My New Boat - A Tartan 3800

Sean K

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Feb 14, 2022
44
Tartan T3800 Waukegan, IL
Yes, then a solar panel is a smart way to go. I do carry a Lithium Ion jump starter as my back up just in case I mistakenly drain down the batteries. It’s small and strong enough to start my engine. Not sure how long my 50 amp alternator would take to charge up the batteries but running the engine also solves my fuel contamination problem - I don’t even use a full tank of fuel the whole season - which gives me pause. Haven’t had to run the engine yet - just a back up precaution. Sh___ happens!
 

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
fuel contamination problem - I don’t even use a full tank of fuel the whole season - which gives me pause
Just put biocide in the tank when you add fuel, and check your water separator
Not sure how long my 50 amp alternator would take to charge up the batteries
How many Ah and what type batteries? What kind of regulator?
 

Sean K

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Feb 14, 2022
44
Tartan T3800 Waukegan, IL
Yes, I do use a biocide all the time, but I’d like to burn through at lease one full tank so as not to carry over the same fuel for more than one year.

My batteries are flooded lead acid - maintenance free, deep cycle - 3 total; two - 206AH house and one 135AH starting battery.. So I figure I can draw about 110AH before I need to recharge and about 180AH before I’m jump starting the engine. So I guess the engine alternator will take 2.2 to 4 hours to recharge to full charge. I put the battery switch to ALL with the engine running or while under shore power and the battery charger on. While sailing or not on shore power I use just the house batteries and then if necessary ALL. As mentioned I carry a jump starter to start the engine if needed.
 

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
Wow, that's a lot of battery - or is it two house batteries for a total of 206Ah? What kind of regulator have you?
 
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Jul 23, 2009
857
Beneteau 31 Oceanis Grand Lake, Oklahoma
Be sure to use a stabilizer in the fuel too. I like Power Service Clear Diesel. Not all diesel treatments contain a stabilizer, read the label. I treat, and test, thousands of gallons of diesel fuel yearly.
 
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Sean K

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Feb 14, 2022
44
Tartan T3800 Waukegan, IL
Yes, each house battery is 206AH; they’re big and I can run refrigerator, Auto pilot, lights, and all electronics all day and night without draining them completely. My lights are all LED but I do use the refrigerator all day and the auto pilot is on while sailing, active about 50% of the time and on standby 50%. So I use all my electrical items without a problem or concern but I don’t waster energy.
I don’t know the make or model of the regulator, I believe it’s built into the alternatoR not a separator unit.
 

Sean K

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Feb 14, 2022
44
Tartan T3800 Waukegan, IL
To answer the diesel fuel question. When I got the boat the previous owned had a 30 micron primary filter/seperator and the Westerbeke secondary is a 3 micron mounted on the engine. I changed the Racor primary to a 10 micron and I keep several spares onboard (both primary and secondary). So far I haven’t had to drain water from the bottom of the primary separator and I only change out the filter once a year. But note I only burned 21 gallons of fuel last year. I run the engine for about a quarter mile as I leave and enter the harbor, and rarely even reach 2000 RPM. A biocide is always in my tank, not just during the winter off season.
 

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
Be sure to use a stabilizer in the fuel too. I like Power Service Clear Diesel. Not all diesel treatments contain a stabilizer, read the label. I treat, and test, thousands of gallons of diesel fuel yearly.
Other than the obvious answer, "it stabilizes the fuel," what exactly does a fuel stabilizer do?

Thanks,

jv
 
Jul 23, 2009
857
Beneteau 31 Oceanis Grand Lake, Oklahoma
Other than the obvious answer, "it stabilizes the fuel," what exactly does a fuel stabilizer do?

Thanks,

jv
That a really good question. I'll have to do some digging to get a good answer for you.

A few things I can tell you.
1. It's not bioside.
2. My employer and the lab we use to test our fuel make a big deal about it.

Here are some examples of lab reports.
 

