull# 1058


On Jun 30, 2014, at 11:09 AM, Warren Updike <wupdike at hotmail.com> wrote:

> For excellent article on choosing AGM batteries see Main Sail on CatalinaOwners.com at http://tinyurl.com/kcwaprk
> 
> Warren and Pattie Updike
> 1994 C320 "Warr de Mar" #62
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tim Westhoven [mailto:westhoven at wcnet.org] 
> Sent: Saturday, June 28, 2014 9:14 AM
> To: c320-list at lists.catalina320.com
> Subject: [C320-list] Flooded batteries to AGM
> 
> After waiting a couple months for a minor fiberglass repair, I finally
> launched Affinity this past Wednesday. As I attempted to start her up, we
> realized the four year old batteries were toast. That started several days
> of researching AGM batteries, chargers and all things electrical, but to no
> definitive end. Half the people I spoke to told me to just reinstall the
> wet battery type, even though I had thought I really didn't want the
> hassles of leaky wet batteries that have to be fed distilled water every
> month. The old batteries slopped battery acid all over the compartment
> beneath the settee and I have been told that the gas they put off in the
> cabin area isn't such a good thing, either. AGMs are supposed to last twice
> as long and the Lifeline AGMs with 210 AH (amp hours) cost over twice as
> much-- $599 each X two batteries-- $1,200. Other brands can be purchased at
> $350 each-$700 total, with around 200 AH. When I ask distributors about the
> differences, they talk about the construction of the cases that glass mats
> are held in and imply that cheaper brands may allow shifting to the point
> where panels touch and cause the elements inside to fail. I haven't had a
> real clear discussion about that issue yet. At this point, I am inclined
> toward spending $350 each for cheap AGM over $1,200 for the big name
> brands, which I would consider still better than the flooded batteries
> which so far are anywhere from $175 for the cheap ones and $275 for good
> ones.
> 
> I have a Xantrex 20 charger that is switchable between flooded, gel or AGM
> for charging. It is in the port lazarette on the forward wall-- down in
> there a bit and a little hard to get to with the lazarette full of life
> jackets, deck brushes with long handles and other junk. I suppose the
> distances are just a few feet from the breaker panel for power to the
> charger and quite a bit further for the serpentine route from charger to
> batteries. I will double check the gauges of wiring today to see that they
> are heavy enough not to lose charging power as 20 amp is about as small as
> they recommend for these two batteries. (200 Amp Hours divided by 20 amps
> is ten hours of charging for a fully 100 percent discharged battery, but I
> doubt we would ever fully discharge that much battery in a day anyway.)
> 
> Catalina used the flooded type batteries from the factory and have
> recommended the Exide Nauti Gold 4Ds, but another post I read somewhere
> suggests that Exide bought out another company and consolidated their two
> lines and it takes some looking to determine which of their batteries is
> the stronger. And when I would be finished with that, I would still have a
> flooded battery at about $287 each.
> 
> So my question is, has anyone had to face down this battery issue with
> their 320? Cheaper end of the AGMs or expensive end of the flooded
> batteries? Any wisdom you can impart would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Tim WesthovenAffinity Hull # 657Herl's Harbor2263 N.E. CatawbaPort
> Clinton, Ohio 43452419-409-1000 mobilewesthoven at wcnet.org
> <westhoven at wcnet.org>*
> 
> 
>