My F32 (Hoyt) needs new batteries

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Audiguy
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Joined: Thu Dec 19, 2013 5:40 pm

My F32 (Hoyt) needs new batteries

Post by Audiguy »

I currently have 4 x 6v batteries and one 12v starter and sadly, all are pretty much pooched. The boat has been on the hard for a couple of years and the batteries seem to be in need of replacement.

Noting that people seem to use 6v golf cart type batteries, I just wonder if there are not much higher quality batteries available?
For a starter battery, a 12v x 750 cranking amp deep cycle marine battery can be had for about $125. Is this reasonable? Seems so to me....

I'm going to look into lithium batteries for the 4 x 6v bank and see if I can come up with a better option: I'm still on a budget but those 6v golf cart bateries have always seemed to be low cost, low output, minimal longevity.

Thoughts???

daletournier
Posts: 181
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 6:25 pm

Re: My F32 (Hoyt) needs new batteries

Post by daletournier »

I use 235amp/hr 6 v have been pretty happy although I would like more capacity. There are alot of varying opinions when it comes to batteries so it really is a personnel choice. I like the Lifepo way and will be looking at it seriously sometime down the track. Cruisers forum has a number of threads in regards to Lifepo I believe it is the future in cruising yachts once better trialed and understood (accepted).
Cheers Dale.

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Rick Simonds
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Location: Tallahassee, FL

Re: My F32 (Hoyt) needs new batteries

Post by Rick Simonds »

I'd be interested in your research results on this, especially whatever you find on the cost of lithiums that are actually available. I have the same setup as you; 4 - 6v GC batteries and a 12v starting battery (for me, I'd make the starting battery a regular starting battery, not a deep cycle. I only use it to start the engine if I run the house batteries flat.) I'm probably within a year of replacing the house batteries, they're not seeming to hold a charge as long as they should.

When I look at everything (cost, longevity, availability, charging requirements,...) I keep going with the cheapest GC wet cell deep cycles I can find and a conventional wet cell starting battery in reserve. The other options would get me better batteries but at so much higher cost that I can never quite make it work. For me, today, the best option seems to be cheap golf cart batteries that just get replaced every 7 or 8 years.
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tnltracy
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Re: My F32 (Hoyt) needs new batteries

Post by tnltracy »

I'm about to move in the same direction, with 4 6v GC batteries. Wondering in the F32 Hoyt where you have chosen to put the second pair of batteries? Does not appear possible to get 4 plus a 12v reserve under the companionway.

I'm thinking of putting the additional 2 under the rear berth so as to not add a lot of cabling.
1984 Freedom 32 #28
Warwick Cove, Greenwich Bay, RI

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Rick Simonds
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Re: My F32 (Hoyt) needs new batteries

Post by Rick Simonds »

I have all 4 GC batteries in the compartment under the settee seat just forward of the icebox, and a single spare 12V starter under the steps. The house battery positive cable was easily pulled out from under the stairs and led to that compartment, I think I even shortened it, IIRC. I made up a new negative cable and ran it to the same engine ground as the original negative cable. I had to bond in some pads for hooks in there for battery hold-downs.
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tnltracy
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Re: My F32 (Hoyt) needs new batteries

Post by tnltracy »

Thanks Rick,

I'm considering same, except that the refrigerator compressor is under the aft settee, and I'm not sure 4 batteries will also fit. I'll do some checking on that. Do you have a shore power charger also? Presuming if you do, you extended the cabling from the aft storage to that area also?
1984 Freedom 32 #28
Warwick Cove, Greenwich Bay, RI

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Rick Simonds
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Re: My F32 (Hoyt) needs new batteries

Post by Rick Simonds »

I'd love to have refrigeration but the batteries take up all the room in that compartment.

I have a shore charger but instead of running a wire to the GC house batteries (which would certainly be easy enough) I just hook the shore charger to the starting battery and go through a battery combiner to shore charge the house batteries. The starting battery has priority from the shore charger, but both banks get charged just as quickly. The battery selector switch stays on the house setting 99.9% of the time and I only switch it if I've run the house bank flat. The engine alternator goes through the switch to the house bank first and from there through the combiner to the starting battery, which should only need minimal topping up since it is nearly always off line because of the switch setting.

Basically, the starting battery is always fully charged no matter what and it is held in reserve, and I don't have to touch anything unless I've run the GC house batteries too low to start the engine. Then I'll change the switch to the starting battery, start the engine, then switch it back to house. The starting battery now gets whatever small charge it needs from starting the engine through the combiner, but the biggest charge is going into the house batteries.

The GC house batteries do the almost all the day to day work but, no matter where the charge is coming from, everything gets charged and as long as I leave the switch on the house setting the "last ditch" starting battery should always be fully charged and ready, all automatically.
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