I bought a 1986 ODay 222 late last year and I've finally got it about ready to splash. Among other things I replaced all the bulbs with LED's, wired in a permanent depth finder, and now I'm ready to install the battery. The battery goes under the port sette area, and there is a wooden board down there with side rails that the battery sits on, with fasteners for the battery tie down straps. Only problem is - this board is sloped at an angle downward toward the centerline of the hull, but seems to be solidly in place and "factory". If I fit a battery (in a plastic battery box), on that board I am concerned that the battery will be tipped when the boat is level, and severly tipped when the boat is heeled over starboard side down, and liquid might leak out of the lead-acid marine battery. Heeled over on the port side will probably just make the battery level. The battery will be in a plastic battery box regardless, partially to catch any liquid spillage. Anyone else had this situation ?? What did you do ?? How is your battery mounted in your 222 ?? I wish there was some way to suspend the battery so it would gimbal and stay level during heeling. Moving the battery to anywhere within the cabin area is not to my liking. Appreciate some great suggestions or clarifications. Thanks.
How to mount battery for ODAY 222
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The PO of my 25 did a similar thing: a non-levelled battery platform under the port settee. However, he hadn't even glassed it to the hull. It was free to slide around.
Pressure buildup during charging forces the liquid out the vent holes, lowering fluid level and damaging the battery.
I built a proper hold-down platform and glassed it in, level, under the cockpit. Getting it level was a real trick, but is essential.
I took this picture from the cabin, when the aft bulkhead under the companionway was removed.
Pressure buildup during charging forces the liquid out the vent holes, lowering fluid level and damaging the battery.
I built a proper hold-down platform and glassed it in, level, under the cockpit. Getting it level was a real trick, but is essential.
I took this picture from the cabin, when the aft bulkhead under the companionway was removed.
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Thanks, Joe, that is a great idea, and I can get mine fairly level since it is sitting on a trailer. I think my existing platform is factory, and it is glassed in. I'll get to work on your idea yet this weekend. I like that yours is raised up too, easier to get at the battery. Thanks.
I have an 86 O'Day 222 that I bought new and the battery is supposed to be placed in a battery box in the cabin under the cockpit in the center of the sole. If you have the battery box, all you really need is the battery hold down kit. http://www.nextag.com/marine-battery-box/products-html
Click on this link. It looks like the next to the last one on that page.
I just put my battery in my boat. Here's some pics of it.
Joe
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I think that if he checks the sole under the cockpit he's going to find the four screw holes where the plastic strap brackets were originally installed Joe.
Several years ago I mounted a four terminal block on the rear bulkhead in the Port lazarett under the hatch, and ran a #10 copper stranded duplex cable from the block to the battery. I replaced the outboard charging duplex with a #10 duplex and I have it going over the transom and through an outlet hole to the other side of the terminal block.
I covered the connections to this block with a PC mouse pad attached with wood screws. All my connections have crimp ons with eyes. I have nice solid connections with plenty of juice going to the battery from the outboard's charging system.
I've found this to be better than marine outlets with plugs.
The lazarett on my boat is best suited for my rope hanging board, spare anchor w/line, polytarps, fenders, buckets, and the usual gear I keep stowed. I'm forever getting stuff out of this locker while the boat is under sail and this is why I chose to mount my autopilot on the Starboard fuel locker cover. This set up has worked out very well for me over the years.
Joe
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Joe of Trinkka, I looked in the area under the cockpit where you have your battery mounted, and I couldn't find a single hole for a hold down strap or anything else there. The #10 wires from the circuit breaker box were ran aft into the port lazarette and to the area I described in my original posting. As I mentioned, there is a wooden tray in the bottom of the lazarette, with rails all around to keep the battery box from sliding around, and it is solidly glassed to the hull, but at the same slope as the hull. I don't know if this was "factory" but it sure was put there for the battery. I didn't find time to get the boat in the water last summer, so I never installed a battery, but I have the plastic battery box, and I also put in a terminal block where you did. Actually, the terminal block is a master circuit breaker, so the battery #10 wiring goes from the battery up to this circuit breaker, then from there #10 wire to the circuit breaker panel in the cabin. I have been kicking around ideas to build a level platform over this original sloping platform, with rails all around, glassed in place, and with new battery box tie-downs. Actually, the area under the cockpit where you have your battery is ideal for storage to my way of thinking, and I'm thinking of putting in a rectangular, gasketed, after-market floor hatch in the cockpit floor so I can access this area easier. I've seen several fiberglass?plastic? floor hatches listed in several catalogs, apparently strong enough to walk on, and some are even lockable. I thougt I could store groceries or other stuff down there, and get at it easily, and altho minor, the weight of the stuff would be centered low and over the keel line. And, while it obviouslly must not be a problem, I just wasn't too excited about having battery fumes released into the cabin area, however minor, if the battery was within the cabin and somehow not vented. I'm planning a lot of over-niters, and I felt there COULD be health issues, explosive gasses issues, and corrosion issues. I know there are many, many boats with the battery in the cabin area (my previous Columbia 22' for example), but since I have a choice, why not keep the battery out of the cabin ?? Anyway, as soon as I get the battery located and properly secured, and charging wiring ran from the Honda OB generator to the battery, I'll be ready to finally get her into the water. I can hardly wait. Thank you both again for your inputs, and I'm starting to sketch a sturdy wooden, painted, level platform. All you guys, and this forum, are great !!!!
