[C320-list] Alternator to batteries

[Warren Updike]

Ahhh, someone I know rather well changed the shore charger from 20 to 40A and didn't know to increase the amperage of the fuses on the battery cables. That nearly crashed a cruise.

Battery fuses are now required/suggested by ABYC. Their purpose is not to protect equipment but to prevent melting cables in case of a direct short. These fuses are sized to the ampacity of the cable not necessarily the maximum load potential. Or so I'm given to understand.

Warren and Pattie Updike
1994 C320 "Warr de Mar" #62
Middle River, Chesapeake Bay

-----Original Message-----
From: B. Stumpp [mailto:bstumpp at comcast.net] 
Sent: Sunday, March 26, 2017 3:28 PM
To: c320-list at lists.catalina320.com; tharrison at innovations-plus.com
Subject: [C320-list] Alternator to batteries

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 <tharrison at innovations-plus.com>

To: C320-List at Catalina320.com

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

Message-ID:

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

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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