Californian 34 LRC battery and tank locations

[FlyWright]

Fellow Californian 34 LRC owners,

In reading another thread about batteries, I noticed 3dog had his batteries located outboard of his engines, then relocated them for easier access. This got me thinking about various configurations for the 34 LRC batteries, holding tank and fresh water tank. I think all of our fuel tanks are located outboard of the trannies and aft toward the transom along the hull sides. I believe my non-fuel tanks are original.

The channels outboard of my outer stringers and engines contains no permanently mounted equipment forward of the fuel tanks. This provides me easy access to the outboard sides of the engines and space for storage of spare parts and hoses in plastic boxes.

My batteries, holding and fresh water tanks are all located on centerline. Starting at the fwd ER door (under the steps), 2 batt boxes sized for 3 8D batteries are immediately aft of the door. My single start 8D sits in its own box and my house batteries are located in the double 8D box just aft of the start battery. These are covered with epoxy-painted marine plywood panels.

Aft of these 3 boxes is my 40 gallon fiberglass holding tank under two removable plywood panels. The top of this tank sits a couple inches higher than the other centerline equipment. The tank is located between the engines. If I remove the panels and step on the tank top, it flexes slightly. This tank's pumpout and vent lines are attached at the fwd end of the tank. The pumpout cap is located on the port side deck step and the vent exit is located on the port side of the hull.

Aft of this, starting abeam the trannies and continuing aft to nearly the transom is the original glassed-in 75 gallon freshwater tank. This tank does not have or need a plywood panel to protect it. It is glassed in very securely. Its filler cap is located in the cockpit deck along the transom, a foot or so to port of centerline. The overflow vents to the lower stbd corner of the transom near the stbd tank vent.

How do your battery and tank locations compare?

 

[dach side]

36'. Sabreline trawler, twin 8.2t dd. 4 8d batteries for house located between the 2 engines in fiberglass batt box. Two 75 gallon poly tanks inside aft cabin bed, with one additional 55 gallon aluminum water tank under the aft bed. The alum tank is used only for flushing as it would be very hard to clean. Outside engines are two 150 gal. Fuel tanks, makes it very hard to access outboard side of engines. One large holding tank forward of stud. Fuel tank, the other is underneath forwards-berth.

 

[dach side]

That should read stbd fuel tank!

 

[chc]

Our Californian 34LRC(1984) is powered with DD8.2L's. These engines take up a lot of ER space. The 30 gallon holding tank is about 10" aft of the ER door, & is glassed to the stringers & the front of the 70 gal H2O tank. Fuel tanks are just aft of the trannies. I have 2 8d AGMs on the port side for start/anchor windlass, 2 more on the stbd side for house & inverter use. I went with AGM's after a season or two spent crawling around to service batteries w/water. Glasson top of tanks is heavy enough so that there is no flex when crawling or standing on them. Pump out is located on the port side by the deck step up. Water fill is located in the cockpit by the transom.

 

[dach side]

Our water fills (3) are also located in the cockpit/transom area. Pump outs are 1 on each side just forward of the windshield. Just installed 2 new 8d house batteries; it's a bear to do cause of the tight space between the engines, so I hired 2 kids for $50 to do it. But just last week I had to replace one cause of a bad cell. Luckily the battery rep did most of the work. What's been your experience with the Ed's?

 

[dach side]

That should be dd's! Damn spell check.

 

[Duvie]

The layout of tanks and equipment in my 34 foot californian is as follows. On the centerline beginning far aft is the generator, holding tank then water tank going right up to the engine room access door. 2, 8D batteries in boxes along the port side of the port engine. Engines are ST6.3544m Perkins.

 

[chc]

Our DD's have been great. I don't run them hard, 60-65% w/occasional WOT for a minute or so just to check RPM's, smoke, etc; 10gph@ cruise. All in all, we've had mostly good experience(s) with them. Biggest caution is to avoid overheating.

 

[Bustlebomb]

My 1981 34' has two 8D batteries on the outboard side of each 3208 engine. The 75 gallon freshwater tank is glassed in between the stringers from the door under the stairs to just aft of the engines. Aft of that is a poly tank for the vacuflush system which sits directly underneath the generator. The generator has it's own start battery that is on a platform just aft of the generator and above the vacuflush tank.

My fresh water fill is located in the deck just outside the aft salon doors on the port side while my pump out is located on the port side against the aft rail/transom. There's another freshwater fill just outside the starboard door but it is no longer hooked up.

Fuel fills for both tanks are in the cockpit on their respective port and starboard sides.