i am a new sailor. the batteries on my 1982 seem to take too much water. they seem to be cooking. somewhere along the line a PO installed a Guest charger. knowing very little about chargers, everything looks ok. but, when i'm on shore power, it seems to be charging the batteries all the time. when out this week, i was playing with the totally misunderstood autopilot. it seemed to take the batteries down even though i had the engine running ( charging the batteries, i thought ) boat has a 11 hp universal. should the universal have been charging the batteries? should i be adding water every week to the two batteries? tom
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I always get flamed when I says this but here goes
I needed a battery charger for my C25. I am installing three batteries. One starting and two house batteries. I called Guest and talked to the customer service representative about what charger to buy. She asked me one question, "How much fishing do you do per day?" I was confused and told her that I wanted to charge sailboat batteries. She asked if I was going to use any shore side 12V power while on the charger and I replied that I would probably use the lights and radio, whatever, alongside the dock while plugged into shore power. She told me that Guest does not make a charger for that application. Their chargers are only designed to recharge a set of trolling motor batteries after a long day of fishing. These chargers are only used to recharge the battery bank, uninterrupted, until the full charge is completed and they are not used to run 12V equipment. I called Pro-Mariner. They build a charger for this purpose. You may have fried the charger becasue, as I understand it they aren't designed for the type of things we do. Dan
I needed a battery charger for my C25. I am installing three batteries. One starting and two house batteries. I called Guest and talked to the customer service representative about what charger to buy. She asked me one question, "How much fishing do you do per day?" I was confused and told her that I wanted to charge sailboat batteries. She asked if I was going to use any shore side 12V power while on the charger and I replied that I would probably use the lights and radio, whatever, alongside the dock while plugged into shore power. She told me that Guest does not make a charger for that application. Their chargers are only designed to recharge a set of trolling motor batteries after a long day of fishing. These chargers are only used to recharge the battery bank, uninterrupted, until the full charge is completed and they are not used to run 12V equipment. I called Pro-Mariner. They build a charger for this purpose. You may have fried the charger becasue, as I understand it they aren't designed for the type of things we do. Dan
Tom, you need to read a book or two
about basic boat electrical systems and charging. You could also read the stuff on this website in archives, look under "chargers", etc. Also go to BoatUS.com and read their stuff. And there's always Google. There really is a ton of basics out there.
about basic boat electrical systems and charging. You could also read the stuff on this website in archives, look under "chargers", etc. Also go to BoatUS.com and read their stuff. And there's always Google. There really is a ton of basics out there.
thanks stu
thanks. but do you think there is a problem? have you encountered a problem like this? what's your trusted opinion. tom
thanks. but do you think there is a problem? have you encountered a problem like this? what's your trusted opinion. tom
Tom, sounds like a bad charger
if your batteries are getting fried. You need to plug in the boat and measure the voltage from the charger to the batteries, at the batteries. Your engine's alternator is most likely an OEM 55 amp Motorola with internal regulation, which won't get you much. Read up on tapering charging from internally regulated alternators. Also, unplug from shorepower, run the engine at over 1500 rpm and see what output the alternator gives you. You need to find out what's cooking your batteries, and there are only two sources. If your shorepower charger is questionable, I wouldn't leave the boat plugged in until you fix the problem. It sure beats buying new batteries, too. One of the best quick-learning sources for you is the West Marine catalog. The Advisors are very helpful. Suggest you download, print out and read the ones in electrical from here: http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/WestAdvisorListView?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001 You might also want to check out this thread from this week on this website: http://www.sailboatowners.com/forums/pviewall.tpl?fno=21&uid=73200280089&sku=2006322185051.37&startat=21&pg=T See my post #24. Anything else, let us know.
if your batteries are getting fried. You need to plug in the boat and measure the voltage from the charger to the batteries, at the batteries. Your engine's alternator is most likely an OEM 55 amp Motorola with internal regulation, which won't get you much. Read up on tapering charging from internally regulated alternators. Also, unplug from shorepower, run the engine at over 1500 rpm and see what output the alternator gives you. You need to find out what's cooking your batteries, and there are only two sources. If your shorepower charger is questionable, I wouldn't leave the boat plugged in until you fix the problem. It sure beats buying new batteries, too. One of the best quick-learning sources for you is the West Marine catalog. The Advisors are very helpful. Suggest you download, print out and read the ones in electrical from here: http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/WestAdvisorListView?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001 You might also want to check out this thread from this week on this website: http://www.sailboatowners.com/forums/pviewall.tpl?fno=21&uid=73200280089&sku=2006322185051.37&startat=21&pg=T See my post #24. Anything else, let us know.
