Batteries - how to get

billcowan

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Here I am moored in Port Torres, Sardinia. (nice 'real' town and cheap!) But my domestic batteries are completely and totally fooked.

Easy enough to get in the UK, 125AH £60 + £10 delivery etc, and cheaper on e-bay, Costco etc but usually only 100AH

But the local motor factors (usually the cheapest place to get anything - generator belt £1.50 vs Yanmar £16) say they can only order them at £250 a pop.

Any ideas for getting two reasonably priced batteries delivered there at a reasonable rate?

Would it be better if I nipped over to Corsica?

I'm soon returning to Spain, but I dont fancy the long trip with having to run the engine every few hours.
 

gfbalduc

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You don't say what kind of batteries are you looking for: plain automotive, maintenance-free, or else?....

Batteries in Italy are not particularly cheap, but the price you got quoted is really extravagant! For example I just bought 4 100Ah calcium-silver batteries for 150Euro (100GBP) each.

If you have a car available to move around, you can get good prices for car batteries (including maintenance-free types up to 70, sometimes 100Ah) in large supermarkets/shopping centres. Alternatively, you may try in nearby Alghero, where there are a couple of well-stocked and reasonably priced chandleries.

Battery prices in Corsica are more reasonable, so sailing over there would be worth a try.
 

vyv_cox

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I bought my last two domestic batteries in France, where the price at a chandler was very reasonable. Can't speak for Corsica but my experience of other chandlery there is that the price doesn't seem much different from on the mainland. There isn't much at Bonifacio so I would think a trip to Ajaccio might be needed.
 

vyv_cox

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Re: Hmmm... Sardinia

I'll jump in, if that's OK. The cheapest berths in Sardinia by a long way are at Castelsardo. The port is owned by the commune and for some reason they don't seem to want to make a profit! We paid 12 Euros per night for 10.6 metres in August, about 30% of everywhere else. They offer wintering either afloat or ashore at extremely reasonable rates. The place is quite pleasant but I wouldn't want to live there for a winter. Shelter appears to be reasonable. It's about 12 miles from Porto Torres (ferry) by sea and I guess about 40 - 50 km to the airport.

When we revisited in September there still seemed to be places available afloat and plenty of room ashore.

We were offered a winter berth in Torres at something like 1300 Euros, much the same as we are paying at Bastia in Corsica. Alghero has berths at about the same rate and this seems to be a popular place for wintering aboard. Plenty of good shops and a pleasant town.
 

billcowan

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Re: Hmmm... Sardinia

Yes, I would agree with Cox, anywhere in Sardinia excepting the ridiculous Rotondo/Cervi/etc type places, is pretty cheap especially for the 10M bracket. Everywhere I went had spaces in September. What you have to remember though is transport around the island is totally crap. So unless a hair raising bus ride through spectacular mountains and overnight stays in grotty B&Bs figures in your holiday plans, then you have to pick somewhere very near Alghero.

Even the taxi from Torres to Alghero - 22Km - 45 euro, you dont need to factor in many of those to cancel a saving on mooring fees.

Trouble for me is no direct flights from Scotland. Changing at London is a pain what with all the security crap.

Otherwise Sardinia is great, reasonably civilised, fantastic food, cheap, and very bonny scenery. Most other places lack at least one of those.
 

andy_wilson

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Find the local coach firm and ask them to get you a couple of coach batteries from their usual supplier.

They are designed for running coach 'domestics' like heaters, air conditioning, galley and lighting even whilst stopped, and will take a good discharge without problems (and still start a 6 liter engine if you wanted it to).

Same type of battery as tail lift trucks use... great for boat domestics. I pay about 50p / Ah in the UK from a truck factors.
 

dweeze

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You've probably already done something - but we picked up 4 x 115 amp deep cycle Trojans from a supplier in La Coruna for 765 euros. Id recommend them.

Contact details were....

Jorge Alonso Carballeira
DAISA
Pol. POCOMACO Parcela D-2
A Coruña - España
:) Tef. + 34 981- 297.000
6: Fax.+ 34 981- 298.757
*: jalonso@daisa.es
 

graham460

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You don't say what kind of batteries are you looking for: plain automotive, maintenance-free, or else?....