Richard Brees
Richard Brees
Richard,
I have a sealed 100 AH deep cycle battery and there is no cause that I can see to be concerned about fumes. I've had the filler cap type batteries on my boat in the past.
I have no idea why they put the battery in the lazerett on your boat. O'Day was always experimenting with these boats and adding different features. Maybe your boat came through that way. Myself, I like the battery where it is on my boat because it's out of the way.
I store all my lines in the lazarett along with two buckets, one of them a five gallon plasterer's bucket, an anchor with 150' of 3/8" line, three poly tarps, four fenders, a four gallon sun shower, and a one gallon weed sprayer for it's cooling mist spray on hot days, and rinsing dishes.
I just found out yesterday that the sphereical radar reflector that I've been storing on my boat for over twenty years now isn't any more effective that a Burgee with metal threads. That thing is coming off my boat today. I'm cutting down on junk that I don't need on that boat.
As far as food storage goes, I have about six Rubber Maid rectangular 2.2 gallon containers w/ lids that I keep under the quarter births for can goods and food storage. I plan on buying my food this week and loading them up. They will stay on the boat all season.
This year I'm going to eliminate the two quarter birth mattress that fit under the cockpit seats. This area will be used for gear storage. There will still be enough room for cabin seating or sprawling out on the quarter births, but it will also allow me more access to the compartments in those two cubby holes in there. I'll also be able to store my extra cooler in there.
There's still enough room on the sole plate where my battery is located for my stove fuel and anything else that I need to put in there.
One of the greatest things about owning a boat I think is the fun of doing the many modifications that are going to personalize your boat and make it more user friendly for you. After all. It's your boat. Make it suit your needs.
Good luck with that and have a great sailing season!
Joe
I have a sealed 100 AH deep cycle battery and there is no cause that I can see to be concerned about fumes. I've had the filler cap type batteries on my boat in the past.
I have no idea why they put the battery in the lazerett on your boat. O'Day was always experimenting with these boats and adding different features. Maybe your boat came through that way. Myself, I like the battery where it is on my boat because it's out of the way.
I store all my lines in the lazarett along with two buckets, one of them a five gallon plasterer's bucket, an anchor with 150' of 3/8" line, three poly tarps, four fenders, a four gallon sun shower, and a one gallon weed sprayer for it's cooling mist spray on hot days, and rinsing dishes.
I just found out yesterday that the sphereical radar reflector that I've been storing on my boat for over twenty years now isn't any more effective that a Burgee with metal threads. That thing is coming off my boat today. I'm cutting down on junk that I don't need on that boat.
As far as food storage goes, I have about six Rubber Maid rectangular 2.2 gallon containers w/ lids that I keep under the quarter births for can goods and food storage. I plan on buying my food this week and loading them up. They will stay on the boat all season.
This year I'm going to eliminate the two quarter birth mattress that fit under the cockpit seats. This area will be used for gear storage. There will still be enough room for cabin seating or sprawling out on the quarter births, but it will also allow me more access to the compartments in those two cubby holes in there. I'll also be able to store my extra cooler in there.
There's still enough room on the sole plate where my battery is located for my stove fuel and anything else that I need to put in there.
One of the greatest things about owning a boat I think is the fun of doing the many modifications that are going to personalize your boat and make it more user friendly for you. After all. It's your boat. Make it suit your needs.
Good luck with that and have a great sailing season!
Joe
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Hey Bear, I live in Omaha and bought as old oday 25. I want to replace my bulbs with leds also but where did you get them? Did they go intothe old fixtures. I just rewired my boat and put in two group 27 batteries. I have the same factory hole for the battery you do. I am gonna just strap them down in plastic holders. I see no problem with that. Thanks.
Joe, I really admire how you have outfitted your 222. You've really put some thought and ingenuity in to things you have done to it. I really admire your removable step so you can store your ice chest.
