We have a CD 36 (hull #76) and inside the port cockpit locker is an enclosed shelf on which, we believe, the batteries were originally located. Our batteries have been re-located to beneath the cockpit sole and the shelf now supports our water heater and Heart Interface. We are asking if anyone knows what is under the shelf? We would like to open up this area for additional storage by locating an access door in the inside gable supporting the shelf. Has anyone looked in there? We would rather not cut a hole and find out the space is not usable. Advice please.
sjr@vaxxine.com
CD 36 Port Cockpit Locker
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Mike Thorpe
Re: CD 36 Port Cockpit Locker
I also have a CD-36 (hull #144) and my batteries and water heater are located on this shelf. I belive there is a hollow space under the shelf but I haven't opened it up to find out.
Where in you bilge have you relocated your batteries to?
mthorpe@capecod.net
Where in you bilge have you relocated your batteries to?
Sandy David Romer wrote: We have a CD 36 (hull #76) and inside the port cockpit locker is an enclosed shelf on which, we believe, the batteries were originally located. Our batteries have been re-located to beneath the cockpit sole and the shelf now supports our water heater and Heart Interface. We are asking if anyone knows what is under the shelf? We would like to open up this area for additional storage by locating an access door in the inside gable supporting the shelf. Has anyone looked in there? We would rather not cut a hole and find out the space is not usable. Advice please.
mthorpe@capecod.net
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Allen Evans
Re: CD 36 Port Cockpit Locker
I'm pretty sure the space under the shelf is void. However, the slope of the hull is pretty steep in way of the shelf and there may be stiffeners inside. The shelf originally carried a lot of weight - two batteries and a heater full of water. Hence, there may not be much useable and accessible locker space inside.
Allen Evans
WHISPER (Hull #83)
adevans@worldnet.att.net
Allen Evans
WHISPER (Hull #83)
adevans@worldnet.att.net
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Mike Thorpe
Location of batteries in bilge
Thanks for your note re the port cockpit locker shelf.
In response to your query regarding the location of our batteries, they are located forward of the steering quadrant, readily accessible from either the opening into the engine compartment from the port locker or the opening from the quarter berth. We have fore and aft uprights glassed to the hull on either side of the center line that are angled to the hull to create a level top. Spanning between these two supports is a cross member glassed to the uprights. This cross member contains two holes through which fairly hefty bolts fasten the battery tray down. The battery tray is a piece of solid marine plywood with fiddles screwed to it to form four compartments to hold Group 27 batteries. From the forward and aft end of each upright support there is a wire/turnbuckle arrangement attaching, at it's upper end, two wood straps. These straps pass over the tops of each pair of batteries and under the battery handles, and when tensioned, prevents the batteries from rising higher than the fiddles that contain their bases.
There are three possible disadvantages to this arrangement. One is access to the stuffing box is somewhat more difficult unless the batteries are removed or you have a very small person to wriggle around. Second, if your boat becomes flooded, particularly with salt water, and you are using conventional wet cell batteries, you are in for trouble (which is one reason why we elected to use sealed gel-cell batteries. The third proviso is that the batteries are now located in the same compartment as the engine and are subjected to the heat in that compartment. We have not had any problems in this regard but we do have fairly good venting from that area. Another reason we decided on the sealed units is to avoid venting into the engine compartment during charging of wet cells.
Hope this is somewhat clear. If you have any other questions, feel free to contact us.
Sandy & David Romer
mthorpe@capecod.net
In response to your query regarding the location of our batteries, they are located forward of the steering quadrant, readily accessible from either the opening into the engine compartment from the port locker or the opening from the quarter berth. We have fore and aft uprights glassed to the hull on either side of the center line that are angled to the hull to create a level top. Spanning between these two supports is a cross member glassed to the uprights. This cross member contains two holes through which fairly hefty bolts fasten the battery tray down. The battery tray is a piece of solid marine plywood with fiddles screwed to it to form four compartments to hold Group 27 batteries. From the forward and aft end of each upright support there is a wire/turnbuckle arrangement attaching, at it's upper end, two wood straps. These straps pass over the tops of each pair of batteries and under the battery handles, and when tensioned, prevents the batteries from rising higher than the fiddles that contain their bases.
There are three possible disadvantages to this arrangement. One is access to the stuffing box is somewhat more difficult unless the batteries are removed or you have a very small person to wriggle around. Second, if your boat becomes flooded, particularly with salt water, and you are using conventional wet cell batteries, you are in for trouble (which is one reason why we elected to use sealed gel-cell batteries. The third proviso is that the batteries are now located in the same compartment as the engine and are subjected to the heat in that compartment. We have not had any problems in this regard but we do have fairly good venting from that area. Another reason we decided on the sealed units is to avoid venting into the engine compartment during charging of wet cells.
Hope this is somewhat clear. If you have any other questions, feel free to contact us.
