Battery question - windlass

[Wiggo]

After a long, long time my forward battery has given up the ghost. It is an 85Ah unit that is only used to power the windlass and bowthruster.

It is (or was) a Hoppeke cranking battery, now no longer available. Do I replace it with a cranking battery or a leisure battery? The bowthruster is used far less than the windlass and it's usage pattern is probably more like starting a car (2 or 3 seconds at a time), whereas the windlass runs for quite an extended period whenever it is used...

 

[rafiki_]

My bowthruster/windlass battery doubles up with a second battery to crank the stbd engine. I don't really think it will make too much difference if it is a cranking or leisure battery.

 

[RAI]

A lot of those electric windlasses use starter type motors, so a battery with a good cold cranking rating would desirable. 85 AH looks pretty small to me for both windlass and bow thruster applications, but then I'm a bit in favour of having lots of Ah spare.

 

[Renegade_Master]

unusual for the windlass not to come off the main batteries. I know an F37 with a dedicated battery for the bow thruster but I believe the anchor comes of the main batts.

I would think that with the power a windless requies one battery aint much. I would replace it with a 110ah or wire it to the engine batteries. Less face it when one drops anchor the engine batteries are usually full from the engines being run at the time

 

[Wiggo]

unusual for the windlass not to come off the main batteries. I know an F37 with a dedicated battery for the bow thruster but I believe the anchor comes of the main batts.

I would think that with the power a windless requires one battery aint much. I would replace it with a 110ah or wire it to the engine batteries. Less face it when one drops anchor the engine batteries are usually full from the engines being run at the time

Interesting. I'd have to check the Sealine comedy wiring diagram, but I assumed that they both came off the battery under the forward bed. The windlass is using something like 800W-1kW from memory, so it would be drawing perhaps 70-80 Amps. No idea about the bowthruster load, so I'd better get googling...

 

[hlb]

I'd just replace it with something similar to what you have.

Your engines will be running when useing bow thrutcher or windlass, so the powers probably going in as fast as it's coming out.

 

[markdj]

I would definitely recommend you go for a starter battery with a high CCA rating. We once made the mistake of using leisure batteries for a bow thruster and they lasted about 3 months before the plates warped.

The bow thruster and the windlass are both variations on starter motors after all, so a starter battery is definitely the correct choice.

 

[Wiggo]

Thank you! That was exactly the recommendation and experience I was after...

 

[mjf]

I agree - starter batt.

The deep cycle type are meant for long constant drain like ruuning your aux houskeeping stuff at anchor.

BTW I see you can now go back to Studland as NT have open house policy announced last week - all touchy feely stuff so tenders on the beach again for Mr&Mrs Wiggo

 

[neale]

After a long, long time my forward battery has given up the ghost. It is an 85Ah unit that is only used to power the windlass and bowthruster.

It is (or was) a Hoppeke cranking battery, now no longer available. Do I replace it with a cranking battery or a leisure battery? The bowthruster is used far less than the windlass and it's usage pattern is probably more like starting a car (2 or 3 seconds at a time), whereas the windlass runs for quite an extended period whenever it is used...

I use one of these Odyssey batteries. They have a small AH capacity but a high CCA. Totally sealed and spill proof, smaller and lighter than normal Lead Acid batts but they are expensive!

Clicky Clicky

 

[Wiggo]

BTW I see you can now go back to Studland as NT have open house policy announced last week - all touchy feely stuff so tenders on the beach again for Mr&Mrs Wiggo

Excellent. I will be there with a carefully laid anchor on the beach with specially sharpened flukes, a large ghetto blaster, burning toxic waste and clubbing seahorses to death just as soon as I can. And I shall stand right next to the 'Warning. Nudists.' sign displaying my parts of shame for all the world to see...

BBQ, anyone?

 

[Ripster]

On mine, the windlass uses the domestic bank but the BT uses a dedicated cranking battery. Mine is a side power SP55 and uses an 85ah - works fine.