255 T-Cat Questions

Oh, I see, Warren.... I am not certain about Lazarette myself. The CD 22 ppl refer to the corner hollow spots as that and the outboard well was called that on some of my older boats.

Sounds like Les is moving your batteries to the positions in which mine came. Mine are outboard about as far as you can go.

sorry for the misunderstanding,

John
 
Out new TomCat came with three batteries (installed by the dealer) two starting batteries (34M Optima) and one 'house' battery (D34M Optima). I still need to learn the right terminology - but all three are located beneath the port forward dinette seat - behind the refrigerator. There is a three battery VSR Cluster located in the cockpit port transom hatch? (if I'm saying that correctly?)

http://www.power-store.com/view-item.as ... 67&id=199&
 
Mark,

That sounds like a good place to offset the hot water heater weight, and also done with minimal loss of usable space! Yours must be newer than mine.

Are you having significant starboard list on your TomCat?


Also, I ran those "Quick-Fill" hose sets to all my hard to reach batteries so I can easily pump distilled water to them and maintain the proper water levels.

John
 
Les is going to put AGM batteries in for me -- one reason being that if you use wet cell, you have to provide an outgas port to the outside. Also, no water required. Don't know the price differential but they seem pretty trouble free (not finicky about charging, etc.)

Warren
 
Taking notes, taking notes....

Mark, I presume there's an AC/DC battery charger somewhere....is that hooked up through the battery switch you referrenced or straight to batteries?

Any advice from anyone? Or did I just highjack my own, first thread?
 
Ours came with the two starting and one house---all group 27 and only the "house" was in the center under the seat section. I am calling the areas accessed on each side by a verticle hatch the "lazarette"--it would be approximately the same area as the CD 22, acessed from the top.

The three batteries foreward is great for weight distribution--but this means long heavy battery cables--but they may make up for this by making the windlass cables shorter--so there are trade offs.

Definately I agree, any batteries inside of the cabin should be AGM's.

The factory battery charger I consider a joke for a serious cruising boat. Mine was 5amp 5amp 5 amp. I added a second 40 amp charger--in retrospect I would get a 50 amp charger.

I would definately get a separate "house" battery--with twin engines.

Not sure how they wired the VSR (Voltage sensitative relay) in the back, but it would normallly isolate the house battery so that it would not drain when the engines were off. When the engine start battery got up to 13.7 volts the relay closes, and charges the house battery. When the engine stops and voltage drops to 12.7 volts, the relay opens, and the house battery is isolated. We keep 3 batteries isolated, and one start battery for each engine--total of 5 batteries. We do have manual switches so we can use them in any combination we want. Or keep one set for just the inverter, just the freezer or just the electronics (Ham radio etc).

Regards,
 
thataway":7vfjxj80 said:
I am calling the areas accessed on each side by a verticle hatch the "lazarette"--it would be approximately the same area as the CD 22, acessed from the top.
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So what would you call the center aft seat thing with the lift-up top inside which my batteries are located?

thataway":7vfjxj80 said:
The three batteries foreward is great for weight distribution--but this means long heavy battery cables--but they may make up for this by making the windlass cables shorter--so there are trade offs.
Click to expand...

Les puts the inverter near the house batteries and that saves a bunch of weight. The starting batteries remain in the "no-name compartment". I assume the windlass cable would be shortened.

thataway":7vfjxj80 said:
Not sure how they wired the VSR (Voltage sensitative relay) in the back, but it would normallly isolate the house battery so that it would not drain when the engines were off. When the engine start battery got up to 13.7 volts the relay closes, and charges the house battery. When the engine stops and voltage drops to 12.7 volts, the relay opens, and the house battery is isolated. We keep 3 batteries isolated, and one start battery for each engine--total of 5 batteries. We do have manual switches so we can use them in any combination we want. Or keep one set for just the inverter, just the freezer or just the electronics (Ham radio etc).
Click to expand...

I don't even have relays. :disgust Les uses the relays we discussed in this thread.

Warren
 
Are you having significant starboard list on your TomCat?
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John - we've only been out a few times, but no noticeable list (runs great!). Posted a photo of the battery set-up in our album.

Mark, I presume there's an AC/DC battery charger somewhere....is that hooked up through the battery switch you referrenced or straight to batteries?
Click to expand...

Mike - Still learning the boat (and have a lot to learn about the electrical system), but there is a Guest Trolling Charger located underneath the aft dinette seat. Not sure how its hooked up (still in the process of asking questions!).

Not sure how they wired the VSR (Voltage sensitative relay) in the back, but it would normallly isolate the house battery so that it would not drain when the engines were off.
Click to expand...

Bob's correct - it was explained to us that the VSR does isolate the house battery from the starting batteries.
 
Warren,
Doesn't make much difference what we call it--Lazarette works if you wish. I just distinguish the side compartments as that. I call the center compartment "under the aft seat"--seems to work for anyone on my boat.

Generally the windlass cables are run off a starting battery, that way it is assured that the alternator is charging the battery when the windlass is being used. Since you clarified that the start batteries remain aft, this is very close to what I have, with two Group 31 batteries under the dinette area. We run plus and minus #4 cables to the VRS for that bank.

I assume that you only have two batteries still. When you add a house bank, I suggest that you add a VSR so that the house bank is isolated.
We don't use the BEP which Les uses, because we deal with two VSR and two house banks. Don't need all of the switches. We kept the origional off, 1, 2 all switches, and rewired them to allow either house bank to start either engine, if necessary.

Regards,
 
Mark and Diana, We saw your boat today at SportCraft marina while picking up a new and lighter dinghy engine. Very nice boat, Congratulations. Hope to see you in the Puget Sound area soon, maybe Sequim Bay?

All the best, Roger
 
Thanks Roger!

We're very happy with our purchase and are anxious to have the 'outfitting' completed (although I'm beginning to understand that there is a never ending process of working on your boat). :D

We would love to meet some other CD owners and by end of September, we should be up to the challenge of taking her up to the Puget Sound (will just need to arrange to have it tailored until we buy a new truck so that we can tow it ourselves).

Looking forward to meeting you and the others -
 
Thanks to all of you who answered my questions. I appreciate the sharing of your combined knowledge.

Now.....we're running the budget up the chain of command to the Admiral.... :wink:

Incidentally, somewhere on another thread, there's a snarky comment by a non-cat owner taking umbrage of comments by 255 owners about how much better the ride, etc., of the cat vs. monohulls. His suggestion was that there be a thread devoted to the cats. Actually, not a bad idea. It would have made my research much easier.

OK, I'll be quiet now. 8)
 
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