Sandy & David Romer
mthorpe@capecod.net
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Mike Thorpe
Re: Location of batteries in bilge
Mike:Mike Thorpe wrote: Thanks for your note re the port cockpit locker shelf.
In response to your query regarding the location of our batteries, they are located forward of the steering quadrant, readily accessible from either the opening into the engine compartment from the port locker or the opening from the quarter berth. We have fore and aft uprights glassed to the hull on either side of the center line that are angled to the hull to create a level top. Spanning between these two supports is a cross member glassed to the uprights. This cross member contains two holes through which fairly hefty bolts fasten the battery tray down. The battery tray is a piece of solid marine plywood with fiddles screwed to it to form four compartments to hold Group 27 batteries. From the forward and aft end of each upright support there is a wire/turnbuckle arrangement attaching, at it's upper end, two wood straps. These straps pass over the tops of each pair of batteries and under the battery handles, and when tensioned, prevents the batteries from rising higher than the fiddles that contain their bases.
There are three possible disadvantages to this arrangement. One is access to the stuffing box is somewhat more difficult unless the batteries are removed or you have a very small person to wriggle around. Second, if your boat becomes flooded, particularly with salt water, and you are using conventional wet cell batteries, you are in for trouble (which is one reason why we elected to use sealed gel-cell batteries. The third proviso is that the batteries are now located in the same compartment as the engine and are subjected to the heat in that compartment. We have not had any problems in this regard but we do have fairly good venting from that area. Another reason we decided on the sealed units is to avoid venting into the engine compartment during charging of wet cells.
Hope this is somewhat clear. If you have any other questions, feel free to contact us.
Sandy & David Romer
Obviously, I haven't yet really learned how to use the message board. Hopefully this actually gets to you concerning the location of our batteries.
Sandy Romer
mthorpe@capecod.net
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Mike Thorpe
Re: Location of batteries in bilge
Sandy,
Thanks for your response. I had asked the question because I'm planning to increase the size of my house string to (3)Grp 27 batteries and was looking for options where to put them.
I was considering the location you described but decided against it because I seem to spend a lot of time crawling around in there. Instead I have glassed in a shelf behind the stbd Qtr berth forward of the LPG locker. My concern is that it's off center and might create a Stbd list. To help offset this I'm leaving the start battery on the shelf in the port locker. Also, like you I'm planning to go with no maintenance batteries (AGM) as this is not an easy access area.
I do like your arrangement for holding the batteries down with a wooden strip and turnbuckles. I was wondering how I was going to do this and your solution sounds great.
Thanks,
Mike
mthorpe@capecod.net
Thanks for your response. I had asked the question because I'm planning to increase the size of my house string to (3)Grp 27 batteries and was looking for options where to put them.
I was considering the location you described but decided against it because I seem to spend a lot of time crawling around in there. Instead I have glassed in a shelf behind the stbd Qtr berth forward of the LPG locker. My concern is that it's off center and might create a Stbd list. To help offset this I'm leaving the start battery on the shelf in the port locker. Also, like you I'm planning to go with no maintenance batteries (AGM) as this is not an easy access area.
I do like your arrangement for holding the batteries down with a wooden strip and turnbuckles. I was wondering how I was going to do this and your solution sounds great.
Thanks,
Mike
Mike Thorpe wrote:Mike:Mike Thorpe wrote: Thanks for your note re the port cockpit locker shelf.
In response to your query regarding the location of our batteries, they are located forward of the steering quadrant, readily accessible from either the opening into the engine compartment from the port locker or the opening from the quarter berth. We have fore and aft uprights glassed to the hull on either side of the center line that are angled to the hull to create a level top. Spanning between these two supports is a cross member glassed to the uprights. This cross member contains two holes through which fairly hefty bolts fasten the battery tray down. The battery tray is a piece of solid marine plywood with fiddles screwed to it to form four compartments to hold Group 27 batteries. From the forward and aft end of each upright support there is a wire/turnbuckle arrangement attaching, at it's upper end, two wood straps. These straps pass over the tops of each pair of batteries and under the battery handles, and when tensioned, prevents the batteries from rising higher than the fiddles that contain their bases.
There are three possible disadvantages to this arrangement. One is access to the stuffing box is somewhat more difficult unless the batteries are removed or you have a very small person to wriggle around. Second, if your boat becomes flooded, particularly with salt water, and you are using conventional wet cell batteries, you are in for trouble (which is one reason why we elected to use sealed gel-cell batteries. The third proviso is that the batteries are now located in the same compartment as the engine and are subjected to the heat in that compartment. We have not had any problems in this regard but we do have fairly good venting from that area. Another reason we decided on the sealed units is to avoid venting into the engine compartment during charging of wet cells.
Hope this is somewhat clear. If you have any other questions, feel free to contact us.
Sandy & David Romer
Obviously, I haven't yet really learned how to use the message board. Hopefully this actually gets to you concerning the location of our batteries.
Sandy Romer
mthorpe@capecod.net