Battery location...extra battery C22

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dubbinchris
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Battery location...extra battery C22

Post by dubbinchris »

I have several things I'd like to address on my new to me C22 so I'm starting a separate thread for each one to keep the discussions on track.

Anyway the current battery location is just inside the port "cockpit locket" or the coffin area. it's an okay place I suppose but I would very much like to add a second battery but would like to keep them next to each other. I think that two heavy batteries both on the port side of the boat would cause a small list.

Does anyone have experience with adding a second battery? Is this the factory location? Where have others mounted batteries in their C22's?

Thanks,

Chris
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Gus
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Post by Gus »

If you have the original galley like mine had, I had a listing to starboard. I added a battery to the port side, but that wasn't enough, so I took the galley out :D

I think two batteries might be a bit of weight to consider, so I might put them as amidships as I could, maybe behind the bulkhead supporting the cockpit.
1976 Chrysler 22 Halve Maen - Sail # 595
dubbinchris
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Post by dubbinchris »

Gus wrote:If you have the original galley like mine had, I had a listing to starboard. I added a battery to the port side, but that wasn't enough, so I took the galley out :D

I think two batteries might be a bit of weight to consider, so I might put them as amidships as I could, maybe behind the bulkhead supporting the cockpit.
I do not have the galley, but would very much like one. Do you still have it?

Yeah, I'm aware that two batteries will weigh a lot which is why I'm concerned about them causing the boat to list. It seems that two behind that bulkhead might cause the stern to sink more than intended.

Has anyone located a battery(s) under the dinette seat?

I'm also trying to come up with a nice place to locate a master battery switch. A location that's easy to reach but also allows me to hide the wiring. I'm a little OCD with wiring so everything needs to be hidden as I start to rewire the boat. In a rewire job I like to start with the battery location and work from there.

If anyone has pictures of their battery it would certainly be helpful.

Thanks.
N41EF
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Post by N41EF »

If you take a look at the electrical section, I did a thread designing an electrical system. I use a lawn mower batter as primary, port side outboard the potty, with a battery switch port side in the cubby for the dinnette, and my second battery a full size marine, can be installed or removed and sits under the winch in a battery box. Only installed it to test it. My outboard now has a charging system I installed, and charges through the batt selector switch, and also an on-board battery charger also through the switch.
1979 C22 S/V Client Meeting
dubbinchris
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Post by dubbinchris »

N41EF wrote:If you take a look at the electrical section, I did a thread designing an electrical system. I use a lawn mower batter as primary, port side outboard the potty, with a battery switch port side in the cubby for the dinnette, and my second battery a full size marine, can be installed or removed and sits under the winch in a battery box. Only installed it to test it. My outboard now has a charging system I installed, and charges through the batt selector switch, and also an on-board battery charger also through the switch.
Sounds good. I'll take a look. Thanks.


Any input from others would be appreciated as well.
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Alanhod
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Post by Alanhod »

I have my single battery just under the entry way hatch, slightly aft of the keel winch, behind the plywood under the cockpit. It is centered midships in a battery case.

My best battery advise, and again my opinion only here. Use only one boat battery, deep cycle. Now for your outboard, I must say I like that lawn mower battery idea quite a bit. Car batteries and I assume lawn mower starter batteries are similar. They give a lot of juice up front then die off fast. Deep cycle, don't give you the big shot of power up front that a motor needs to kick over. They give a nice steady current over the long haul, down to about 10 or 12% of the power they store. So two batteries for two needs is a good idea and since our outboards are 10 hp or less a small battery would do it I would think.

Now as for lots of power for the boat stuff, like lights, radio, stereo, etc., that would be my deep cycle battery needs. As for Lights I went 100% LED and dropped my power load to ridiculously low power needs. My stereo is a Boom box I bungee to the galley table, pointing aft out the hatchway for proper musical ambiance while sailing.

My ship radio is hand held, rechargeable and is in my life vest pocket at all times, not turned on as a backup. A separate larger hand held radio is inside the cabin, turned on when sailing, monitoring the bands. I can hear it fine outside in the cockpit. They have amazing battery life on a single charge. My main radio in the cabin gets charge like once a year for my sailing season and that's all it ever needs. Hench my back up new radio in my vest for the time that battery dies just when I need it most.

