Hello,
I am continuing to work on my glow plug issue, but one of my upcoming projects was to replace my ancient charger and re-evaluate my battery banks. I am very novice to this so any help would be greatly appreciated. Currently I have a 30 amp Charles Charger, the type that hums, so I don't think it has all absorption, float and temp sensing features. On my early MkI I have a house and starter bank under each seat of the game table both consisting of 2 acid batteries so 4 in total. I also have a battery selector switch on the panel. The biggest load on the batteries is my icebox compressor (Webesto) while at the dock and instruments while sailing (Raymarine e120 chartplotter, ST60 Wind, Depth, Speed etc)
Could somebody help me understand what kind of batteries I should install, the configuration and a recommended charger to keep them healthy, currently the batteries can't even overcome the start up draw of the compressor so we turn it off when off shore power. The boat is in GA which does get into the upper 90's in the summer months.
PS I also plan on doing the solenoid upgrade for the glow plugs :)
Thanks,
Tony
Tony Castagno
S/V Terra Nova (Hull #22)
Atlanta GA, Lake Lanier-based
1983 C-36 mkI M25XPB
Tony,
It is hard to respond without some additional info. What type of batteries do you have (group 27, 31, 4D - deep cycle, etc.), and how old are they? I would expect any battery you might find on a C36 to be able to fire the compressor on your fridge. It sounds like your batteries, or at least whatever combination you use for your house bank, may be shot.
The Ample Power site is a good place to learn about 12v batteries and their use. Check out the Primer on their tech documents tab.
Mike Ogline
SHADOW #1831
2000 SR/WK
Deltaville - Chesapeake Bay
Agree with the Ample Power references - [url]http://www.amplepower.com/tech_docs/index.html[/url]
Also check out Mainsails offferings, which cover many subjects in fair detail -
[url]http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/boat_projects[/url]
One thing I'd recommend is to evaluate your energy usage, then decide what sort of system will meet those needs the best. There are a range of options for battery types, size and charging systems, which vary greatly in price.
Gary and Cathy Price
1997 C36 Mk II Tall Rig/Wing Keel Imagine...
Hull # 1617
Worton Creek, Md.
Northern Chesapeake Bay
Tony,
I agree with your plan to deep-six the old humming charger. Another thing to check into is the wiring to/from your batteries. Four batteries, in any configuration, is not the way your boat came from the factory. Which means the PO made some changes. Which means it may or may not have been done correctly. Most owners opt for a large house bank, and a smaller, dedicated starting battery. If you currently have two starting batteries, something was not thought out well, and/or it was an attempt to compenstate for another problem. The links above are good ones. Do some reading, and then ask questions. You may get slightly different responses, but in the end you must decide how YOU want YOUR boat to be. Hope this helps.
Tom Sokoloski
C36/375IA Past Commodore
Noank, CT
There a quite a few threads on wiring up battery banks in a more efficient way. See, for example, these threads, and the links inside them:
[url]http://www.c36ia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1844&highlight=wiring[/url]
[url]http://www.c36ia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1802&highlight=wiring[/url]
[url]http://www.c36ia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1776&highlight=wiring[/url]
[url]http://www.c36ia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1557&highlight=wiring[/url]
[url]http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,6604.0.html[/url]
[url]http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=137615[/url]
(If you haven't done so already, try using the search function in the forum (its on the dark blue bar towards the right) to find additional threads on these subjects. )
Our current (pardon the pun) set up is a pair of 6V golf cart batteries as a house bank and a group 27 as a starting battery. We're not heavy power users and seems to do OK for us during summer cruises. All three fit under the seat closest to the nav table.
The best enhancement of all was to rewire so that the house bank is fed by its own 2ga cable directly from the alternator, and the starter battery is charged via a Blue Seas battery combiner. That means no longer having to be mindful of the battery selecter switch. Also added a Victron monitor in place of the useless analog volt gauge (fits the existing hole in the panel) so we have some idea now of what's happening in the system.
Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY
I fixed a fridge compressor issue by disconnecting the power cable to compressor, cleaning the contacts and pluging it back in. Apparently I was loosing enough voltage across the pins preventing the compressor from starting.
John & Kathy Impag--
Pooka 1339TR
John & Kathy Impagliazzo
s/v Pooka
Jamestown, RI
1994 C36 TR #1339, M35AC