TomCat's Battery Charger

[Mike...]

I use the Garhauer davit to lift the Honda out of a locked box in the cockpit--and put it on the crate on the engine bracket.

Dr. Bob, is that box somehow fastened down in the cockpit?
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mike.

 

[Captains Cat]

Just the selector part. The switch and wires are inside the box.

So what's in your port lazarette? I am wondering why they made the change.
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mike

What "change"?? Under the seat, I have 4 batteries (two group 27 house batteries and two group 4 batteries, one for starting each engine). The stbd batt switch (1-2-all) switches the stbd start battery and two house batteries, the port switch just handles the the port engine start battery. Battery to switch leads are very short and clean. There are two hot (+) bus bars and a ground bus and lots of fuses connecting directly to various batteries. There is a wiring diagram posted in the documents section but I bet every boat is a little different! :wink:

If you look into the stbd door, you see, on the transom, the fishbox macerator pump and the stbd engine fuel filter (racor type) and if you look down (way down), the stbd bilge pump. Inside the port door, you see the macertor pump, the fuel filter and on the bottom the bilge pump and the shoot through the hull Garmin Depth Transducer.

The doors are the earlier smaller doors, the later TCs have the largest door you can fit there, wish I had them.

Charlie

 

[thataway]

Mike no reason to fasten down a box in the cockpit. (unless you plan on rolling the boat or going over at over 90 degrees.

My batteries are outboard of the cockpit seat--there is one house battery in this area--and room for 4 large fenders etc. The engine start batteries are outboard of the seat. A bit tight filling the water, but otherwise no problems. Most of the boats have the switch outside in the cockpit. Pretty common way of doing things.

 

[Mike...]

Just the selector part. The switch and wires are inside the box.

So what's in your port lazarette? I am wondering why they made the change.

Charlie, I typed port but meant starboard (I went back and edited that at the time, but must have not hit save).

Anyway, here are my batteries under my aft seat:

And here is my starboard lazarette:

It sounds like I would prefer your setup.
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mike

 

[Mike...]

Mike no reason to fasten down a box in the cockpit. (unless you plan on rolling the boat or going over at over 90 degrees.

God forbid! :shock:

I asked because I am looking for a place to permanently mount the generator in some way to keep it from being stolen. If I go with the Yamaha 2400, I don't want to have to carry it to the marina each time we go out (it's 75 pounds). Also, I need a safe place to secure it (perhaps running) while underway.

My batteries are outboard of the cockpit seat--there is one house battery in this area--and room for 4 large fenders etc. The engine start batteries are outboard of the seat. A bit tight filling the water, but otherwise no problems. Most of the boats have the switch outside in the cockpit. Pretty common way of doing things.

So my config (above) is different than most TomCats? I wonder why. You would think they would all be done the same.
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mike

 

[Captains Cat]

Mike, I'll try to get pictures of what I have in the next day or so. Rain here today. In your lazarette picture, is that a fixed deck below the batt switches? And the only way to get to the bottom of the sponson and the bilge pump is through that round removable access? If so, that's nearly an impossibility. Mine is open down to the bottom with a removable shelf that you could mount batteries on but I have never had installed.

Charlie

 

[matt_unique]

Just the selector part. The switch and wires are inside the box.

Ditto for me...under the aft seat I have just the batteries (3).

My fuel filters are on the outside of the transom.

 

[thataway]

Remember that at least three different companies have built the Tom Cat. So each does it differently. The batteries in the above photo, sure take up a lot of nice storage room. You cannot see our engine start batteries, except the very outside, from the seat compartment. Water has to be added from the lazarette sides. One house battery is way off to the one side. Switches are on the sides of the east. No wiring in the lazarette sides--The fuel filters are there. I put a shower on the Stb side, and a hanger for about 8 dock lines on the port. We also keep a stern anchor & rode in the stb lazarzette.

 

[Mike...]

In your lazarette picture, is that a fixed deck below the batt switches? And the only way to get to the bottom of the sponson and the bilge pump is through that round removable access? If so, that's nearly an impossibility.

Yes, it's fixed shelf, and yes, it's nearly an impossibility!

In fact, last winter when the macerator pumps had frozen up, I had to to loosen them up through those access holes.

It was a really bad time, and I kept losing screwdrivers which I had to ultimately fish out of the bilge, again through those same access holes! And I was very, very, very, very unhappy about it all!

As it started to get dark, my boy went back inside, where the Admiral asked him how it was going on the boat.

His reply?

"Daddy is using very bad words."

