Battery and Fuel Tank Locations

Vega1447 · Oct 16, 2008

I have 2 batteries wired in parallel as you do.
I would also like to split them so that one is a dedicated starter.

I'd be interested to hear more about your plans. I've bought a
1-2-both-neither rotary switch and some heavy-duty cable but will do the
job over the winter (if at all).

The batteries are located in the "mini-bilge" just forward on the main
deep bilge.

Seems a good location in terms of weight distribution - though maybe not
ideal if re-wiring?

Are there any arguments for sticking with the parallel setup?

My diesel tank is in port cockpit locker.
As it is higher than the engine there is no need for an electric fuel
pump - making it possible to start the engine with dead batteries I suppose.

John

V1447 breakaway
j.hunter9999 wrote:

bobnlesafloat · Oct 16, 2008

Our fuel (diesel) tank is a plastic six gallon gravity-feed affair located in the lazarette locker. Whilst I knew that the original/standard location was in the bilge, I'd only thought that was poor design because it necessitated a lift pump; having read these posts I now realise there must be boats out there with petrol fuel tanks, sat in close proximity to their batteries? That I find really scary!

As we live six months of each year on board Spring Fever, power consumption and storage are major issues for us; for whilst we might consider going to sea without any lights or navigational electronics, it would be intolerable to do so without any cold beer or white wine.

For what it's worth, our systems were/are: -
When we bought Spring Fever, she had a 45 amp/hr starter battery connected to the dyno-start and a 75 amp/hr domestic battery wired to the Volvo 35 amp alternator; the battery earths were wired through a 'both-one-two-off' switch to protect the start battery from too many cabin-lights. It worked fine for weekending, but we suspected that it couldn't keep the fridge going long term.

First I extended the 'mini bilge' sternward by about 6" - a solid rather than decorative job, whereby I glass-fibred a few timber offcuts into place so the platform projected out over the main bilges, before being 'fenced' off; this means that its now about 28" long and capable of accomodating 2 x 90 or even 110 amp hour batteries (the rear one has to be chocked-up by 2" to make it fit as the bilge narrows and it gets 'wedged' before reaching the back - I hadn't thought about that!) These batteries are both domestic and wired through the salvaged 'one-two-both-off' switch, though to be honest it's either both or off, I've never seen any point in seperating them. These batteries are powered by a 65 amp alternator which was salvaged from a small volkswagen car and there's a Sterling 'smart regulator' wired into the circuit too.

The starter battery I re-located in the engine compartment - it now sits toward the stern of the engine bay on the starboard side - there's a handy flat fibreglass moulding for it to sit on and its strapped down/back against the starboard cockpit locker bulkhead. This is still used solely for engine starting and was originally charged from the dynostart, which worked fine until the dynostarts regulator/rectifier/control box thingy cooked itself and I found out how much a replacement was going to cost - Ouch! It too is now wired into the back of the alternator, but to keep things 'seperate' there's a cut-out switch in the live circuit from the alternator - When the engine's off, the staring battery's isolated so we only draw from the house batteries, it remains isolated when we start the engine, as unless its an emergency I don't want to draw current from the often well discharged domestic batteries. Once the engine's started it is
sending amps just into the domestic batteries and then after giving them a while to bring their charge-levels back up a bit, we switch in the starting battery to top that one up too.

Not perfect I'm sure, but simple, cost-effective and it works for us.

Bob Carlisle
AV1776.

pjacobs55 · Oct 16, 2008

This spring I re-batteried:
Small starter batery in the forward end of the port locker, close to
the engine and battery switch.

http://www3.telus.net/sailing/bat1.jpg

and two Interstate U2200 six volt golf cart batteries, wired in series,
in the standrd battery location forward of the bilge.

http://www3.telus.net/sailing/bat2.jpg

The two six volt deep cycle's give me lots of 'house' power. I have a
battery switch that I leave on 'Both' while motoring, and switch to the
house bank when sailing or moored. I have the standard Yanmar
alternator, 35 amp I think, that serves well as I don't make a lot of
demands on the batteries ie: no refigeration or radar. Up here in the
Pacific NW the beer and wine keep just right in the locker aft of the
water tank

Peter
#1331 'Sin Tacha'

vegatern · Oct 17, 2008

The previous owner replaced the bilge fuel tank with an 18 gal.
tank from Temco (available from West Marine) mounted in the port
lazarette. I moved about a 100 ft of spare anchor chain into the
bilge to compensate for the change in trim and I think it helped. Two
group 27 lead acid batteries are in the "mini" bilge and fit although
it appears that someone at one time lengthened the floor a couple of
inches into the main bilge. Lead acid batteries need to have air
circulating around them while charging and must not be in an enclosed
space. I believe it is hydrogen gas that they produce and it must be
allowed to dissipate.
As far as providing tie downs in the hull for securing jerry cans
and spare anchors and such . . . It occurred to me some time ago,
(when I should have been paying attention to work instead of
daydreaming about sailing) that a bit of plastic hose about 5 inches
long, placed inside the hull and wetted in with a couple of 6 and 8
inch lengths of 4 inch fiberglass tape might work. A lashing could
then be passed through the hose. The bit of hose extending past the
width of the tape should protect the lashing from the sharp edge of
the fiberglass. I haven't tried this yet though.
Perhaps I shouldn't say anything but isn't bilge temp (about 54
F here) just about perfect for beer? I don't mean that simpy urine
colored stuff but a deep, thick, chewy double bock? Saves on the
batteries ;-)
Craig Tern 1519

bobnlesafloat · Oct 18, 2008

...Perhaps I shouldn't say anything but isn't bilge temp (about 54 F here) just about perfect for beer?...

SVFlyAway · Jan 6, 2009

I read about your system and I would like to mention one comment (please
dont shoot the messenger as this is a safety issue). You say you have an
alternator salvaged from a VW. Technically (and legally USCG) speaking,
there is a big difference between an automotive and a marine alternator.
Besides the obvious use of better marine resistant materials, there is the
issue of ignition protection on a marine alternator. Automotive alternators
can spark whereas a Marine alternator is protected against that. With a
diesel it isnt as big a problem, since diesel fumes arent all that
explosive. But with a gas engine one risks blowing things up every time the
engine is started if an automotive alternator is used on a boat. If you have
a survey dont be surprised if the surveyor writes this up at least a most
good surveyors would flag this as a hazard and a required fix. I dont
believe there is a distinction made between a diesel and gasoline engine
here.

From: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com [mailto:AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of j.hunter9999
Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 6:15 PM
To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [AlbinVega] Fuel Tanks

Bob,
Where did you find a 6 gal fuel tank? The smallest I can find is 12
gallons from discountmarine.com.

Jack
V2620

bobnlesafloat · Jan 9, 2009

Hi Jack,
It was already fitted when we bought Spring Fever, but I'm 99% sure it's was manufactured by Vetus. As an aside, if I'd fitted the tank myself, I would've made the effort to construct/glass-in a support frame in the back inboard corner of one the cockpit side lockers rather than use the space in the Lazarette.

Bob Carlisle
Spring Fever