Batteries in Italy are not particularly cheap, but the price you got quoted is really extravagant! For example I just bought 4 100Ah calcium-silver batteries for 150Euro (100GBP) each.

If you have a car available to move around, you can get good prices for car batteries (including maintenance-free types up to 70, sometimes 100Ah) in large supermarkets/shopping centres. Alternatively, you may try in nearby Alghero, where there are a couple of well-stocked and reasonably priced chandleries.

Battery prices in Corsica are more reasonable, so sailing over there would be worth a try.


HELLO FELLOW SAILORS

I too have my Boat in Alghero

I TOO NEED 5 BATTERIES 4 large batteries and one small one for the generator

My Boat is in Fertilla

The Only Place I found was a shop IDEAL CAR (Car batteries) not the friendliest of Staff I did not buy any

They just Said email them But I Have had no Reply

I need 4 Batteries Maybe 2 for Starting say 120am hrs With good CCA and 2 Batteries for Domestic use maybe 190Amp Hrs
Plus one sort of Car Battery to Start the Generator - The Battery in place says 265 amps


SO. If anyone can find a Suitable Battery Shop for BOAT Batteries (Not Car batteries) Deep Cycle or Dual purpose GEL Batteries that would be great
Either in Alghero or maybe Sassaria

I was thinking of BUYING batteries in UK and Driving down But OSMOTECH said you maybe charged DUTY

Any info would be appreciated

Rgds
Graham

Nauticat 44
 

PlanB

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As an aside, make sure that the terminals on any battery you buy are located in the right place.
We had a bank of five batteries in a tray in the engine compartment (2engine, 3 domestic) and there was a fixed cable to connect to them. Not all batteries fitted.
 

sailaboutvic

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As an aside, make sure that the terminals on any battery you buy are located in the right place.
We had a bank of five batteries in a tray in the engine compartment (2engine, 3 domestic) and there was a fixed cable to connect to them. Not all batteries fitted.
Are you UK based Plain B ?
 

PlanB

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Mine was a mobo - Princess 435.
It was always our ambition to get to your end of the Med, as that was where we first got the idea of buying a boat for our retirement and we dreamed of anchoring off our favourite restaurant.
So we got the boat (first boat - had to learn how to use it first), travelled down from London to Spain with it over a six month period as our retirement trip, and got stuck on the Costa del sol, where we met a gfreat bunch of people and couldn't think of a good reason to leave!
 

sailaboutvic

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Mine was a mobo - Princess 435.
It was always our ambition to get to your end of the Med, as that was where we first got the idea of buying a boat for our retirement and we dreamed of anchoring off our favourite restaurant.
So we got the boat (first boat - had to learn how to use it first), travelled down from London to Spain with it over a six month period as our retirement trip, and got stuck on the Costa del sol, where we met a gfreat bunch of people and couldn't think of a good reason to leave!
What end of the Med I said that :) .
We been from one end to the other and back again and again and again .
It's a real shame things ended and you had to go back but as you said , it was your best option.
If nothing else you got to live your dream.
I have to say Costa Del Sol isn't a bit that I like although we did have a great winter stop over in Almerimar with jordanbasset 11 years on and we the best of mates even tho he now boatless .
Great bit about cruising is the people you met , we must have cards of 250/300 cruisers and many we keep in touch with .
Our holiday offers spreads across the world .
We met many from here ,Neil , Vyv, Mike, Peter, Tony, Bob, Keven and so many more .
 
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duncan_m

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Hi Graham, by random chance we're on our Nauticat 42 in Alghero for the winter, we should meet up.

For batteries I would order lithium batteries from Germany via Renogy. You'll never need to change them again and you'll have a bit more space in your engine bay.
 

sailaboutvic

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For batteries I would order lithium batteries from Germany via Renogy. You'll never need to change them again and you'll have a bit more space in your engine bay.
Talk lithium and automatically people think £££££££ ,
But they don't have to be if you handy type of guy.
Some here on ybw have build bank for hundreds rather then thousands of pounds,
Depending what your looking for and now you can buy dropping batteries at similar cost to good agm ,
There is a chance with unmarked lithium drop ins , that is you don't know what's in side the case or what bms .
I think the question you need to ask yourself is , will I still have the boat when next I have to replace then , if so lithium will save you money , as well as will get much more power and their lightly .
 
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