I own a 79 CD30 ketch that we purchased about six months ago. I recently had shore power installed on my dock and hooked up to my boat. Mystic Rose is equipped with a ten amp charger and two wet cell batteries (series 27) and a "smart switch" which has the typical one, two, both, or off positions. My question is what is the proper method to use the shore power between weekend sails? Do I leave the battery charger turned on all the time? While at the dock with the charger turned on, what is the proper position for the battery switch selector? Sorry for the simplistic questions, but I have been reading this message board for the last six months,learning as i go (thank you all very much), and havent run across this information. I feel like I know many of you and will greatly appreciate any help. Also hope i can contribute in the future.
Darrell Randolph
Mystic Rose
darmoose@aol.com
battery charging at dock with shore power
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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D. Stump, Hanalei
Re: battery charging....
Darrell,
I would not leave the vessel hooked to shore power all the time. To much risk of stray current etc. eating up your prop etc. I too have two wet cell batteries, I charge them in the Spring before she is launched and that is basically it until haul out in the Fall. At haul out, each cell is topped up with deionized water, charged for about 12 hours or until each cell bubbles freely. I then check each cells specific gravity to ascertain full charge (and to see if a cell is loosing it!) and then check voltage on the whole battery(after waiting 24 hours after the charge).
I usually charge the batteries at least once through the winter, around January. Store the batteries on a plastic milk carton or on a piece of wood, not directly on the floor.
As far as charging the batteries on board, the alternator does that! We seldom drain the batteries down real low, if at anchor and it's dusk, on go the parafin lamps in the cabin, and candles on the table. Only time there is a problem is if the one house battery looses it and the tape disk stops(ah well, probably needed quiet at that point anyway!!!) Oh, and we do switch batteries depending on the date of the day, even days = battery 2, odd days = battery 1 for house.
Seems to work for us, and we don't have to worry about all that onboard charging stuff.....
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei (CD-30C)
I would not leave the vessel hooked to shore power all the time. To much risk of stray current etc. eating up your prop etc. I too have two wet cell batteries, I charge them in the Spring before she is launched and that is basically it until haul out in the Fall. At haul out, each cell is topped up with deionized water, charged for about 12 hours or until each cell bubbles freely. I then check each cells specific gravity to ascertain full charge (and to see if a cell is loosing it!) and then check voltage on the whole battery(after waiting 24 hours after the charge).
I usually charge the batteries at least once through the winter, around January. Store the batteries on a plastic milk carton or on a piece of wood, not directly on the floor.
As far as charging the batteries on board, the alternator does that! We seldom drain the batteries down real low, if at anchor and it's dusk, on go the parafin lamps in the cabin, and candles on the table. Only time there is a problem is if the one house battery looses it and the tape disk stops(ah well, probably needed quiet at that point anyway!!!) Oh, and we do switch batteries depending on the date of the day, even days = battery 2, odd days = battery 1 for house.
Seems to work for us, and we don't have to worry about all that onboard charging stuff.....
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei (CD-30C)
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Larry DeMers
Re: battery charging at dock with shore power
Darrell,
It depends on the type of charger that you have, if there is a battery combiner in the circuit or how many outputs it sports.
If that 10A charger is a ferroresonant type, which is real common in older installations, and has only a single rectified output, then you have no choices. The 1-2-off-both switch should be left in the Both position, and the charger can be left running during the week, with the caveat that you physically check the electrolyte level once every 6 weeks, as the ferroresonant charger will evaporate more water than a smart charger.
If it is a ferroresonant type, but with multiple outputs, then the 1-2-off-both switch can be left off while gone from the boat, as the chargers outputs are wired directly to the batteries. This is more desireable than the first example. Again, the caveat that the electrolyte level needs to be checked every 6 weeks, applies here for the same reasons.
If you have a "Smart Charger", which adjusts it's output mode through three or four stages while charging; this charger may have multiple outputs, so I assume they would be wired directly to the battery, or if a single output, there will be a battery combiner in the circuit, which sends the charge to each battery as it is needed, and no more. (Very Good System by the way! The batteries lose very little water, always are charged at maximum optimal rate, and are treated as designed). In this system, the 1-2-off-both switch can be left off.
Your electric bilge pump should be wired around the 1-2-off-both switch, through a series fuse or breaker, to the largest house battery. Now if the boat decides to spring a leak, the pump will operate off the battery which is being charged, hopefully keeping up with the leak etc. until help arrives.