Hey, Plainssailor, easy part first: All the interior bulbs in my 222 were #1142, 12 volt, bayonet type, clear bulbs. I went to E-bay and found LED replacements for the 1142's and they fit and work very well. Just remove the lens, twist and remove the old bulb and insert and twist the new LED, replace the lens - you are done. There are now lots of other low priced sources if you do an internet search. I recall I paid about $5 each for mine, plus postage, and used the Buy It Now instead of the auction. Harder part: as for the navigation lights, I again went to E-Bay and used the Perko 0071DP0CLR 31 mm LED festoon bulb for the anchor light, mast light and the front bi-colored light. Again, these bulbs were $5 each. In my area (and probably yours) the requirement is for 1 nm visibility, and these work well for that. I understand that in other areas, and coastal areas, there is a requirement for 2 nm visibility. To fully meet that requirement I'd have to replace my complete bi-color assembly with a new LED assembly. Again, E-bay is a good source for the bow light replacement, and I just bought a pair of surface mounted LED nav lights, one red and one green, which I will put back to back and mount so they are vertical on my existing bow light bracket, thereby displaying the proper color to each side. I paid $25 for the pair, and don't have to extend any wiring. With a total of 2 interior lights, and 4 nav lights, none drawing much over 4.5 watts total power (with all on) now, plus a small digital depth finder, my 12 volt deep cycle marine battery will last a long time, and can certainly be maintained with the generator on my Honda 4 stroke 5 HP. Hey, maybe we can get together sometime and sail together for a weekend !! I'm near Rathbun and Red Rocks Lakes, don't know what is near you. Anyway, you're the closest sailor that I know of, so let's stay in touch.
Thanks bear. Necessity was the mother of that idea. I hated having to remove the Starboard mattresses to get my 48 quart cooler to slide in behind that step. With that removable step, I can lift my 50 quart cooler over those two step mounts and get it in and out of there with no problem.
Last year I installed two plastic fair leads on my sliding hatch cover to secure my Stern's Sunshower. I had been securing it to my mast which was a pain to access each time I wanted to take a shower or rinse off a large sudsy pan. Now, all I have to do is bring the hatch back toward me and reach for it from the cockpit, and I don't even need to untie it to rinse off a pan. I just hope I don't lose what I'm rinsing, over the side. I'm good for that.
My next mod this year is a home made boom brake using a mountain climbing ascending device called a "Super Eight", with two single sheave blocks, some braid line, and I haven't decided what to use for cleats yet to make it work.
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According to INTERNATIONAL and/or INLAND Rules: (NM = Nautical Mile)
For vessels under 39.4' (12 Meters) 1 NM visibility for the sidelights (red and green) and the White lights (stern, steaming/masthead, anchor or all-around) must have 2-NM visibility.
On vessels over 39.4' but less than 65' the sidelights must have 2 NM visibility and the mashead (steaming) light 3 NM, Sternlight and Anchor Lights need 2 NM visibility.
Some states requirements on inland lakes differ, but technically.... lights that meet INTERNATIONAL RULES requirements are legal on all waters.
Be careful replacing incandesent bulbs with LEDs in NavLights, be sure that your sidelights are still showing proper colors. You may need to use red LEDs in the port light and green in the starboard light even though you obviously have colored lenses, I seem to recall reading about weird effects caused by some "white" LEDs. I think that the "white" or "clear" LEDs are OK in white lights, but check to be sure before you go out at night.
One clarification, despite it's name...the "Masthead" light is often mounted about 1/2 way up the mast on a sailing vessel (often at or near the level of the spreaders) as long as it is at least 39" higher than the sidelights, that is OK.
Also, be sure that if we replace the sidelights on our sailboats, that we get lights that are designed for sailboat use. Not all NAVLights are rated for both power and sail, many are only "legal" on powerboats due to the vertical visibility of the light. On a sailboat we need the lights to be visible while heeled over and so the lights made for sailboats have a greater vertical arc of visibility.
For vessels under 39.4' (12 Meters) 1 NM visibility for the sidelights (red and green) and the White lights (stern, steaming/masthead, anchor or all-around) must have 2-NM visibility.
On vessels over 39.4' but less than 65' the sidelights must have 2 NM visibility and the mashead (steaming) light 3 NM, Sternlight and Anchor Lights need 2 NM visibility.
Some states requirements on inland lakes differ, but technically.... lights that meet INTERNATIONAL RULES requirements are legal on all waters.
Be careful replacing incandesent bulbs with LEDs in NavLights, be sure that your sidelights are still showing proper colors. You may need to use red LEDs in the port light and green in the starboard light even though you obviously have colored lenses, I seem to recall reading about weird effects caused by some "white" LEDs. I think that the "white" or "clear" LEDs are OK in white lights, but check to be sure before you go out at night.
One clarification, despite it's name...the "Masthead" light is often mounted about 1/2 way up the mast on a sailing vessel (often at or near the level of the spreaders) as long as it is at least 39" higher than the sidelights, that is OK.
