O'Day 272LE shore power

Sep 23, 2018
11
Oday 272LE Boston, Boston Harbor Shipyard
I have a 1988 O'Day 272LE that I recently purchased. It has a shore power cable and I would like to know if this charges the batteries when connected. Also what battery switch setting should be used when on shore power.
 
Sep 25, 2008
7,077
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
I caution you to not make assumptions based on the boat model, age or factory configuration. There is no way for us to know what some previous owner did.

Suggest you trace the wiring and use a voltmeter to confirm what happens. For example, if a PO added batteries, no one knows how or to what.

Typically, a charger will charge upon shore power connection
 
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Jan 7, 2011
4,727
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
I have a 1988 O’Day 322. Not sure how similar they were built...

My battery charger is located on the bulkhead in the port lazzarette. I have a breaker on the AC part of my electric panel that turns the battery charger on and off. You can see it on the right side of the electrical panel.
IMG_9019-3.jpeg

My charger is hooked up to charge both batteries, regardless of how the 1-2-Both-Off switch is set.

Greg
 
Jan 19, 2010
1,169
Catalina 34 Casco Bay
You know the EASIEST way to check on this is to look at the batteries. If for example you only have 2 ga cables off the terminals, ( and singles at that) it's a decent bet that there is not a charging system on board. This is an assumption. Now you need to prove the equation... More than one cable/wire off the terminal? Could be bilge pump... The shore power on my 272 was located in the v berth on the stbd side and against the head. It fed a Xantrex battery conditioner. 8ga wire to batteries in the lazerette.
 
Dec 5, 2015
114
Oday 272LE Louisville, KY
My 1988 272LE has the shore power connector in the starboard rear battery compartment and it is wired directly to the small AC breaker panel on the starboard side. My boat has never had an automatic charger installed. The AC panel has breakers for the water heater and 2 AC outlets. If you have a charger, it will be in the starboard lazarette.