[C320-list] Alternator to batteries

Mon Mar 27 04:34:30 PDT 2017

   I think there is some confusion on this point, and possibly the
   confusion is mine, but I would like a reference for the ABYC
   requirement, if there is one. My understanding is that ABYC issues
   voluntary safety standards for the industry, and does not "require"
   anything (except, apparently, a paid membership to access their
   standards, and there is no membership category for ordinary boat
   owners).
   I couldn't find ABYC standards for battery fuses online except as
   reported by other parties. Blue Sea is a reputable vendor, however, and
   they have a nice summary of relevant excerpts from the standards here:
   [1]http://assets.bluesea.com/files/resources/reference/2010_ABYCexcerpt
   s.pdf. Admittedly this is a few years old, but I couldn't find anything
   newer. On page one it says: "Note that wire intended to carry engine
   starting currents between the batteries, the switch, and the starter,
   is not required to have main circuit protection devices installed."

   This indicates that you are not required to have a fuse in the starting
   circuit, provided it has a proper battery switch and runs to the
   starter, which is the case on my 1999 boat and on most other boats I've
   looked at. Possibly that was changed in the more recent years.

   To be clear, I'm not saying that a fuse between the battery and switch
   is a bad idea. But it would need to be quite large to handle starting
   circuit loads. This is not the case for cables from the shore power
   charger (which are fused on my boat) since they do not carry starting
   loads. But it does apply to the alternator output, to the extent that
   the alternator charges the batteries through the same cable used to
   power the starter, which is a common arrangement on many boats,
   including mine.
   Scott Thompson

   Surprise, #653 (1999)

   On 3/26/2017 7:44 PM, Utility Email wrote:

The inline fuses are a ABYC code requirement.

David B. Swanson, P.E., S.E.
Principal, LEED AP, F. SEI
Director, Structural Engineering

Reid Middleton, Inc.
(425) 741-3800 office
(425) 741-5011 direct
(425) 508-7971 mobile

[2]www.reidmiddleton.com

On Mar 26, 2017, at 1:41 PM, Scott Thompson [3]<surprise at thompson87.com> wrote:

Yes but those fuses are in the lines from the shore power charger to the batteri
es. They have nothing to do with the lines to the engine and alternator. There i
s no fuse between engine and batteries on my boat.

On Mar 26, 2017, at 4:09 PM, Edward Thompson [4]<edthompson3 at outlook.com> wrote:

Ted, Bruce brings up a good point. I had the same problem 2 years ago and had a
technician check it out. He found that the in-line fuse from the charger had blo
wn. Not sure what caused it. It's been fine since. An in-line fuse is cylindrica
l in shape. It has two plastic pieces that screw together with a spring tension.
 It should be located on the positive wire close to the battery bank. Good luck
with it.

Ed Thompson
Bellavia - Hull #739
Kent Narrows, Chesapeake Bay

-----Original Message-----
From: C320-list [[5]mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of
 Arthur Miller
Sent: Sunday, March 26, 2017 3:54 PM
To: [6]C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Alternator to batteries

Bruce,
The issue of fuses in the battery cables has come up before.  I am hull #680 and
 have not been able to locate any fuses in the battery cable runs.   What does t
he fuse and holder look like..
Thx
Art

Sent from my iPad

On Mar 26, 2017, at 3:27 PM, B. Stumpp [7]<bstumpp at comcast.net> wrote:

Ted,

Reach under the settee where your batteries are and feel for an inline
fuse in your positive (and negative?) cables a few inches from the terminals.

One or all of these fuses are probably blown and need to be replaced.

I've never seen inline fuses in battery cables fuses before, Catalina
must put them there for some sort of boat manufacturer regulation.

Finding the fuses there is a surprise to a lot of people.

I ran into the same problem a few years ago and couldn't figure out
why my batteries were going bad when in fact they just were not charging.

Found the problem by disconnecting both ends of the cables and doing a
continuity test.

Never understood why/how I blew these fuses but people have surmised
it may have something to do with plugging into shore power.

Bruce Stumpp

#647, Adventure

Frog Mortar Creek, Maryland

Message: 8

Date: Sat, 25 Mar 2017 11:53:23 -0400

From: Ted Harrison [8]<tharrison at innovations-plus.com>

To: [9]C320-List at Catalina320.com

Subject: Re: [C320-list] Alternator to batteries

Message-ID:

[10]<132D5517-84A0-4668-A8D3-DE38DAA7F042 at innovations-plus.com>

Content-Type: text/plain;            charset=utf-8

I will get back to you on this one. Will go to the boat (on the hard)
next weekend

Thanks for your help.

Ted Harrison

References

   1. http://assets.bluesea.com/files/resources/reference/2010_ABYCexcerpts.pdf
   2. http://www.reidmiddleton.com/
   3. mailto:surprise at thompson87.com
   4. mailto:edthompson3 at outlook.com
   5. mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
   6. mailto:C320-List at Catalina320.com
   7. mailto:bstumpp at comcast.net
   8. mailto:tharrison at innovations-plus.com
   9. mailto:C320-List at Catalina320.com
  10. mailto:132D5517-84A0-4668-A8D3-DE38DAA7F042 at innovations-plus.com