Also, be sure that if we replace the sidelights on our sailboats, that we get lights that are designed for sailboat use. Not all NAVLights are rated for both power and sail, many are only "legal" on powerboats due to the vertical visibility of the light. On a sailboat we need the lights to be visible while heeled over and so the lights made for sailboats have a greater vertical arc of visibility.
Richard:
All four O’day 222s I have seen (1985, 1986 (2), and 1987, representing both MA and CA manufacturing facilities) had factory battery location in the Port lazarette- accessed from cockpit. The Oday 222 sales brochures support this location as the original battery placement. You make a good point to keep battery level- I recall all I have seen had battery platforms that aligned with the sloping hull (i.e. battery platform not level). It would be an easy fix to correct the sloped storage pad and leave battery in original location.( I will be adding this to my list of things to do).
P.S. I am not near my boat now, but wherever you mount make sure you have an inline fuse between battery and breaker panel. I recall the inline fuse from the battery to the breaker panel is 30A.
All four O’day 222s I have seen (1985, 1986 (2), and 1987, representing both MA and CA manufacturing facilities) had factory battery location in the Port lazarette- accessed from cockpit. The Oday 222 sales brochures support this location as the original battery placement. You make a good point to keep battery level- I recall all I have seen had battery platforms that aligned with the sloping hull (i.e. battery platform not level). It would be an easy fix to correct the sloped storage pad and leave battery in original location.( I will be adding this to my list of things to do).
P.S. I am not near my boat now, but wherever you mount make sure you have an inline fuse between battery and breaker panel. I recall the inline fuse from the battery to the breaker panel is 30A.
Thanks Mich 222 for the information. I'm going to wire brush the finish from the inside of the hull at the new contact points and install a level battery rack over the top of the original battery rack similar to Joe vanDenenden, fiberglassing the new support to the inside of the hull. Leveling will be easy while the boat is on the trailer. Yes, I went to an auto parts store and bought a 30A resettable circuit breaker with mounting flanges and mounted it on the plywood bulkhead (lazarette side) near the battery location. Then I ran #10 (I think it is heavier) wire from the positive battery post area (don't have my battery yet) to the circuit breaker, then a #10 or heavier wire from the circuit breaker to the breaker panel inside of the cabin. Reason I'm not sure about the wire is that I'm using the wiring that was already in the boat. There was an excessive length of black and red wire in the lazerette area, so I was able to to cut to the lengths I needed, and still had wire left over. I soldered the wire ends to copper terminals for attachment to threaded posts, so I will have good connections. I've sailed in some heavy weather in the Pacific, so I'm going to make a wooden rack with plenty of strength and bracing, and besides the two attachment points at the hull, I'm going to also attach it to the fiberglass bulkhead that separates the lazarette from the cabin adjacent to the battery. I'll hopefully never be in the kind of weather I sailed in off the Santa Barbara coast, ( I took heavy weather training there and lived there for a few years), but I don't want that battery breaking loose !!
Mitch,
I've only seen two 1986 O'Day 222s up close, mine and my friend David's which he bought from my friend Walter years ago. I'm pretty sure that David's boat is set up similar to mine with the battery on the sole plate in the cabin. In fact I had emailed him about this and he replied that his boat is set up exactly like mine as far as the battery placement behind the step in the cabin, under the cockpit is concerned.
I don't doubt that one or two of the O'Day factories built their 222s with a provision for the battery in the lazarette. They were always experimenting on these boats trying to find ways to cut costs.
When you think about it, it's a heck of a lot cheaper to relocate the battery storage area to an existing spot in the cabin where they only needed a battery strap and plastic brackets than it was to glass in a special mount for the battery inside the Port lazerette. It's possible that when they mounted the battery in the Port lazarette, they figured it would offset the weight of an 8 hp outboard motor on the Starboard side of the boat's stern. The best trade off I can see is more room in my boat's lazarette and I still have plenty of room to store gear next to my battery box on the sole plate.
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I can agree with the weight offset. It's important to keep in mind... My O'Day 25 has two batteries and my fresh water storage tank on the starboard side and it offsets the Honda outboard on the port side perfectly...it's no fun operating a crooked boat!
mounting batery in Oday 222
Mitch I have the 1984 222 and originally my battery was in the lazarette. I moved into the cabin simar to where Trinka's is. I Built a platform which was no issue to help balance the boat.
My outboard is on the Starboard side of my boat and my battery and water tank is in the center of my boat. So with all the gear that I stow in my lazarette, everything seems to even out very well. Like I mentioned previously, O'Day was forever making changes in their boats to try and keep the costs down. In the end, it didn't help them much because I think they bit off more than they could chew by building other boats besides O'Days. If they had just stuck with building O'Day sailboats, maybe they would still be in business today.
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