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jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
Yes, each house battery is 206AH; they’re big and I can run refrigerator, Auto pilot, lights, and all electronics all day and night without draining them completely. My lights are all LED but I do use the refrigerator all day and the auto pilot is on while sailing, active about 50% of the time and on standby 50%. So I use all my electrical items without a problem or concern but I don’t waster energy.
I don’t know the make or model of the regulator, I believe it’s built into the alternatoR not a separator unit.
That's a lot of capacity. I have no idea how you can charge that with the alternator you describe - it would take days! So, I guess you rely upon shore power to charge. How many Amps is your shore power charger?
 

Sean K

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Feb 14, 2022
44
Tartan T3800 Waukegan, IL
I installed a new ProNautic 30 amp smart charger for multiple banks last year.
my 50 amp alternator tops off my batteries relatively quickly-2to4 hours depending on where they are when starting. But you’re right, most nights I’m on shore power.
the alternator can push out over 14.5 volts and up to 50amps depending on the batteries then current charge. As they charge it drops down to 13.2V and only the amps the battery can accept. These lead acid batteries are fully charged at 12.8V. The shore power charger is always on when I’m plugged in. So my sailing day starts at 100%.
 

Sean K

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Feb 14, 2022
44
Tartan T3800 Waukegan, IL
PS: my normal days sailing battery usage is replenished in about 40 minutes of engine running time. Night time on the hook is about the same. Another 40 minutes.
 

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
Gotcha, makes sense. If you were out for a week or more you'd start to notice the difference!
 

Sean K

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Feb 14, 2022
44
Tartan T3800 Waukegan, IL
Jviss, how was your 2023 sailing season? The second season with my T3800 was a great one, spent a lot of time sailing her, including a 3 week circumnavigation of Lake Michigan cruise. I now feel I know this boat well, and I’m very pleased with the way she sails, handles and living on board for weeks at a time. Put her up for the winter the first week of November, can’t wait for next season.
 

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
Hey there! Thanks for asking. It was just O.K. - weather kinda sucked here this summer. Only got out a few times, only one overnight trip. I hope 2024 is better.

I'm glad you are enjoying your boat!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

jv
 

Sean K

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Feb 14, 2022
44
Tartan T3800 Waukegan, IL
Merry Christmas to you and your family, too.
Did you ever install the solar panel, if so how did it work out? I have yet put my true battery power to the test. Even during my 3 week cruise I was under a schedule whereby I traveled every day which meant on the light wind days I did some motor-sailing. The most I went was 2.5 days without the engine or being ”plugged in”. My “house” batteries were sufficient, my engine battery was held in reserve, and as mentioned previously I also had a “Lithium Ion” jumper backup on board - which I did not use as there was no need to. I’m not one to “Leave Lights on” and I’m conscience of power consumption all the time, but my Anchor Watch was on all night as was the VHF, AIS and anchor light when called for.
I was also very pleased with the Rocna anchor, 40’ of chain and 7:1 rode that according to my anchor watch map never moved even in rough weather (one night so rough it was hard to sleep). Setting and retrieving that anchor, single handed without a windless was “a challenge” to say the least. That dance I had to perform must have looked pretty funny to anyone who was watching. Remember I had to set the anchor watch which was at the helm as I dropped the anchor. Then the one rough weather night caused the anchor to set so deep I had to use the engine to “unset” it. - Always fun. Great exercise but I think there’s a Windless in my future. One drawback is that I can muscle it faster than most windlass‘ can retrieve it, and speed is important while single handed, unless I could trust it from the helm.
Still sailing with just the Main and 130 Genoa, my downwind performance is poor but upwind I can out-perform most cruisers my size. Still no whisker pole either so I almost never go directly down-wind. My VMG is to take the wind at my aft quarter. I feel that any kind of spinniker would require crew to handle safely on Lake Michigan.. However I did add a second fore-sail halyard this past winter - just in case I want to try it. - not yet.
Hope to sail Lake Huron’s many islands next season.