Have 2009 Beneteau 40 setting up for extended cruising.
Goal:
Add additional 160 to 220 amp hour capacity to house bank
Move weight forward on boat
My current house bank has a 4d in the aft berth standard battery compartment plus a second under aft berth behind engine. Need third battery. Not enough bilge height to install batteries there. Boat has 5.5 kw nexgen generator in port locker and has about 1 degree list to port. I have installed Atlantic Tower arch with two 225 watt Kyocera solar panels and now connecting to two blue sky charge controllers. Originally was going to relocate house bank by moving the battery behind the engine and installing new 4d battery under starboard settee but not enough room. This would have moved 125 lbs from stern to about center length of boat. It would have added 250 lbs to starboard to counteract gen set weight. boat sets 4 inches high forward and an inch or two lower than desirable at stern. Will add 200 foot more of anchor chain (from 60 foot 3/8" to 275 ft of 5/16" hitest) will help settle bow .
There is currently a grp 27 under forward berth for bow thruster. The charging cables for this battery run from battery charging relays in aft bat compartment and are 2/0 cables. The windlass uses a separate pair of 2/0 cable from house battery bank in same compartment.
Any inverter addition will be fairly small for TV.
There is room under the forward berth to add 3-4ds or 6- 6v batteries after removing the Grp 27. The plan might be to use the 2 pair of existing 2/0 cables (2 red & 2 blk) to relocate the house bank under the forward berth. The only high current demand to the back of the boat would be if using the house bank to start the 54 hp main. The thruster existing cables would connect to the relocated house bank. New cables would have to be made for the windlass to the house bank. Just remembered, I have a cabin top electric windlass but its current would be handled by the two pairs of 2/0 cables.
Spending $2,400+ for sealed batteries is not really in the budget. There is already a wet battery in the thruster compartment but having the 6-6v will create a bit more hydrogen gas. May need a vent to circulate a bit more air.
When I was looking at putting batteries under the starboard settee, it would have required 12-15 foot "big" cables for separating the one 4-d in the battery compartment battery from the 2 relocated batteries under the settee. To move two batteries under the forward berth leaving the one in the battery compartment and having 25 to 30 foot of cable between the batteries may be too much separation.
Estimating lights, refrigeration, instruments, etc require about 90 to 120 amp-hours a day. The 2-4ds currently have around 320 ah and after about 18 hours on the hook, I charge them off the genset. Solar panels are just being installed and do not have history. Looking for suggestions and any issues I may have missed.
Mike
Goal:
Add additional 160 to 220 amp hour capacity to house bank
Move weight forward on boat
My current house bank has a 4d in the aft berth standard battery compartment plus a second under aft berth behind engine. Need third battery. Not enough bilge height to install batteries there. Boat has 5.5 kw nexgen generator in port locker and has about 1 degree list to port. I have installed Atlantic Tower arch with two 225 watt Kyocera solar panels and now connecting to two blue sky charge controllers. Originally was going to relocate house bank by moving the battery behind the engine and installing new 4d battery under starboard settee but not enough room. This would have moved 125 lbs from stern to about center length of boat. It would have added 250 lbs to starboard to counteract gen set weight. boat sets 4 inches high forward and an inch or two lower than desirable at stern. Will add 200 foot more of anchor chain (from 60 foot 3/8" to 275 ft of 5/16" hitest) will help settle bow .
There is currently a grp 27 under forward berth for bow thruster. The charging cables for this battery run from battery charging relays in aft bat compartment and are 2/0 cables. The windlass uses a separate pair of 2/0 cable from house battery bank in same compartment.
Any inverter addition will be fairly small for TV.
There is room under the forward berth to add 3-4ds or 6- 6v batteries after removing the Grp 27. The plan might be to use the 2 pair of existing 2/0 cables (2 red & 2 blk) to relocate the house bank under the forward berth. The only high current demand to the back of the boat would be if using the house bank to start the 54 hp main. The thruster existing cables would connect to the relocated house bank. New cables would have to be made for the windlass to the house bank. Just remembered, I have a cabin top electric windlass but its current would be handled by the two pairs of 2/0 cables.
Spending $2,400+ for sealed batteries is not really in the budget. There is already a wet battery in the thruster compartment but having the 6-6v will create a bit more hydrogen gas. May need a vent to circulate a bit more air.
When I was looking at putting batteries under the starboard settee, it would have required 12-15 foot "big" cables for separating the one 4-d in the battery compartment battery from the 2 relocated batteries under the settee. To move two batteries under the forward berth leaving the one in the battery compartment and having 25 to 30 foot of cable between the batteries may be too much separation.
Estimating lights, refrigeration, instruments, etc require about 90 to 120 amp-hours a day. The 2-4ds currently have around 320 ah and after about 18 hours on the hook, I charge them off the genset. Solar panels are just being installed and do not have history. Looking for suggestions and any issues I may have missed.
Mike
