Battery

[billnpat]

With fully charged batteries, and all switches off, how long can you reasonably anchor
off shore using no juice before starting engines???:huh:

 

[testlab]

With good batteries and no load at all.... That is with the battery switches off... I would think weeks or a month at least. If the battery switches are on and normal use of toilets, stereo, lights, etc then as little as 1 day depending on usage and how many devices draw power.

When the device switches are off there are other loads that are still present and they may not be switchable. The ice maker in my 330 comes to mind here. So the only to be sure you have no load is to turn off the battery switches.

You should at least leave the battery master switch off on the bank not intended to be used for house loads to make sure you have the ability to start at least one engine.

 

[billnpat]

With good batteries and no load at all.... That is with the battery switches off... I would think weeks or a month at least. If the battery switches are on and normal use of toilets, stereo, lights, etc then as little as 1 day depending on usage and how many devices draw power.

When the device switches are off there are other loads that are still present and they may not be switchable. The ice maker in my 330 comes to mind here. So the only to be sure you have no load is to turn off the battery switches.

You should at least leave the battery master switch off on the bank not intended to be used for house loads to make sure you have the ability to start at least one engine.

Thanks......Thats more time then i would need......I.Feel better...:grin:

 

[Summer Fun II]

Bill, It wouldn't hurt to have a jumper pack with ya....just in case. :smt001

 

[Nehalennia]

Are you leaving the boat anchored out for days unattended?

 

[JVM225]

With fully charged batteries, and all switches off, how long can you reasonably anchor
off shore using no juice before starting engines???:huh:

Bill,

I'm sort of a worry wart about batteries on my boat and I wouldn't worry about it for a day in the cove, or maybe even an overnight.
I regularly anchor for the day or evening while leaving my fridge running, listening to the stereo radio, and running a couple of cabin lights when needed. The fresh water system pump is usually turned on too. Never had a problem. The fridge being the biggest drain. The radio doesn't draw too much, the fresh water pump only draws when you turn on a faucet, and I replaced all the cabin bulbs with LED's last winter because I often anchor in the evening and I got tired of chasing the kids around telling them to turn off lights. The anchor/mast light is LED now too.
If I were going to spend the night on the hook, I would probably not use the fridge, and take along a cooler instead. But that would just be a precaution because I like to know my batteries are always good.
My set up is that there are two batteries on the starboard engine that start that engine and run all 12 volt accessories. I use the dual purpose Deep Cycle/Starting batteries.
I usually run the boat with the starboard battery switch in the "Both" position. Once I drop the anchor and shut off the motors I change it to either battery 1 or battery 2, alternating each time. Before I start the motors I put it back in the "Both" position.
My thinking is that if by some strange chance I do run down the starboard battery I'm using at anchor, I still have the other one.
The port motor has one battery that does nothing but start that motor, so no matter what I run it doesn't drain that one.
In the worst case scenario I run both of the starboard batteries down, I can use the "Emergency Start" switch on my dash to use the port motor to jump start the starboard.
The other thing is that I am comfortable spending money for new batteries, so I replace the starboards one year, and the port the next. The following year the starboards get replaced again, and so on.
It's a waste of money, but as cheap as I can be with other things I don't mind spending it because it raises my comfort level.
A few weeks back I replaced the starboards. Had an unrelated problem that caused a starboard battery to run down. Probably would have been fine to charge it up again, but my comfort level is more important. Two batteries at Walmart at about $77 each made me feel better. No big deal.
I used to get Interstates because a friend of mine owns an auto repair shop and would get them for me at his price, plus they have always been real good for me, but the ones in Walmart are made by the exact same company (Johnson Controls), have the exact same specs, and look the same other than the color. The only difference that I can see is that the Walmart ones are even cheaper than what my friend gets the Interstates for.

 

[billnpat]

are you leaving the boat anchored out for days unattended?

no.....weekends only

 

[GrandMaster]

Even with the battery switches off the bilge pumps are still powered. So if the boat starts taking on water the pumps will run until whatever battery they are powered from quits...and then bad bad things can happen

 

[billnpat]

Bill, It wouldn't hurt to have a jumper pack with ya....just in case. :smt001

Hey Wayne...How r ya?? Good to hear from you.....:grin:

 

[billnpat]

Even with the battery switches off the bilge pumps are still powered. So if the boat starts taking on water the pumps will run until whatever battery they are powered from quits...and then bad bad things can happen

Hopefully we will relatively stay dry.....Thanks

 

[billnpat]

Thank very much MerriMack....:thumbsup: