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battery compartment

drcam1

Member II
Apparently the bottom of the battery compartment in a 32-200 is just about 1/2 inch smaller than the top!!! I decided to upsize my battery bank with a pair of size 27 deep cycle batteries and they just barely don't fit in the compartment. I can't take them back (and not sure I want too anyway). The compartment they are in appears to be completely sealed/waterproof. Is there any reason I can't take out a little fiberglass here to make room for the bigger batteries?

Also, thoughts on leaving the batteries hooked up to the charger long term while off the boat? I'm always concerned if I don't, I might come back to dead batteries and not be able to start the motor.
 

toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
The box on my old 29 was long gone, but I noticed when I was measuring for a new one that the old tabbing is just slightly too narrow for any box that would contain a group 27. I guess sailors aren't supposed to NEED all those power gadgets. :egrin:
Probably the proper solution is to chop out the old box and build a new one. But that's easy for me, since the first step is already done!
 

Mark F

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
Hi Cameron,

Do the new batteries fit heightwise before the bottoms of the batteries start to bind? If so maybe you could build up the floor of the battery box.

Regarding leaving a battery charger on while not at the boat, a "smart" charger will keep your batteries healthy and charged.
 

tcooper

Member II
Containment of batteries

Not sure exactly wording in reg's but.... Battery's in a boat are supposed to be in containment Ie battery box and fastened down so they can't move around. I guess if one leaks you don't want battery acid in bottom of boat. I don't have containment and aux said to get batteries in battery box's.

Tom
 

toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
Well, you need them secured so they won't tip or fly around when the boat tips or even capsizes. So that a) they won't break something and b) you can still energize your pumps and radios to save yourself or ask someone else to do so. Unlike the condition I found mine in - totally loose, rattling around right next to a fuel filter. The box is also supposed to be vented to prevent hydrogen gas from accumulating.

There are step-by-step directions for making one in Nigel Calder's book, but it's not rocket science. Also note that Blue Sea terminal fuses - cheap protection and easy to install - add an inch or so of height to the batteries.
 

Lawrence B. Lee

Member III
Sad tale but true

The ericson 32 - 200 does not accept size 27 batteries. The TAFG hull liner is made for size 24s. Worse yet, a 6 volt battery is too tall for the compartment. I have been complaining about this for the last 5 years on this site. However we've discovered that we might not need 27s. We cruise on the east coast. We use the ICW and go outside as weather permits. We use two deep cell 24s in our battery box as our house bank and have installed a starter battery (24) in the starboard lazarette. We have a 90 amp alternator and have just installed a refrigerator unit in our ice box. We find that we can remain on the hook for 2 or 3 days w/o running the alt. We do not run the batteries down below 50 percent. We use oil lamps except to read and we cut the reefer down low or off over night. When we do motor our alternator has no trouble keeping the batteries charged. Every now and again we duck into a marina. I am planning on adding a solar panel if we think we want to stay out longer. So far so good. Larry Lee Annabel LeeE 32-200Savannah, Ga
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
No (battery) Room at the Inn...

The ericson 32 - 200 does not accept size 27 batteries. The TAFG hull liner is made for size 24s. Worse yet, a 6 volt battery is too tall for the compartment. I have been complaining about this for the last 5 years on this site. However we've discovered that we might not need 27s. We cruise on the east coast. We use the ICW and go outside as weather permits. We use two deep cell 24s in our battery box as our house bank and have installed a starter battery (24) in the starboard lazarette. We have a 90 amp alternator and have just installed a refrigerator unit in our ice box. We find that we can remain on the hook for 2 or 3 days w/o running the alt. We do not run the batteries down below 50 percent. We use oil lamps except to read and we cut the reefer down low or off over night. When we do motor our alternator has no trouble keeping the batteries charged. Every now and again we duck into a marina. I am planning on adding a solar panel if we think we want to stay out longer. So far so good. Larry Lee Annabel LeeE 32-200Savannah, Ga

Interesting bit of battery storage information. Our '88 came with two group 24's mounted in little plastic battery boxes. Lucky for us there was room (juuuust barely) to replace both with a single molded plastic case that holds two GC batteries. Then I added a separate emergency/starting battery in an epoxy/cloth/plywood box under the aft berth. I had to use an AGM for that extra battery since there was zero room to add water to it once installed.

A look at the conparison chart @ Trojan Batteries -- http://www.trojanbattery.com/pdf/TRJN0175_RECColl.pdf
shows that the group 24 is indeed just a tiny bit longer and wider. Hmmmm.... Darn!
Can you "enlarge" the existing compartment by a half inch with some subtle abrasion? :rolleyes:

Best of luck,
Loren

ps: we are on our second set of T-145+. They seem to last easily for 5 to 7 years.
pps: our house bank lives on the float charge from a multi-stage charger at the dock, year 'round.
 
