Sea Ray SSS 1993 63 ft

Albnav, jimg ... Thank you guys for the effort in helping me figure this out
I went to the link you posted Jim and do see the equalizers are indeed necessary! Also seeing that they are to keep the two batteries in each bank equalized and not the two banks equalized. Now if that is the case all should be good but I might get a marine electrician in here as it seems like they are connected bank to bank or so I think. I need to follow the wires again etc.
I just know when my port bank died it dragged the starboard bank right down with it!! If they are not connected together somehow then why did the one bank drag the other down?
Some weird stuff going on here but you guys are probably right the drain on my batteries is not from the equalizers!
I have thoroughly checked no pumps etc are stuck on. My vacuum pumps shut down promptly. My business partner has some tool that helps diagnose this type of thing he is bringing it over on Sunday. He seems to think I may have a short somewhere in the system.
Have tried everything I can think of. If we don't figure it out with whatever tool he has then I will the an electrician in here. The batteries go completely flat overnight with everything shut down of the main breakers are on. If I turn the off then there is no drainage!!
Again so many thanks to both of you for the help in trying to diagnose this. This community is a one of a kind great place!!

Paul: I do not know Pittwater at all have not been up that way yet. Here a whole year almost with the boat and have not headed up. It's a crime !! So will research the area and head up soon!! Ozzie told me from before I even got the boat here how nice it is. Just every time I was going to go up something happened overheating smoke something. About how long of a run is it outside of the heads at say 24 knots to get back to sheltered waters?? Will let you know once I have planned it all.

Rob

Another thing you can check are the amps from the stereo system. I have seen cases were the amps continually drain batteries even though they are off.

Just something to look into.

Doug

Doug: that's a great idea thank you!!! I have two amps, one in the cockpit and one down in the salon. The cockpit amp was disconnected when I got the boat and could not figure out why as it works fine and does not seem to have any problems. So I connected it back up maybe that's why it was disconnected!! Great idea thank you!! I could put a switch in the power line which disconnects it from the system when not in use !!
Putting that on the list for tomorrow.

Since my boat is a 1999 and made back before all the led TVs etc have been around the tv cabinet sizes are tailored to old tube TVs which were as tall as they are wide. Well nowadays all the led TVs are not that tall but very wide!
So has been real hard finding TVs to fit!!
Got one for the master bedroom but there will be a few inch gap between the top of the tv and top of the cabinet. In the VIP suit there was a tiny 13 inch tv VCR combo well finding a tv to fit that one is impossible nowadays. So got one the same size as for the MB 18.5 inch and will put it in front of the cabinet should hide the hole hopefully and won't look bad. if not may just put doors there and make that spot a cabinet with te tv in front.
Has anyone tackled this problem before if so how did you find modern day TVs that fit properly in the spaces for old tube TVs??

I also got a big aluminum swing down bracket for the cockpit will go in the middle of the radar arch right above the seating. Putting a 42 inch tv there that will fold up and out of the way or can easily be detached and put away.
Will be great to hang out on the back seating and be able to watch whatever. The spot is perfect giving a great view from any one of the rear cockpit seats.

Have been researching sea trek cable tv / Internet systems. Damn they are expensive starting at around 3.5 k ouch!!

You need to put an ammeter between the battery and the positive wire on each amp. Make sure everything else is turned off in the boat and you will be able to see the amperage draw. If it's anything substantial, you've found the culprit.

Doug

Hi Rob,
Starting to struggle a bit with time, I need to go overseas again, initial intention was Tuesday, just not sure after a Skype call today if I can achieve enough in the time frame to make it worthwhile, will decide tomorrow.
If I can get down, I can show you how to check foe the load drain on the batteries


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Paul: did you have the issue I am having where you could not find TVs that fit in the spot for the original ones??

The 18.5 I just got is the right width but not nearly tall enough to properly fill the space and I think it's ugly with a big gap there. This is soo annoying lol.

Thanks Doug I will try that tomorrow.

Ian: I will give you a call tomorrow, if it would be easier for you to wait until after your trip? I would have compressor and parts as well by then ?? Discuss it tomorrow

Rob,

I haven't spent a real lot of time in Pittwater itself. Most of my boating has been on the Hawkesbury which is just outside of Pittwater. It's a very relaxed area - not somewhere you would go specifically to party or anything like that. Type America Bay into google maps then zoom out a bit to see all the nice boating area around. From Sydney Heads to the mouth of the Hawkesbury you would probably be looking at 30 minutes or so at 22-24knots - pretty easy trip just stay far enough out as you pass long reef.