again thanks stu, but
in the reading i've done, i've found ( inconclusive ) to add distilled water to my battery types. doesn't say how much or how often. when cleaning the boat i found bottle of distilled water and decided to check the batties just for the hell of it. they each took about 2 cups. then 10-12 days later they took another 2 cups each. i am supposed to have a fairly new guest 3 stage charger and the batteries look fairly new. i won't have anyone who understands a voltmeter for another month to 6 weeks. i am 180 miles from my boat and have to leave it for 2 week periods. without shore power to run the bilge it might be under water if the batteries run out during the 2 weeks i'm gone. it would be very nice of you to tell me you add that much water to your batteries every 2 weeks and that your boat can run the bilge for a month on batteries alone. can you tell me that? t
in the reading i've done, i've found ( inconclusive ) to add distilled water to my battery types. doesn't say how much or how often. when cleaning the boat i found bottle of distilled water and decided to check the batties just for the hell of it. they each took about 2 cups. then 10-12 days later they took another 2 cups each. i am supposed to have a fairly new guest 3 stage charger and the batteries look fairly new. i won't have anyone who understands a voltmeter for another month to 6 weeks. i am 180 miles from my boat and have to leave it for 2 week periods. without shore power to run the bilge it might be under water if the batteries run out during the 2 weeks i'm gone. it would be very nice of you to tell me you add that much water to your batteries every 2 weeks and that your boat can run the bilge for a month on batteries alone. can you tell me that? t
not very often
Tom, I regularly check my batteries -every month or so- and have added at most one cup of distilled water only twice over the past 16 months (when I first bought the boat and a few months ago). Batteries are mostly fully charged, I use the boat every weekend throughout the year and run the engine (and charge the batteries) perhaps 1 hour each time I use the boat. I have very few gizmos other than autopilot that use power. Autopilot, however, doesn't really use much power at all (except under extreme circumstances) and running the engine whilst using autopilot should certainly not run down your batteries. You should be able to be pretty much all day on autopilot (without the engine on) and still have a reasonable charge in your batteries. I also have a solar panel, but that probably doesn't charge very much. I am on a swing mooring, so no shore power to re-charge. Edward.
Tom, I regularly check my batteries -every month or so- and have added at most one cup of distilled water only twice over the past 16 months (when I first bought the boat and a few months ago). Batteries are mostly fully charged, I use the boat every weekend throughout the year and run the engine (and charge the batteries) perhaps 1 hour each time I use the boat. I have very few gizmos other than autopilot that use power. Autopilot, however, doesn't really use much power at all (except under extreme circumstances) and running the engine whilst using autopilot should certainly not run down your batteries. You should be able to be pretty much all day on autopilot (without the engine on) and still have a reasonable charge in your batteries. I also have a solar panel, but that probably doesn't charge very much. I am on a swing mooring, so no shore power to re-charge. Edward.
can you tell me that?
Tom No, I can't. I think you have a serious problem with your charger. I can't move you any closer to your boat and am sorry if you don't like the response to your question. "i am supposed to have a fairly new guest 3 stage charger and the batteries look fairly new." I haven't seen 'em, couldn't tell you. Chargers can break, batteries can be mislabeled. "without shore power to run the bilge it might be under water if the batteries run out during the 2 weeks I'm gone." Yup, you have an issue, and you'd best be looking for someone who's closer to your boat than either you or me. "it would be very nice of you to tell me you add that much water to your batteries every 2 weeks and that your boat can run the bilge for a month on batteries alone. can you tell me that?" Sure, I could, but that would be a lie. I told you, at your request, what I thought the problem was. No, nothing could run a bilge pump for two weeks without charging, but if do you have reason to believe that your boat is allowing that much water inside, then you also have other issues, as well as your boat. I know it's Thanksgiving, but you may consider a visit, with some cranberries, to your boat. We both know it's not a turkey, and deserves whatever is required to keep it working. Happy Holidays.
Tom No, I can't. I think you have a serious problem with your charger. I can't move you any closer to your boat and am sorry if you don't like the response to your question. "i am supposed to have a fairly new guest 3 stage charger and the batteries look fairly new." I haven't seen 'em, couldn't tell you. Chargers can break, batteries can be mislabeled. "without shore power to run the bilge it might be under water if the batteries run out during the 2 weeks I'm gone." Yup, you have an issue, and you'd best be looking for someone who's closer to your boat than either you or me. "it would be very nice of you to tell me you add that much water to your batteries every 2 weeks and that your boat can run the bilge for a month on batteries alone. can you tell me that?" Sure, I could, but that would be a lie. I told you, at your request, what I thought the problem was. No, nothing could run a bilge pump for two weeks without charging, but if do you have reason to believe that your boat is allowing that much water inside, then you also have other issues, as well as your boat. I know it's Thanksgiving, but you may consider a visit, with some cranberries, to your boat. We both know it's not a turkey, and deserves whatever is required to keep it working. Happy Holidays.
Something is wrong
We have a '83 Cat 30 in La Paz. She sits in the water for 6 months in a slip, not connected to shore power. With 3 group 27 batteries sitting idle for that time, she fires up when we return for the winter (11 hp Universal). I leave one group 27 battery connected to the bilge pump and a 10 watt solar cell connected to that battery. It is fully charged when we return after 6 months and starts the engine. I do tighten the stuffing box so there are no leaks or drips, loosening it when we return. The boat has had this routine for 8 years in Marina de la Paz. I add distilled water before we leave (hot summers) and to the one battery connected to the solar panel when we return. The idle batteries do not seem to need water unless we are charging them. Once the engine is started, I use a charge controller and go out motoring and the batteries come back up. By the way, the reason for no dock connection is to avoid stray electrolysis for the six months the boat is unused. Batteries last (so far) about 3-4 years. If you are using that much water, your batteries might be bad, or as Stu said, overcharging.
We have a '83 Cat 30 in La Paz. She sits in the water for 6 months in a slip, not connected to shore power. With 3 group 27 batteries sitting idle for that time, she fires up when we return for the winter (11 hp Universal). I leave one group 27 battery connected to the bilge pump and a 10 watt solar cell connected to that battery. It is fully charged when we return after 6 months and starts the engine. I do tighten the stuffing box so there are no leaks or drips, loosening it when we return. The boat has had this routine for 8 years in Marina de la Paz. I add distilled water before we leave (hot summers) and to the one battery connected to the solar panel when we return. The idle batteries do not seem to need water unless we are charging them. Once the engine is started, I use a charge controller and go out motoring and the batteries come back up. By the way, the reason for no dock connection is to avoid stray electrolysis for the six months the boat is unused. Batteries last (so far) about 3-4 years. If you are using that much water, your batteries might be bad, or as Stu said, overcharging.
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