Power on a Catalina 310

Dec 16, 2018
4
Catalina 310 Newport
hello. My husband and I have just purchased our first yacht a 2000 Catalina 310. Can I ask a question please: when moored and connected to shore power what should the setting be on to utilise shore power while charging the batteries. 1,2,all are the options and we are finding it difficult to understand their purpose. Also what should they be on when sailing/ not connected to shore power. Have tried downloading the manuals but we are still confused.
Thanks in advance
Houghto
 
Nov 16, 2012
1,037
Catalina 310, 2000, #31 31 Santa Cruz
It really depends on how the boat is wired; did a previous owner make any modifications? What batteries does it have now? The manuals should show the stock wiring from the factory.

If it’s stock then the battery switch should have no impact on AC charging.
 
  • Like
Likes: Houghto
Nov 16, 2012
1,037
Catalina 310, 2000, #31 31 Santa Cruz
Forgot to say welcome to the group! There’s a lot of great info about the C310 here, as well as a lot of real knowledgeable folks willing to share.

It’s a great boat!
 
  • Like
Likes: Houghto

leo310

.
Dec 15, 2006
635
Catalina 310 44 Campbell River BC
You should have 4 options 1,2,both and Off. 1 and 2 are the battery banks that you have. On ours we set it to 1 as 2 is the starting battery. In the last 5 years we have not changed it. Both is just that you get power off both battery banks.
 
  • Like
Likes: Houghto

Tom J

.
Sep 30, 2008
2,301
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
If your boat is stock, then you have two large batteries (4D's). The battery switch determines which battery you want to use at the moment. If you are hooked up to shore power, and the battery charger is turned on, it will charge both batteries. You can verify this by switching the voltmeter between Batt 1 and Batt 2.
When you are motoring, the alternator will only charge the battery you have selected. You could select Both for this function. When anchored, or sailing, I would select 1 or 2 and leave it there. When starting, I would switch to the other battery. If both batts are weak, you could switch to Both for starting. It is not a good idea to leave the switch on Both for an extended period, since one bad battery will then kill both batteries.
Many of us C310 owners have installed a separate start battery, and paralleled the two 4D's to make a more robust "house" battery bank. There are many threads on this forum concerning these upgrades in the archives, and Maine Sail has excellent tutorials on batt switches and maintenance.
If you want to post pictures of your battery compartment and panel switches, along with your sail number, etc., we could better address your specific needs. You have chosen an excellent boat, and I am sure you will enjoy her!
 
Apr 5, 2009
2,774
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
As said before, there are a lot of options depending on how it is wired. For DC novices, I would suggest getting to know your neighbors and finding one who is knowledgeable on DC systems to look yours over and walk you through the process.
 

leo310

.
Dec 15, 2006
635
Catalina 310 44 Campbell River BC
Have you talk to the PO or broker as they should help. We have a 2000 also ( #44) and love to sail up a down the BC coast, so you should have no problems on he gold coast.
 
  • Like
Likes: Houghto
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Houghto Welcome to the forum. SBO is one of the best sites on the Internet.

Congrats on your new boat. A fine Catalina Craft.

As @marchem has stated. There is the original design and there may be a modification from a previous owner. That is why I suggest you learn and understand what are the purposes for your boat structure. That way you can be in control.

For electrical mysteries, one of the contributors here is @mainesail. He is a great marine electrician and a valuable resource.
 
  • Like
Likes: Alansails

Joe

.
Jun 1, 2004
7,999
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
On most boats, the hard wired battery charger is on the AC (shore power) circuit. It should have its own circuit breaker on your AC panel. It will not run through the battery selector switch, rather it is wired directly to each battery and the "brain" in the charger controls its activity. The battery rocker on your DC panel is to show you the status of each battery.... from the 12 volt side. You should have a manual somewhere that can explain it in more detail.
The rotary (1-2-both-off) selector switch is for your DC power options. Again, here you can refer to your owner's manual. If you don't have an owner's manual, contact Catalina Yachts customer service...
 
May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
This is the panel. The fridge only gets cold when it’s on ‘All’ however all other accessories including lights radio powerpoints all work on ‘1’
If wired correctly. Everything should work in 1,2, and both. Very very few things should work in off ( bilge pumps, battery monitors, gas alarm).

Battery chargers should work in any position including off, but some are wired to the common post on the battery switch and only charge the selected battery(s).

There is no one right way to manage your battery setup, it depends on how you use the boat and what is important to you. But it sounds like yours is wired incorrectly.

Les
 
  • Like
Likes: jssailem
May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
@leo310 implied you sail the Gulf and San Juan’s. One sure way to get lots of help is to attend either of the Catalina Rendezvous - May in Roche Harbor - July at Thetus.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Les... you would have to send Lowell to see the young lady and provide assistance. He speaks her language.

First time yacht owner. Looking to learn all I can to explore the east coast of Qld Australia
Gender: Female
State or Province where your boat is moored: AU

I do not think she is ready for Roche Harbor... yet. Though if any Catalina boat owner came for the visit they would learn a lot and have a great time at the gathering.

 
  • Like
Likes: Houghto
May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
Oops. Missed that. Lowell misses AU enough that he is spending serious $$ to get a permanent Work Visa there. I enjoyed my visit, Great Ocean road was fantastic and Tazzy was great.
 
  • Like
Likes: Houghto

Ward H

.
Nov 7, 2011
3,645
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
Just an educated guess here but if the frig only works in the Both position, neither battery on its own can supply enough power for the frig to operate. Maybe you have a weak battery?

Maybe the PO did something strange so it only is powered when the switch is in the Both position but I don’t know how that could be done.
 

Tom J

.
Sep 30, 2008
2,301
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
This is the panel. The fridge only gets cold when it’s on ‘All’ however all other accessories including lights radio powerpoints all work on ‘1’
Interesting. Your voltmeter is reading 0v. It appears that the selector switch for the voltmeter is on "Batt 2". You could try selecting Batt 1 and see what the reading is. In any case, it appears you might have at least one bad battery. Time to get someone on board with a voltage meter and hydrometer to check out the batteries.
Another thing to note, it appears your bilge pump circuit breaker might be in the "off" position. It's a good idea to verify it is in the middle, or "Auto" position whenever the boat is in the water.
 
Last edited:
Nov 18, 2010
2,441
Catalina 310 Hingham, MA
Hello Houghto and welcome to C310 Ownership,

The best thing you can do is read the info Stu posted (yes its for the C34 but much of it is the same as on our C310s). Also, read this post from Mainesail.

But basically, the battery charger makes no difference on the 1/2/both switch as it is wired directly to the batteries. So that doesn't matter for charging, just plug into shore power, turn on the pedestal side then turn on the boat side. Make sure you don't have the reverse polarity light lit and then turn on the battery charger.

As far as understanding what's going on with your batteries, please open up the battery bank (under the L portion of the settee) and take a picture. Post it here so we can see. I have a couple of guess as to what might be going on but seeing the bank configuration would help.

Enjoy your boat. We love ours.

Fair winds,

Jesse