Merry Christmas everyone. I have just had the opportunity to acquire a lightly used 466. I have never been a Hunter fan but this boat is impressive. I do have concerns about the minimal battery capacity. I would like to hear of any owners thoughts on solar panels, increased battery capacity, energy conservation, etc. I plan to utilize the boat in a live aboard capacity (I have lived on sailboats since 1987) and I am curious as to any caveats or improvements owners can suggest. Thanks, and Happy Holidays, John
A new 466
- Thread starter Blacksheep
- Start date
Merry Christmas, John. Different model boat here, but ours came equipped with 500 AH via two 8D wet cell batteries. Later replaced them with AGM. We also have an 8KW Onan Genset, which comes in very handy during our extended two month plus cruises. This arrangement has worked well for us over the years.
No live aboard, but do you have shore power available? I suppose it would be pretty easy to add either additional AH capacity, and/or solar panels and a wind generator to supplement what you have.
No live aboard, but do you have shore power available? I suppose it would be pretty easy to add either additional AH capacity, and/or solar panels and a wind generator to supplement what you have.
I’ve had my 466 since new in 2003 and it still looks brand new. I have 8 6v batteries. Four under the center deck plate and four on a shelf where a generator would go. About 900ah. I don’t live aboard but have not lacked for 12v power.
I have 2005 46LE. Last year I replaced 4 flooded batteries with 6 6V 100AHr (flooded) batteries. This give me roughly 300 Ahr usable capacity as the flooded ( or AGM) should not be discharged much below 50% of the capacity. The new batteries took forever to charge. I replace my new 6V batteries with 2 300 Ahrs lithium. Costly but they charge much quicker. They can be discharged to 80-90% of their capacity with a very constant voltage and they work great with my 250W solar panels. Lithium batteries require special charging pattern which my not be available with the older chargers. Fortunately mine was OK.
Happy New Year
Frank
Happy New Year
Frank
Welcome to the SBO forum, Frank. Although you have been a member for over 10 years it appears that this is your first post. Hopefully you have gained some useful information from the member's posts over those years.
We are always interested in boat upgrades especially when it comes to electrical system. Maybe you could share with us some of the details as you went from the 4 flooded batteries to the lithium and throw in a few reasons as to why you did something as you go along. Also include your charging system with manufacturers and models of the various components. Your comments will keep those of us that have winterized our boats entertained.
We are always interested in boat upgrades especially when it comes to electrical system. Maybe you could share with us some of the details as you went from the 4 flooded batteries to the lithium and throw in a few reasons as to why you did something as you go along. Also include your charging system with manufacturers and models of the various components. Your comments will keep those of us that have winterized our boats entertained.
I installed two Lifeline GPL-4DL AGM batteries with 420 Ah capacity and Virtron MultiPlus 3000 watt inverter/charger on my 2005 Hunter 46. Works well for my needs.
I know this is a highly debated topic, so I’d like to respectfully offer my opinion.
In my experience, 6v batteries (wired in series) are an excellent choice. (Go with AGM).
They offer:
Low cost
Very long lifetime
Super easy to install (no need for a crane)
Many vendor choices
My 2 previous banks were 6V lead acid, and after going with AGM, I’d never go back to wet cell.
There are many articles written about optimal battery choices. The 6V route always scores high on the cost / reliability curve.
Hello Blacksheep. Congratulations on your 466. Ours is a 460 2000 model. We have 8 100 watt panels on the hardtop which are wired times two in series then as 4 sets of 2 in parallel to a Victron Tr 150/100 controller going to 4 wet 6 v under the salon table. We like to keep the batteries inexpensive and rotate them more frequently. These last 3 or more years depending on activities. We got rid of the AC 110v fridge freezer and installed two super cold machines which run 24/ with this system. Trip to Bahamas last May-July and we ran tv, lights, fans, computer into the evening with no problem. Batteries usually recharged by 10 am or latest around lunch. Anyhow, it’s a great system and sadly we’ve placed her on market for sale. If you’d like to see our set up it’s visible here in the classifieds. Best wishes. Tim
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Thanks for your comments. My current boat (Moody 34) runs 3 Grp 31 AGM Bats. It runs the reefer and all of lighting. I'm not really satisfied with the longevity of these batteries vs their cost. I have done the six volt wet cell routine with some success and may return to it. A friend owns a powerboat that runs totally on solar (freezer, refrig, lights , etc.) I may try a solar setup similar to his. Any thoughts on lithium batteries? I appreciate your input, and Happy New Year. Stay safe, John
Thank you for all of your suggestions. I'll post the mods I make and the results. Happy New Year, and everyone stay well. John
Happy New Year John. I have a 2005 H38. The one thing I think you can improve on your boat is the air circulation at the back of the fridge/freezer. I think the way the carpentry shop was set up at Hunter Marine the air circulation had to be insufficient. There are air circulation holes, but the cabinet next to the fridge does not have holes, so the air can not circulate. If this is the case on your boat, you will improve your fridge cold and consume less Amp hours.