As for the TVs I installed in the Sea Ray unfortunately there was a slight gap at the top and bottom of the TV. Pretty sure it was a 22" Kogan that I installed in the saloon. This is not the clearest pic and the gap at the bottom is a lot less obvious in person:



Paul

Paul I got a tv that fits well width wise in the MB but is not tall enough. The solution put a DVD player under it now it looks great in the spot.
Now for the guest there is just no way to fix it so will throw the original tv out put a mirror over the hole and mount my new LCD on the wall nearby
Also got the perfect sized one for the salon so three TVs problem solved

As for Pitt water etc I am want to cruise up the hawkesbury have wanted to since this thing got here. I am not looking for big parties etc just me and a friend or two heading out for some exploring!

Paul : just did a look around your area on my navionics app. That place is a dream like Ozzie said it was hundreds of little bays and secluded areas! Nothing like the harbor with only a few spots to go! Really beautiful looking area, no wonder you keep your boat up there!

Deleted. Duplicate post.

Rob,

Sounds like you've got the TV situation under control. Mine had built in DVD players and the gap is barely noticeable on the boat.

Your right about being plenty of bays. Unreal place for relaxing etc. Just not the excitement of Darling Harbour. If you cruise past America Bay towards Cottage Point there's a few creeks that are apparently worth checking out. I haven't made it past Cottage Point yet but will have to make the effort soon! So you're thinking next weekend? Hopefully the weather is good!

I guess you're addicted to the Navionics app as well. Only had it for about a month on my Samsung tablet and think it's the best $30 odd dollars I've ever spent. One night I was in Pittwater and it came over cloudy so was pitch black - as the GPS receiver on the boat wasn't working I navigated back using just the Navionics and the boats Radar - could barely see a thing in front of me apart from the odd flashing light from channel markers. Was glad I had the tablet or I would have been staying in Pittwater overnight.

Paul

Yes have the tv stuff sorted well almost still have to cover the hole where the little one was in the guest suite with a mirror or some art work. Finding a tv to fit those dimensions in today's day and age impossible!! So just cover the bugger and put the tv on the wall or put a door on it line the inside and have another bit of cabinet space
Here's the funny part the original tv for the master bedroom is too big to out our the door so I have to tear the whole damned thing apart just to get it out lol how the hell did they get it in there must have been before they put the roof on lol.

Trying to get a musty kind of damp odor out of my boat. Tried airing it for day's with no success. Some of the smell comes from my sump as that thing always gets unpleasant it comes up through the sinks. So put chlorine tablets in there maybe that will help. The other damp smell comes from the bilges under my salon so have put a bucket of baking soda in each to absorb whatever is down there.
I put two of those airwick things that are battery powered and keep the place smelling like lavender automatically in the salon and bedrooms. The combination of all these things seems to be working and the boat is starting to have a really nice scent to it. None of them alone worked but all of them together seem to be doing the job. Attacking the root causes and then using air fresheners to permeate the fabrics that have absorbed the damp smells is a winner. Another few days of this and hopefully the boat smells great from now on.
Was something people noticed especially girls. This beautiful lixurious boat with a damp musty smell kinda ruined it!!
The dampness in the bilges came from a blocked condensation line for the AC unit in the guest room.

Yes I am thinking next week for your area paul but wether it happens or not can't be sure. Things always seem to get in the way when I want to go away! Frustrating, hopefully I can pull it together!

"The dampness in the bilges came from a blocked condensation line for the AC unit in the guest room".

Rob

I had exactly the same problem on my new to me 2002 460 last summer. Took me a few days to find where the water was coming from, and then another day to find where it all went, up until at that point I had not discovered the bilge under the guest double bed.

Once the problem was found and solved (the crimped AC drain pipe), I spent quite some time drying out the bilge, getting all the water out, the pump always left a little bit behind, then drying and cleaning the bottom of the bige, I suspect there had been water in there for quite sometime.

Then I set off a couple of aerosols cans that car valeters use to dispel odours from upholstery. The boat is totally closed up, the aersols cans are set off, and the fumes do their job for half and hour. I then reopened everything, vacuumed all carpets and cleaned the leather seats, job done.

The aerosols are called Foggers, they are made in the USA, absolutely solved the problem for me.


Graham

Hi Guys,

Been up in QLD (surfers Paradise) the last week. Enjoyed all the fun parks with wife and daughter..Although we didn't get the down poor Sydney did we did have the huge surf so I took a stroll out to the Sea way spit and watched the big rollers come into the break water. Huge amount of Jet skis were out doing somersaults over the waves really impressive!! The national championships were just down the road so stopped to have a look. Unfortunately, there was a bad crash on the Sunday and a young pro from Victoria died.