Hope this helps..and welcome to the CD30 clan!
Cheers!
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30 ~~~Frozen solid on Lake Superior <brrr>~~~
demers@sgi.com
It depends on the type of charger that you have, if there is a battery combiner in the circuit or how many outputs it sports.
If that 10A charger is a ferroresonant type, which is real common in older installations, and has only a single rectified output, then you have no choices. The 1-2-off-both switch should be left in the Both position, and the charger can be left running during the week, with the caveat that you physically check the electrolyte level once every 6 weeks, as the ferroresonant charger will evaporate more water than a smart charger.
If it is a ferroresonant type, but with multiple outputs, then the 1-2-off-both switch can be left off while gone from the boat, as the chargers outputs are wired directly to the batteries. This is more desireable than the first example. Again, the caveat that the electrolyte level needs to be checked every 6 weeks, applies here for the same reasons.
If you have a "Smart Charger", which adjusts it's output mode through three or four stages while charging; this charger may have multiple outputs, so I assume they would be wired directly to the battery, or if a single output, there will be a battery combiner in the circuit, which sends the charge to each battery as it is needed, and no more. (Very Good System by the way! The batteries lose very little water, always are charged at maximum optimal rate, and are treated as designed). In this system, the 1-2-off-both switch can be left off.
Your electric bilge pump should be wired around the 1-2-off-both switch, through a series fuse or breaker, to the largest house battery. Now if the boat decides to spring a leak, the pump will operate off the battery which is being charged, hopefully keeping up with the leak etc. until help arrives.
Hope this helps..and welcome to the CD30 clan!
Cheers!
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30 ~~~Frozen solid on Lake Superior <brrr>~~~
darrell randolph wrote: I own a 79 CD30 ketch that we purchased about six months ago. I recently had shore power installed on my dock and hooked up to my boat. Mystic Rose is equipped with a ten amp charger and two wet cell batteries (series 27) and a "smart switch" which has the typical one, two, both, or off positions. My question is what is the proper method to use the shore power between weekend sails? Do I leave the battery charger turned on all the time? While at the dock with the charger turned on, what is the proper position for the battery switch selector? Sorry for the simplistic questions, but I have been reading this message board for the last six months,learning as i go (thank you all very much), and havent run across this information. I feel like I know many of you and will greatly appreciate any help. Also hope i can contribute in the future.
Darrell Randolph
Mystic Rose
demers@sgi.com
-
D. Stump, Hanalei
Re: www.amplepower.com........
Darrell,
Another thing, if you want to know all there is to know about batteries go to www.amplepower.com and read their primer on batteries. It should answer a lot of your questions...
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei
Another thing, if you want to know all there is to know about batteries go to www.amplepower.com and read their primer on batteries. It should answer a lot of your questions...
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei
-
Darrell Randolph
Re: battery charging at dock with shore power
First,thank you all for the good advice. I have reviewed the amplepower site and plan to obtain their books. I also went back on the boat and looked a little closer at the system. The battery charger is a twenty amp "Professional Mariner" that says on the front that it is fully automatic. I presume from that that it may be left on with the shore power for long slow charging between weekend sails. On the DC panel the Smart Switch has ten indicator lights ranging from 11.7to 14.4 volts. As the batteries are charging the lights progress towards the 14.4. I checked the water level in the two batteries and it is ok. At this point I think all ia working well. I did note that last nite with the shore power hooked up, but turned off at the boats AC panel my breaker at the house panel (onshore) tripped out. Dont know what thats all about, but will keep an eye on it. Again thank you.darrell randolph wrote: I own a 79 CD30 ketch that we purchased about six months ago. I recently had shore power installed on my dock and hooked up to my boat. Mystic Rose is equipped with a ten amp charger and two wet cell batteries (series 27) and a "smart switch" which has the typical one, two, both, or off positions. My question is what is the proper method to use the shore power between weekend sails? Do I leave the battery charger turned on all the time? While at the dock with the charger turned on, what is the proper position for the battery switch selector? Sorry for the simplistic questions, but I have been reading this message board for the last six months,learning as i go (thank you all very much), and havent run across this information. I feel like I know many of you and will greatly appreciate any help. Also hope i can contribute in the future.
Darrell Randolph
Mystic Rose
Darrell Randolph
Mystic Rose
P.s. Sorry bout those of you that have that "frostbite" condition.
darmoose@aol.com