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Old 07-20-2018, 04:12 PM   #18
Bacchus
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City: Seneca Lake NY
Vessel Name: Bacchus
Vessel Model: MS 34 HT Trawler
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 7,828
Quote:
Originally Posted by sdowney717 View Post
I just replaced all the boat batteries over the last 2 months.
All are 12vdc, I had wondered about using golf cart cg2 batteries, but nixed the idea. Costs a lot more, and if one goes out, then I dont have 12 vdc and nothing will work.

I now have a Commercial Farm group 31 CarQuest for starting both engines.
https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/...1p30/2100010-P

I now have two group 27 Duracell Deep Cycle from Sam's Club. At $82 each seems worth it.https://www.samsclub.com/sams/durace...-also-viewed:9

The gen has its own start battery. As long as the gen starts it is never a problem, can use as much electricity as anyone could want out there.

I have no need for a larger bank of batteries. No gen, then that's a different story for me.

One weekend, all was fine, go out to boat midweek and 2 batteries went out with shorted cells, they were from 2012, so 6 years old.

I noticed the problem when checking the volt gauges, one bank was trying to charge at 15.6 vdc. And some gassing could be heard, batteries were warm. And when I pulled them out, some acid had leaked.

With the new batteries back to 13.6vdc.
My old Raritan 3 bank charger tries to compensate with failing batteries by raising the charge volts on whatever bank is going out. I had also noticed last use of boat, the house bank had run down a lot sooner than usual, I dont always run the gen.
A pair of GCs at Sams will be about the lowest $/AH/ cycles.
They are usually $85 ea and sometimes onsale.
Just make sure house battys are True Deep Cycle. If they list CCA they are dusl purpose at best and not true deep cycle
See below for goid info on GCs

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/deep_cycle_battery
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2008 MS 34 HT Trawler
"Bacchus"
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