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drcam1

Member II
I was afraid that the box size was due to the TAFG structure. I don't think I want to start cutting out structural fiberglass! So...I guess I am back to the 24s. I like the idea of a dedicated starter battery in the starboard lazarette. Lawrence, is your alternator the stock alternator that came on the M25 diesel, or did you upgrade?

Maybe this is a super-newbie question, but this is what inspired this whole thread...when I am at the dock hooked to shore power, all my electricity is still coming from the batteries and my charger doesn't seem to keep the batteries up, so I still woke up to batteries too weak to start the diesel. It seems to me that when hooked to shore power, shouldn't I have "unlimited" power?
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
I was afraid that the box size was due to the TAFG structure. I don't think I want to start cutting out structural fiberglass! So...I guess I am back to the 24s. I like the idea of a dedicated starter battery in the starboard lazarette. Lawrence, is your alternator the stock alternator that came on the M25 diesel, or did you upgrade?

Maybe this is a super-newbie question, but this is what inspired this whole thread...when I am at the dock hooked to shore power, all my electricity is still coming from the batteries and my charger doesn't seem to keep the batteries up, so I still woke up to batteries too weak to start the diesel. It seems to me that when hooked to shore power, shouldn't I have "unlimited" power?

If you are really drawing 110 volt AC from shore power, to your battery charger, and then DC into your batteries... You should have 12 volt power for all normal shipboard needs and your batteries should stay "full."
When you are plugged in at the dock, is the AC breaker for the charger "on"? Does the volt meter read about 14 volts, tappering off to about 13, after a while?

Perhaps your charger is not powered up? Or it is, and is not outputting any DC to the batteries.
:confused:

Some checking on this needs to be done. If in doubt, use a portable volt meter (inexpensive at most any hardware store) and check the voltage at the battery terminals, both when charger is on and when off.

Let us know of the results of your "12 volt CSI" efforts.
:nerd:

LB
 
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Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
T27s don't quite fit 32-3

Hmmm. My 1985 32-3 came with new Trojan 27TMs. They almost fit in the battery box under the nav station seat, but are about half an inch too high. The hatch rests on the terminals and wobbles.

I suppose I could rebuild the battery box to drop the floor an inch or two. But I think instead I'll just add a spacer around the hatch lid so it sits level but proud of the quarterberth.

Any better ideas?
 

Lawrence B. Lee

Member III
Electical Stuff

Gosh I didn’t see Cameron’s post until Christian’s just came in. Sorry.

Cameron: I replaced the original 55 watt Motorola with a ninety amp Leece Nevile back in 2008. I paired it with an ARS 5 smart regulator. The only trouble I have had is with improper or weak crimping on the wires that attach to the amp. That bad boy can shake a bad connection right off. So by now I have re-done all connections correctly. So far the amp has run like a top.
I am not an electrician and I don’t play one on this web site but I do recall reading somewhere that smaller batter chargers can’t keep up with a boat that is pulling a lot of amps. Just saying.

Christian: Your 32-3 is different from the 32-200. My battery box is in the aft cabin under the mattress of the double bed. It is built into the TAFG and that’s that. I am not cutting it. We do have some great dreams with our heads (me and the Admiral) so close to those deep cycle 24’s. zzzzzzzzzzzzzz


Larry Lee
Annabel Lee
E32-200 Savannah, GA
 

Maine Sail

Member III
I went through this last winter on a customers 32-3. The battery boxes would not fit a Group 27. He wound up with two Deka/NAPA Deep Cycle 24's. I also offered him two 6V Lifeline GPL-4CT's (these are shorter than most 6V batts) but he decided he wanted to stick with the flooded group 24's and add a battery monitor. I added a starter battery over near the water heater, and an automatic combining relay, so his two DC24's could be converted to a single & larger house bank.

I was out sailing on this boat yesterday and spent last night at Jewell Island in Casco Bay. This morning it was 26F, with icy decks, and the bank was at 66% SOC. It still started the Kubota, like slicing though moist cake, even with a battery temp of about 36F and at 66% SOC....

This winter he will get converted to LED so he draws even less power. The vast majority of the DC electrical usage yesterday was the 12V lights as it gets dark at 4:30 PM and we were up until about midnight... We also used the AP and the instruments and the plotter were left on all night.

Sorry for the blurry image all I had was my point & shoot..

147436104.jpg
 
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Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Impressive. I wish you had given my PO some guidance on batteries options. He used our pricey boatyards to do even the simplest things, which were often done with a yawn and a close-enough.
 
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