Need New Battery Advice

[kpen]

Hello,

I recently purchased a 1997 27 H&H. The batteries that came with the boat are 2006. I am seeing them charge on the gauge but I am a little slow when I go to turn the motor over after sitting for a week.
I am planning to replace the batteries.
My questions are:

1. This boat has four 6 volt golf cart batteries rigged "in line" so I have two 12 volts for A and B. Why do they rig them this way? Is there and advantage?

2. Does anyone have any specific recos on battery type or config that I should consider as i make this investment?

Thanks!

 

[F/V First Team]

More amp hours in that configuration than two 8D batteries. Plus, much less weight when swapping out the individual batteries. Only 60 lbs to pick up while over extended below decks rather than 125.

Regular lead acid batteries should work fine for you, deep cycle if you prefer to go that route. Just keep your eye on the fluid level in the cart batteries if you are plugged in most of the time with a charger hooked up, tends to slowly evaporate the water and that will cook the batteries.

 

[unclefish]

if it helps I have switched from deka to exide. Not to happy with the exide yet besides the warranty I get from them. Because I buy so many a year. Most buses come with 2-3 group 31 batteries. Our 32 MC has 2 4d with a 225 jd. Our Wayne be al has 1 8 d with a 3126 cat 375 HP that has a hasation when we start it even when battery is completely charged. If we didn't have such good pricing warranty I would run back to deka.

 

[starrfish]

i am by no means a electrical expert..but have you done a load test on the batteries? and checked the voltage drop from the batteries to the starter?.. i just went through this last year.. new batteries are easy... i found, horrible wires, bad terminal ends, loose connections.. in my rig.. i replaced/ upgraded my primarys, new soldered ends, batteries etc... things have never been brighter !!
like first team said, those golf cart batteries have some balls, and it beats humpin a 130lb 8D anyday.

 

[BillD]

Hello,

I recently purchased a 1997 27 H&H. The batteries that came with the boat are 2006. I am seeing them charge on the gauge but I am a little slow when I go to turn the motor over after sitting for a week.
I am planning to replace the batteries.
My questions are:

1. This boat has four 6 volt golf cart batteries rigged "in line" so I have two 12 volts for A and B. Why do they rig them this way? Is there and advantage?

2. Does anyone have any specific recos on battery type or config that I should consider as i make this investment?

Thanks!

Kpen,

What "engine" are you trying to turn over in your 27 H&H ??

Nice hull by the way.
Any pics to share with us??

Regards, Bill D

 

[Fvdestiny]

Any comment on gels? Just got 2 big gels. The 8ds wets were getting cooked. I have a charles charger. Might sound stupid but I was under impression that the charger would get batteries to full charge 14.3 volts then go to sleep. I guess not definitely cooked 2 year old 8ds. Could fly by wire controls be source of battery drain?

 

[Wharf Rat]

Hey KPen,

As suggested, before you go nuts, at least load test the batteries to see how they handle the draw. A bad battery will always take a charge, it just won't hold the charge. Regarding the battery solution, you already are in a good place with the 6V parallel setup which will provide the max AH capacity possible, without having to lug 8Ds out of the whole.

Most serious boats I put nothing but Deka AGMs on when it comes to stand series configuration, but if you are looking to replace that parallel setup, my recommendation would be to go with Trojan TSeries 6V batteries. Contact Northeast Battery, see if they have a distributor nearby. They aren't cheap AC Delco Korean made junk, these batteries are built to be almost completely discharged and recharged without losing any of their original capacity. If you have any trouble finding a solution, just drop me a PM and I will hook you up with Mark Dellaguardia, my rep for Northeast Battery, and I will help you find what you need without going overkill.

Good luck, and whatever you do, don't buy some off the shelf Interstate junk, as you want your batteries to last you more than 2 or 3 years, six years is the target. Better to pay an extra couple of dollars to have batteries to depend on, because they really are the most important part of a boat's system aside from the engine.

