Size is important

[Frank Nowak]

Is battery size important? Since I need two new batteries, am contemplating a group 24 for the starting and group 27 for the deep cycle house battery. Is this OK? Will the alternator charge on both OK? Thanks.

 

[Bob Talley]

H-27 Battery Size

I had a 1979 H-27 for about 15 years. We used it to cruise for 7-9 days at a time on the Cheasapeake Bay. The ONLY battery I had was a standard Sears Marine Die-Hard. I never had an issue with battery power. However, I always installed a new battery every two years. What you are planning should be plenty of power. I would recommend at least a 55-60 amp alternator to keep both properly charged.

 

[Benny]

Match the Batteries

We have an 83 27 SL an we have two Type 27 batteries deep cycle connected via a 3 way switch (1 or 2 or both and Off). If you are going to connect your batteries together they should be matched so one does not drain into the other. Electricity is like water, it flows until it balances out the charge in the two batteries. On the question of the alternator it is a matter of horsepower, if you are running 8HP stick with with the 15-30 AMP as a larger alternator would put to much strain on the engine. The alternator alone will not keep the batteries sufficiently charged. We run an inboard charger to keep them topped off. This requires shorepower or a generator. A fully charged battery will last longer than one who is consistently undercharged. For emergencies we have the manual crank handle. Hope some of this is of help.

 

[Dan Bryant]

solar charger

I maintain a single group 27 battery on my Hunter and it does fine, as long as you it kept charged. I purchased a unisolar charger and it will pay for itself in two years - the batteries last years longer if you keep it charged up. A $30 plug-in charger is also needed to top it off after long use. The other respondent is correct, the 15 amp charger will not be sufficient; if you drain the battery to zero, the charger will not bring it back, even if you motor all day.