Anyway, I received my LED's from China and they all worked a treat so I have ordered another 10 for $67.50. I am also going to stick a 24v x 250w Solar panel on the roof and a voltage regulator. Fuel at my local marina (Careel Bay) $1.95per litre. ( nearly $8 US a gallon) Since I have a membership with the Royal Motor Yacht club I can get the diesel for $1.60 p litre if I fill over 1000 litres

Ozzie

Ozzie: Sound ike a great trip you had, well apart from the person that died! Always great to get away for a bit, new scenery always helps refresh me anyways!


Did you find it hard running the wiring for the solar panel down through the radar arch to the batteries? I have a panel as well but have not put it up yet as waiting for a wire snake my partner has to run the wires...

Glad the LEd bulbs worked out for you!! I ordered mine awhile ago now and they are still not here! Check the mail box religiously for them, have so many new toys on order for the boat and waiting for them to get here..
Planning on maybe running up to pittwater saturday with a friend...just spend a day up there come back sunday .... its about time i did it ... will let you know if i make it up in case you are out boating

Did you get the ammeter hooked up for testing?

Any results?

Doug

Hi Rob,

Once you are up here in Pittwater you won't bother going back (LOL),,Your Radar arch has foam in it so you will need to be careful threading the wire through. My Panel arrives today so will work out how to thread the wire through. My arch on the underneath has a cover so it is not one enclosed moulding so it should be easier then yours.

Let me know if you are on your way up

might come on our boat for a run

Ozzie

rszarka said:

Ozzie: Sound ike a great trip you had, well apart from the person that died! Always great to get away for a bit, new scenery always helps refresh me anyways!


Did you find it hard running the wiring for the solar panel down through the radar arch to the batteries? I have a panel as well but have not put it up yet as waiting for a wire snake my partner has to run the wires...

Glad the LEd bulbs worked out for you!! I ordered mine awhile ago now and they are still not here! Check the mail box religiously for them, have so many new toys on order for the boat and waiting for them to get here..
Planning on maybe running up to pittwater saturday with a friend...just spend a day up there come back sunday .... its about time i did it ... will let you know if i make it up in case you are out boating

Click to expand...

Rob, if you were ordering LEDs from China, should have told me, I could have brought them back in my luggage next week! LOL


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Ian: I thought you left last tuesday? Are you there or are you leaving next week? Right you are i still do not have all my led bulbs! Getting new products for your store? Thats a great store you have there so many great things for boaters as well...you should post a link to it here on this thread so everyone can do some shopping What part of China are you visiting?

Ozzie: My radar arch also has a hatch with a compartment in the middle .... inside ether is all the cables and connections for the equipment up above... should not be too hard to thread the wires with a wire snake! That is my biggest challenge threading all the wiring on this thing!!
I decided against pittwater again as i noticed steam coming out of my port engine once more, its not white smoke as it dissipates instantly .... a little worrying so need to get the mechanic out asap again ... do not want to go out of sheltered waters unless i am sure everything is 100%..

Douglee: I did hook up the ammeter as you suggested and i got 12,5 v so i am guessing that is not my problem .... i have pulled the vacuum pump off of the mb toilet system and since then my power drain has stopped ..so found the culprit i think anyways the faulty vacuum pump ...does that make sense could that out such a draw on the batteries? All i know is they are holding up fine since i pulled it off!

Learned a valuable lesson about rafting up today...i attached to a mooring bouy and a bigger boat rafted up to me .... well some ferry waves came and he bounced over my fenders and hit me pretty hard ...im guessing after this experience that the larger boat should always be the one attached to the mooring and the smaller boat then to the bigger one ... me being the one locked down he bounced into me big time ... i am luck all i got was a scratch in the gelcoat as he hit me hard from a giant ferry wake!!

Paul: did you receive your led bulbs and strip wire yet? I went and looked at the step down converters you were talking about from jay car electronics they are like 80 bucks ... i think i am just going to wire the strip lighting independently to 12 volt ...


Question to all in the know,my battery charger has been blowing its fuse about once every two weeks...any ideas what i should look for as the cause to this?

Also regarding the steam, my engine was not running hot according to the gauges when i noticed this ... wouldn't the salt water have to ride pretty far up the exhaust to find a part hot enough to cause it to evaporate like that? any ideas what could cause this steam ...seems to happen wen i go around 12 knots its not a lot just a little bit ....as i said the engine was perfectly within normal operating temperatures so what the heck could cause this .... i sure hope i am right and this is steam and not bloody white smoke cause then I'm in trouble . well either way its not good , hopefully its nothing serious!