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thataway
Joined: 02 Nov 2003 Posts: 20829 City/Region: Pensacola
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: thataway
Photos: Thataway
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Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2022 6:06 pm Post subject: |
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I would add Blue Seas and Victron to the list, and remove Guest. The Promariner, has several different lines. The Pro Nautic is the one you want.
Look at the pricing and availability. West Marine is going to be down the list as far as price is concerned--I had asked about some common bottom paint at my local store Friday. In the past, I would have been told what store had the paint--and if they could have it shipped to them via the Port Supply truck assuming it was a nearby store. This time I was told to order it thru the internet--if they had it!
West Marine has been owned by venture capitalists for the last 10 or so years. Currently a Mr. Kufel is the CEO. He served as the CEO of CorePower Yoga, building the company into the largest yoga studio operator in the U.S. Mr. Kufel currently serves as a Director of Leslie's, Inc., and Truck Hero, the leading provider of functional aftermarket accessories for pickup trucks and Jeep® vehicles. You can see how much marine business experience he has had! _________________ Bob Austin
Thataway
Thataway (Ex Seaweed) 2007 25 C Dory May 2018 to Oct. 2021
Thisaway 2006 22' CDory November 2011 to May 2018
Caracal 18 140 Suzuki 2007 to present
Thataway TomCat 255 150 Suzukis June 2006 thru August 2011
C Pelican; 1992, 22 Cruiser, 2002 thru 2006
Frequent Sea; 2003 C D 25, 2007 thru 2009
KA6PKB
Home port: Pensacola FL |
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colbysmith
Joined: 02 Oct 2011 Posts: 4559 City/Region: Madison
State or Province: WI
C-Dory Year: 2009
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: C-Traveler
Photos: C-Traveler and Midnight-Flyer
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smckean (Tosca)
Joined: 18 Jan 2014 Posts: 975 City/Region: Guemes Island (Anacortes)
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Tosca
Photos: Tosca
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Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2022 6:38 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: | The Promariner, has several different lines. The Pro Nautic is the one you want. |
Unless the installation location is damp or subject to some water intrusion like mine is (under the splashwell); then you want one of their other models. _________________ Sandy McKean
Purchased Tosca in 2014
Re-powered to Yammi 200 in 2015 |
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gulfcoast john
Joined: 14 Dec 2012 Posts: 989 City/Region: PENSACOLA
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2010
C-Dory Model: 255 Tomcat
Vessel Name: Cat O' Mine
Photos: CAT O' MINE
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Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2022 6:59 pm Post subject: |
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I second add Blue Seas P12 series and remove Guest.
We run three Group 31 AGM’s; Blue Seas recommends the 40 amp charger for that. They have a unique capability to place each of three batteries into pre-float mode independently. Great US tech support right there in Bellingham. Five year (!) warranty.
Mine had the screen go dark four years into the five year warranty. I called tech support and a friendly voice picked up on the first ring. On verifying it had a 120v input and my warranty registration, he said ‘I’ll send you a new one Fed Ex today with a prepaid return Fed Ex label. Just put the failed unit in the new unit box and send it back.’
No waiting for their engineers to verify it hadn’t been subjected to a lightning strike, operator error (always a possibility with me) etc etc. Just my word and a new $800 (retail) unit is on the way. No down time!
Downside: pricey, but you get what you pay for.
Victron 712 battery monitor to the House battery plus Blue Seas four-digit voltage gauge to the Helm bus.
If you have a better battery charger Customer Service story, sing out!
Happy shopping!
John _________________ John and Eileen Highsmith
2010 Tom Cat 255, Cat O' Mine
Yamaha F150, LXF150 |
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JeffKelly68
Joined: 14 Feb 2022 Posts: 4 City/Region: Jacksonville
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 1997
C-Dory Model: 24 Tomcat
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Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2022 10:45 am Post subject: |
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These extra points give me much to think about.
Victron is another one I didn't consider... Blue Seas as well.
Thank you for the insights gentlemen, I have to do a bit more homework now, but your opinions really help me weigh the different options.
Also, didn't know that about West Marine, thataway. Good to know that about the company... wasn't a big fan for some time now already. |
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kaelc
Joined: 19 Jul 2017 Posts: 411 City/Region: Saanich
State or Province: BC
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Island Magic
Photos: Stil-Afloat
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Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2022 9:57 pm Post subject: |
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I just went with a Victron charger, it includes blue tooth and was reasonable in price. I also added a Victron smart shunt for battery monitoring on Bluetooth. There are cheap battery monitors on Amazon but the Victron can monitor usage on the house bank and voltage on the starter. |
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thataway
Joined: 02 Nov 2003 Posts: 20829 City/Region: Pensacola
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: thataway
Photos: Thataway
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Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2022 10:47 pm Post subject: |
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On the C Dory 25, Thataway, we had two "house" battery banks. One for the lights, pumps and normal "boat use", the second was liFePO4, which gives it a different charging profile. This second bank was just to run refrigeration and the freezer, plus an inverter for induction cooking and microwave. We had a monitor on each of the banks. I have experimented with one of the Amazon's cheap copy of the Victron (about $45) in another li battery system I use in the truck for refrigeration and it works quite well so far. For the most part voltage is really all which is necessary on the starting battery, unless it is used for other purposes. |
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