Battery weight

SEA3PO · Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 12:12 pm Post subject: Battery weight

Yesterday I talked with Bob of Catalina Yacht Sales...(C-Dory dealer in Channel Islands) and he told me about someone that moved their batteries.....and put one on each side...and then put the switch in the panel between the two sides... said it leveled out the boat well....

My boat always leans when at the dock on the battery side... no wonder ... I went to buy new batteries and found those suckers were 60 pounds each..... 120 pounds on one side in the back ....hard to offset.

I am thinking of buying a couple of those light weight (38 pound) sealed, no maintenance hi-tech batteries.... can be mounted in any position...never need anything...and don't gas..

Anyone tried these ??? I know they are expensive...but what the heck..

Joel
SEA3PO

ahpeterson · Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 12:15 pm Post subject:

For what it's worth, my setup has two small cranking batteries on the starboard side, and the house battery on the port side. The boat seems to rest level with this layout. The battery switch panel (with the emergency parallel switch) is on the starboard side with the cranking batteries.

SEA3PO · Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 12:31 pm Post subject:

I just looked it up.... it's a Odyssey Battery... can be mounted flat, on it's side or up side down... a battery equal to a group 24 only weighs 38 pounds...

Joel
SEA3PO

Sneaks · Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 12:35 pm Post subject: Re: Battery weight

SEA3PO · Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 12:37 pm Post subject:

I think part of my weight problem is I carry lots of weight in my starboard side... food and all the kitchen stuff while my port side is fairly light weight... some clothes..life jackets..and never more that a quarter of a tank of water...(never use more).. Maybe I should mount both batteries above the water tank on the port side and balance the boat some ??
I could make long battery cables out of welding cables to make up for the voltage loss of the long cables...

Joel
SEA3PO

Dora~Jean · Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 12:39 pm Post subject:

Joel, of course our boats are different, but I moved 1 of my 2 batteries to the port side, helped a lot! Lots of cables and wires on the starboard side, plus the head on my boat. I pack all the heaviest items on the left side to help.

SEA3PO · Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 12:42 pm Post subject:

Who me light weight ???? Just tell my wife that..... I was thinking of joining the guys with the Biggest Looser contest.... actually the flu knocked 17 pounds off me last couple of weeks...

My problem is when I am tied to the dock...the boat always leans to starboard.... I kinda think with the weight of the twins...and two batterys so far back it is out of balance...and moving some of the weight amidships will help...

Joel
SEA3PO

Larry H · Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 12:52 pm Post subject:

The requirements for a starting battery includes MCA, Marine Cranking Amps. MCA is the amps available to the starter at 32 degrees F. Car batteries are rated at CCA, Cold Cranking Amps. CCA is amps available at 0 degrees F. MCA will be higher than CCA for a given battery.

The owners manual should specify the MCA needed by the starter. As long as the battery(ies) has a high enough rating it should work. The other requirement is that the alternator can charge the type of battery in use. Some outboard regulators are not set for gel batteries. That info should also be in the owners manual. Too long a cable run can result in too low a voltage at the starter, which can damage the starter.

Brooks Cooper · Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 1:00 pm Post subject:

Joel have you ever thought of putting the batterys between the fuel cells in battery boxes? I did, it balanced the boat well and freed up storage in both the lazarettes.

marvin4239 · Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 1:04 pm Post subject:

I could make long battery cables out of welding cables to make up for the voltage loss of the long cables...

Joel
SEA3PO[/quote]

I used welding cable on a center console I redid some years ago. I had a constant problem with corrosion with the cables and finally changed them out for Marine tinted cable.

SEA3PO · Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 1:29 pm Post subject:

Yes... I am guilty of automotive thinking.... ALWAYS...use marine wire...and marine connectors... I should know that by now...
I really am quite impressed with the Odyssey batteries...light weight and can mount anywhere... they sound perfect... plenty hot too !

Joel
SEA3PO

thataway · Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 1:35 pm Post subject:

Yes, you can move the batteries around--and many folks do--and also add more batteries, if they have a need.

BUT, remember that the amount of capacity of a batter is directly replaced to the amount of lead in it--if it'st weight is 30 lbs and the regular battery weight is 60 lbs, it will have half the capcity. I don't know if you are refering to the Odyessy or Optima batteries. The Odyessy is a good AGM battery. The Optima is a spiral wrapped battery.--Both are AGM, which is absorbed Gel Mat and are sealed.

If it is the Odyessy PC1200, which does weigh 38 lbs it has only 550 CCA and a reserve capacity of 40 amp hours. West Marine's Group 24 AGM "Sea Volt, weight is 53 lbs 79 amp hours. There are a number of other AGM batteries, including Sear's Platinum series.

I use lead acid batteries in the cockpit and AGM batteries in the cabin, where I cannot check water regularly or where the battery needs to be mounted on its side or end (not upside down: the Odyessy site says: "inverted installation is not recommended) .

SEA3PO · Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 2:07 pm Post subject:

Yes...that is what I am thinking about is AGM batteries.... mounting amidships .....probably somewhere like above the water tank..... to take some of the weight away from the starboard stern... I always go with the largest battery I can fit.... more is better .. I now need to go check my charger and the motors to make sure they can handle AGM batterys.

Several weeks ago I rode in a new 22 with the Honda 90, and was impressed with how light it felt in the stern...it got out of the hole really quickly ..... my twins make the boat stern heavy.

Joel
SEA3PO

IT-SEA-BIT-C · Guest

.check out the optima blue top batteries .don"t know how much they wiegh? , but u can probably find out easy ,they must have a web site. i've not cracked one yet on my 26 , but cracked a few others so i can tell u thier tough,werent cheap though.another small test i"ve put em through is running a small ele.motor (made for trolling - small fish thpe boat or dink) and on high speed its pushed me back to ramp / also can get me out of channel in an emergency ,more times than i like its pushed me far enough from com.traffic where i feel safe enough to hop in and change a prop. (lots of junk & dead heads floating in the hudson river). like larry said check to make sure u can charge gel cel ok. u can read all day about CCA -MCA same thing kinda. just tryin to tell u in real world experience they have lasted longer on elect. kicker, & running my motor with dead alt. longer than any other batt. i"ve tried i"m sure u would like them but they are heavy little suckers but never checked or was priortized buy batt. wieght., hope this helped ...............john

MikeMac · Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 6:33 pm Post subject: Weight is great!

Hi Joel,
I'm with Bob, weight is great. The best battery is the heaviest lead battery you can comfortably carry. They're pretty much old school technology, work well, are comparatively inexpensive, and give good service if checked regularly. Didn't we recently have an extensive battery thread, or was that about chargers?

Just my opinion.

Mike