 

[Wharf Rat]

Any comment on gels? Just got 2 big gels. The 8ds wets were getting cooked. I have a charles charger. Might sound stupid but I was under impression that the charger would get batteries to full charge 14.3 volts then go to sleep. I guess not definitely cooked 2 year old 8ds. Could fly by wire controls be source of battery drain?

Not crazy about gels, only because unless placement is a major issue and they need to be hung, they are just very expensive and usually need a new style charger. Regarding your Charles, there is no reason your 8Ds should have been cooked, as all Smart Chargers today sense the voltage of each bank, charge them at variable rates, and go then go into a float/storage mode to keep the battery at its maximum state of charge without boiling them over. It sounds like your Charles Charger went berserk, was a 24V charger, or was configured incorrectly, and I would send it in before hooking any other battery to it, as it may not even be gel compatible. Charles makes a good charger, but I have seen situations like yours start fires. We just had a 60 foot Hatteras burn to the ground at the NYAC next door because the idiot owner reconnected the battery terminals wrong and flipped the chargers on. http://www.lohud.com/article/20120518/NEWS02/305170101/New-Rochelle-marina-fire-guts-61-foot-yacht

 

[kpen]

Thanks for all the advice fellas.

 

[MDI45]

Kpen,

What "engine" are you trying to turn over in your 27 H&H ??

Nice hull by the way.
Any pics to share with us??

Regards, Bill D

BILL,the boat had a cummins in there a while back...i was on the trip when it was brought to long Island...nice little boat

 

[kpen]

Hi Warf Rat,

Thanks for all the advice. I found a distributer for Northeast here in jersey and i am going to order the Trojan T series 6vs. One last question. do you think the T105 s are what I should get or the T125s?

thanks

 

[jerseysportfisher]

Kpen, have you put a meter on it and see if you have draw when everything is off ?

 

[Tuna Pursuit]

I would consider a Balmar smart battery regulator on any boat. Keeps your batteries in tip top shape.

 

[maineboatswest]

check out Odyssey Batteries. I have a friend that has a 16Liter Lugger that puts 3000hrs a year on his boat, and he has one PC2250 starting battery that is going on 14 seasons and it still spins that engine over like its nothing. I put one in my boat 4 seasons ago and have been very happy. compare cold cranking amps to anything else out there. I am not a battery expert, but I know what works for me. I have no idea who sells them out there.

 

[captainlarry84]

Batteries

Interstate Marine series Batteries are excellent and very reasonably price. There customer service is also excellent. I would give them a look. Batteries should be changed every four years so shop for good value. Lastly the key to Marine Battery life is to make sure that they are strapped down real tight and cannot move at all. The prevent cell plates from getting damage in rough sea. Also a battery that you can add distilled water to is always a good choice.


Interstate Batteries

 

[Wharf Rat]

Interstate Marine series Batteries are excellent and very reasonably price. There customer service is also excellent. I would give them a look. Batteries should be changed every four years so shop for good value. Lastly the key to Marine Battery life is to make sure that they are strapped down real tight and cannot move at all. The prevent cell plates from getting damage in rough sea. Also a battery that you can add distilled water to is always a good choice.


Interstate Batteries

I'm sorry, but after selling Interstate Batteries retail for 3 years, I saw more come back then I sold. Now, in service, I've had to make phone calls to people who added Interstate batteries 6 months to a year ago to tell them they didn't pass a load test, and they're shocked. Yes, their customer service is good, but that is because you have to call them to get your pro-rata warranty approved when they fail after one season. If I am a boat owner, I don't want to be calling my battery manufacturer's customer service line, EVER. I don't mean to insult anyone's battery of choice, but I have never seen an Interstate battery last a full two years, and that's with adding water and proper maintenance and storage. My recommendation is still DEKA AGMs for standard installations, and Trojan T-Series for parallel setups. Batteries are too heavy and painful to remove and replace prematurely. The idea is to set it, and forget it. Just my 2 nickels.