Windlass battery?

[ErikE]

Sorry for the newbie question...new to me boat and new to this size boat.

Being this is the first season for me with this boat, I am going through a big learning curve. I finally got to testing the windlass on my to-do list and found it trying to work but not. Dug into the chain locker and found a separate battery there for the windless. Is it normal to have a separate battery up in the chain locker for that?

The battery was from 2013 and suspect it is just dead and not supplying power to the windlass so I am swapping it out this weekend. Just surprised that the windlass doesn't run off the house or engine batteries.

My biggest problem with this boat is the previous owner, who owned it for two years put all of about 1 hour on it and learned nothing about it (like you have to put water in the tank to make water come out of the faucets...he told me the water pump wasn't operative). After the first day with the boat I knew more than he did...that isn't bragging, that is to say I never got a good transfer of knowledge with it. In a positive, that has made me learn and check everything rather than trust the word of someone else.

Thanks!

 

[HawkX66]

What model and year? I know my 290da doesn't use a separate battery for the windlass.

 

[KevinC]

Most of the time if a windlass is not getting power it is either the master breaker, the on/off solenoid, fuse at the solenoid or one of the switches. I would check for breaker in the engine compartment first.

It might look something like this...


-Kevin

 

[ErikE]

What model and year? I know my 290da doesn't use a separate battery for the windlass.

Thanks - 1986 340

 

[ErikE]

Most of the time if a windlass is not getting power it is either the master breaker, the on/off solenoid, fuse at the solenoid or one of the switches. I would check for breaker in the engine compartment first.

It might look something like this...
View attachment 106515

-Kevin

Thanks. You could actually hear and see the windlass trying to move....just barely though. So with that, I think it has power, etc....just a dead battery. I guess I will find out once I replace the old one this weekend if I am replacing a good battery or not

 

[KevinC]

Thanks. You could actually hear and see the windlass trying to move....just barely though. So with that, I think it has power, etc....just a dead battery. I guess I will find out once I replace the old one this weekend if I am replacing a good battery or not

Could be the battery. Just make sure which bank it is it and replace all batteries on that bank together.

If it is connected to a bank that starts your engine and the engine starts easily then I would look for wiring issues. There is quite a bit of load needed and if there is corrosion on any of the connections there could be enough resistance to drop the voltage delivered to the windlass.

Another possibility is something is locked in the windlass. Can you hand crank it?

-Kevin

 

[ErikE]

Could be the battery. Just make sure which bank it is it and replace all batteries on that bank together.

If it is connected to a bank that starts your engine and the engine starts easily then I would look for wiring issues. There is quite a bit of load needed and if there is corrosion on any of the connections there could be enough resistance to drop the voltage delivered to the windlass.

Another possibility is something is locked in the windlass. Can you hand crank it?

-Kevin

Thanks again.

Honestly, I know about enough about a windlass to spell it...and even then I think it looks wrong. So I can't answer if it can be hand cranked.

I plan to get the new battery installed, and test it. If it works then I will test to be sure it is getting a charge. If not on either I will try out hand cranking it, etc.

My real question is, is it normal to have a battery up in the bow in the chain box for this? I would think it would just be wired to the main batteries.

Edit: I have not traced the wires, but I suspect this battery is separate from the other batteries for house and engines...

 

[KevinC]

Thanks again.

Honestly, I know about enough about a windlass to spell it...and even then I think it looks wrong. So I can't answer if it can be hand cranked.

I plan to get the new battery installed, and test it. If it works then I will test to be sure it is getting a charge. If not on either I will try out hand cranking it, etc.

My real question is, is it normal to have a battery up in the bow in the chain box for this? I would think it would just be wired to the main batteries.

Batteries do go bad. I know... just put 4 x Group31 AGMs on mine and still have to replace a Group27 for my bow thruster.

Its not uncommon to have a battery forward near the windlass as it makes the wiring easier and the closer distance helps with voltage drop due to resistance in the wire.

I would put in a Deep Cycle AGM if available and match the group size.

-Kevin

 

[Creekwood]

You said the battery is located in the anchor chain locker? That is definitely not normal. It should be located out of that box so its not getting wet and potentially shorted out by wet rode or the chain. On my 330 there is no separate battery for the windlass, the power feeds come all the way from the batteries in the bilge with long run heavy wires. Maybe its not the OEM install and someone decided to save some money/time and not run wires that far back?

Did you get manuals? If not, here they are from the Sea Ray site:
https://owners-resources.searayweb....87_340_Sundancer_ExpressCruiser_Sportfish.pdf

 

[stephens013]

Sorry for the newbie question...new to me boat and new to this size boat.

Being this is the first season for me with this boat, I am going through a big learning curve. I finally got to testing the windlass on my to-do list and found it trying to work but not. Dug into the chain locker and found a separate battery there for the windless. Is it normal to have a separate battery up in the chain locker for that?

The battery was from 2013 and suspect it is just dead and not supplying power to the windlass so I am swapping it out this weekend. Just surprised that the windlass doesn't run off the house or engine batteries.

My biggest problem with this boat is the previous owner, who owned it for two years put all of about 1 hour on it and learned nothing about it (like you have to put water in the tank to make water come out of the faucets...he told me the water pump wasn't operative). After the first day with the boat I knew more than he did...that isn't bragging, that is to say I never got a good transfer of knowledge with it. In a positive, that has made me learn and check everything rather than trust the word of someone else.

Thanks!

Most of the windless installations I know of don't use a dedicated battery. Dose it work when the motors are running? If it's a question of what this older battery is running then jump it with a hot shot or some other 12 volt source. See what works and what don't with a full 12 volt charge.

 

[Skybolt]

S... Dug into the chain locker and found a separate battery there for the windless. Is it normal to have a separate battery up in the chain locker for that? ...

I had an 86' 340 EC and the battery was in the anchor locker. I put an AGM in there and removed the flooded. I didn't want to be sleeping next to a flooded deep cycle battery. There was a 10ga wire ran into the compartment from the engine room for charging. The 10ga wire was part of the original wiring in the wire harness from the factory. Not sure it was meant for that originally but it worked out great that way. The windlass operated that way for more then ten years. My much newer boat (88' ) has 1/0 gauge battery cables ran to the windlass.

 

[brewster16]

Let me start by saying that given that your previous owner hardly used the boat and seemingly knew very little, I would absolutely replace all the batteries on this boat. Ive personally used sealed lead acid batteries on my boats in each of the boats I've owned ....with no reservations whatsoever. Batteries typically should be replaced as part of your maintenance schedule every 4 seasons. And no battery should be located in a wet anchor locker.

 

[ErikE]

Let me start by saying that given that your previous owner hardly used the boat and seemingly knew very little, I would absolutely replace all the batteries on this boat. Ive personally used sealed lead acid batteries on my boats in each of the boats I've owned ....with no reservations whatsoever. Batteries typically should be replaced as part of your maintenance schedule every 4 seasons. And no battery should be located in a wet anchor locker.

Thanks. Replacing all the batteries is certainly on the list - even though the others all tested put good. A big list I am working through this summer to get the boat back to great shape.