My solar panels are a must as I have not used shore power on my battery since 2009. Keeps my deep cycle battery in top shape year round. I have one panel in the aft port window and one panel in the aft starboard window. Those panels and the LED lights keep my boat fully lit year round.

Thanks
Alan
It's a good life on the
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N41EF
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Post by N41EF »

Batteries plus sells a deepcharge lawnmower sized battery which is what I need. They are used in powered wheelchairs and such, about $75 each. My outboard has no electric start, just a "lighting coil" that produces about 1amp of charge cuurent at just over idle. Most of my sailing is daylight, using a hand held radio, the only electrical load is an LCD depth finder. My second car sized deep cycle is only for over night trips or trips out in the big water when a back up might be nice. I also take enough tools and wire and such to McGiver something in case of a failue. I put 20amp inline breakers on both batteries to prevent fires and such.
1979 C22 S/V Client Meeting
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Capt. Bondo
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Post by Capt. Bondo »

I have one big Dual-Purpose Absorbed Glass Mat Battery that has served me just fine for both motor starting and running electronics.
I have not done a lot of overnighters, but the little solar panel and the motor have kept it charged just fine.

My battery switch is on the bulk head under the cockpit. Battery is on the back side of same bulkhead
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You can go to a Zen Master or you can go Sailing, either way you end up in about the same place..... a Happy Place
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gregcrawford
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Post by gregcrawford »

I moved my battery from the previous owner's location behind the winch, under the cockpit, to the dinette seat storage area. I did this to get the weight more centered and lower on the boat. I installed a plywood shelf right next to the keel pivot to level up the battery. It sits in a battery box strapped to this shelf.
The battery switch is located on the outer wall of the dinette storage bin facing aft. This would be right behind your left calf if you were sitting there facing aft. This works well for me, as I can see from the cockpit if the switch is on or off. Everything in my boat except for the automatic bilge pump goes through this switch. When it is off, everything is off.
I have a Northern solar panel in the port side windows that is directly wired to the battery (fused) which keeps it topped off.
I used a Group 24 marine battery, which does both starting and house duties. My motor is a 9.9 Honda electric start with a 6 amp charging circuit.
Greg Crawford
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Alanhod
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Post by Alanhod »

Greg I like you idea of battery placement. Wish I had thought of that before I rewired the whole boat a few years ago.

I weigh 80 pounds less now so my big old behind will not cause the aft end of my boat to sink so low in the water but moving that battery to low center mass would have been a good idea for me. I had myself and another Extra Extra Large guy like myself in the back of the boat a couple times. The effect was a little fountain of water shooting up through the center of the rudder post, as our combined mass pushed the aft end deeper in the water. This caused my self proclaimed land lubber brother in law a much greater level of sterss then I realized at that time. He really thought we were sinking, while I found it quite novel. The water just ran right out the scuppers but it was a kind of cool effect.

So I change my vote to putting the battery where Greg put his.

Question would there be any off gassing issue in that confined space when charging?

Oh and once my Deep cycle is past it's prime, Glass Mat Battery for me. Can't be beat as far as I can tell. Yes you will pay more but you have to love there performance.

Oh and I once had a guy who knew way more about batteries then I do. No really a lot more since I don't know that much. Anyway he said get one big battery instead of 2 smaller batteries. More power over a longer time line for the same mass.

Again I'm thinking of a Glass Mat Battery in the seat next to my keel would be a real sweet setup.

Someone said they were interested in an OEM galley. I happen to have two of them, one courtesy of Captain Scott. I am willing to part with one if your interested. Guarantied, big, heavy, ugly and questionably useful. My plan is to never put it back on board till the day I sell the boat. The weight size and cost of shipping alone will seriously put a dent in your wallet but it's your if you want one.

Thanks
Alan
It's a good life on the
Honu, 1976 C-22
My Chrysler Sailing Photos: http://s1297.beta.photobucket.com/user/ ... ry/Sailing
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