:shock:
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mike

 

[matt_unique]

Ouch...that would limit access if only through the aft access ports. BUT it will make the job a lot easier if you remove the 8 or so screws for the gunwale line storage lockers. It allows good ambient light and gives you a few more options to get down there.

 

[Mike...]

BUT it will make the job a lot easier if you remove the 8 or so screws for the gunwale line storage lockers. It allows good ambient light and gives you a few more options to get down there.

Good to know. I also need to investigate if I can remove those fixed shelves. I haven't figured out why they are there to begin with.
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mike

 

[drjohn71a]

Mike,

I just caught up on some of the beginning questions here re: batteries.

I have the baitwell in the aft seat area so my engine batteries are right inside the cockpit doors and set outboard. The main 12V switch panel is Starboard, just amidship to that engine's battery and the Port hatch opens to one of the house batteries which is amidship to the outboard, Port engine battery. The second house battery is in the cabin in the back of the aft dinette cabinet, in a box.

I bought a set of those vinyl tubes with a bulb pump for filling the batteries. You just put the open end into a bottle of distilled water and quick connect the other end to the top of the battery cover (the original equipment plugs are replaced with plugs that connect to this bulb pump. Then, squeeze the bulb until it becomes firm and your battery cells are all full. I use these on my motorhome also.

You have to be careful not to connect the water fill tubes to batteries in different circuits. e.g., you need a separate filler set for each of the three 12V circuits, but it is OK to use one set on two batteries if they are in the same circuit. Safest is to use a separate battery filler tube set on each battery so you can evaluate the individual fluid levels as you fill.

Anyway, I think one could move the house batteries forward easily into several different areas if you needed more aft room. However, putting a hot, gassy, exhausty genset inside the hull is costly and risky. It'd be easier just to install a marine unit.

My dock neighbors are constantly having to clean debris out of their seawater coolant intake and I have no such problems using the Honda in a box.

John

 

[drjohn71a]

Re: Access to aft bilge

Mike, I think Warren cut out round hatch holes in the back of the each fish box to aid in seeing all that equipment/pumps back there. I keep saying I will do that each time I am working in the area, but stop the train of thought once the project at hand is done.

I am also thinking of cutting out that middle support, or at least making it removable, on the sink cabinet. It is tough to clean out that hair filter in the shower sump. You have to take out the screws by feel on the inside corners of the cover.

John

 

[Mike...]

I bought a set of those vinyl tubes with a bulb pump for filling the batteries. You just put the open end into a bottle of distilled water and quick connect the other end to the top of the battery cover (the original equipment plugs are replaced with plugs that connect to this bulb pump. Then, squeeze the bulb until it becomes firm and your battery cells are all full.

Neat. I'll have to check those out.

However, putting a hot, gassy, exhaust genset inside the hull is costly and risky. It'd be easier just to install a marine unit.

I have pretty much given up on that plan. Currently, it looks like it will be the Yamaha EF2500iSHC.

My dock neighbors are constantly having to clean debris out of their seawater coolant intake and I have no such problems using the Honda in a box.

Also why I don't want to install a marine air conditioner.
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mike

 

[Mike...]

Mike, I think Warren cut out round hatch holes in the back of the each fish box to aid in seeing all that equipment/pumps back there.

Yes, I remember seeing that. I think it's an interesting plan. But those hatch covers would really have to be watertight, because as Dr. Bob has pointed out, putting holes in our fish boxes defeats the whole purpose of a self bailing cockpit.

I am also thinking of cutting out that middle support, or at least making it removable, on the sink cabinet. It is tough to clean out that hair filter in the shower sump. You have to take out the screws by feel on the inside corners of the cover.

I don't have a middle support under the galley cabinet. I wonder if that is because I don't have the wallas stove?
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mike

 

[drjohn71a]

Mike,

That's interesting about your sink cabinet having no middle support. I should be keeping up on these things by checking out everybody's albums, I guess.

I am going to either beef up the horizontal top frame member and cut out the middle vertical bar, or make the middle bar removable with hand screw knobs to tighten it. I have to leave something in the middle to fill the space between the doors, or attach the cut out support to one door which would need to be closed first.

If you have that much space under the sink cabinet, I'd think about moving two closed cell house batteries up there. My boat tends to be Port heavy and, if I had the room, that is what I'd do.

Right now, all my electronic gear, autopilot and electric over hydraulic steering is mounted in that cabinet. It would be a bit scary to put some batteries in there with all that expensive, delicate stuff.

Thanks for posting the info! John