Adding refrigeration

[RNC725]

The admiral has declared we shall have refrigeration. We sail a 2002 Hunter 3 to 6. We are planning to convert the ice box into a refrigerator and have a wonderful boat person to install it. we currently have a starter battery and a house battery in plan to add a second house battery for total of 3. What I would like to do is to mount an amp meter of some type that will tell us how many amp hours are left and at what rate we are discharging. Any recommendations on which amp meter to use and where to mount it. I've been told, from various members at our club, that adding a second house battery should be more than sufficient to power the refrigerator especially since we have dock power.

Fairwinds

 

[SEMPERAVANTI41]

Balmar Smartgauge, look up discussions on this website

 

[shemandr]

What are the house batteries? You'll receive advice from multiple posters on this site that you need an energy budget and then choose batteries and charging systems and schedule that fit it. I don't want to cite hard numbers because I don't remember well enough but on my 356 we would find a dock every third day cruising to re-charge (And our alternator was useless for charging batteries), pump out, and shower/laundry.