help buying batteries& encouragement

[june]

we are gettng near the end of building our 56 ft steeled hull yacht,(thank God) and are trying to get a good deal on 12v deep cycle batteries. We need 200 plus amp hour per battery. Any one know where we can get a good deal? Moneys draining away, we have to be prudent.Help!
We want to eventually live aboard, all you who do this now, is it worth all the hard work and stress we are going through now? We are loosing site of the end dream.

<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by june on 01/06/2004 22:14 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[ccscott49]

For batteries, try the truck battery dealers, do not look at marine, they are overpriced and no better. Do not lose sight of your goal, you will love it, it's a great life! I'm living it and have been for ten years, with no thoughts of moving ashore! Do you realy want deep cycle? or would semi deep cycle be ok? Also think about your battery charger, it will be the heart of your system, I think for your size of boat you ae also considering a genny? I would and have one, very glad I have. Live your dreams, best of luck!
Colin.

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[robind]

Hi! Listen to CC I would love to live aboard but havent the situation, boat or possibly the guts to step off land for "good".

Do you need Deep Cycle I guess that you will have two banks of batteries one domestic and the other engine start. I also would believe that you may have a wind generator. I run two banks of lorry batteries on two sets of 235 HP Volvos and only use ordinary lorry batteries the lataest set have lasted me three years, so far and cost £120 for the four. I wouldnt try to be too detailed when buying your batteries, I would guess you could make the final descision re the type when you have more experience of the "lesser" ones.

Regards

Rob

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[Trevethan]

When I looked at batteries I priced up all those marine ones and nearly had a fit -- vastly overpriced, for what is almost a consumable.

I did as CCScott suggested -- went to a local vehicle battery specialist and bought a couple of 200 amp hour non-sealed truct batteries -- they call them semi-traction I think -- the type used to start the truck and run its tail lift.

I fitted them over two years ago and they are still good and at around £75 a go they can be replaced every 2-3 years if needed and not bankrupt me....

The maindrawback is the size and weight, but in a vessel like yours, you should be able to build in adequate storage space for lots of them.

As the words of encouragement, you are not far from completion by teh sounds of it -- having said that my wife and I have been fitting out for teh past 2 years and we still aren't done.. close though.. just need to plumb in the sink in the forward heads, install a shower in the aft heads, build a table for the pilot house, fit a day tank for the heater and make some doors for the companionways.... oh and a new saloon floor..

Up to now we have fitted two new toilets, added a heated pressure water system, gutted and rebuilt the aft cabin, made a double berth in there, insulated and lined it, clothes storage, rebuilt nav station, rebuilt pilot house benches, laid new floor in ph, new 240 volt system, new 12 volt system, new engine instruments and switch panel, rewired engine, fitted nav gear, and lights , new interior lighting, rebuilt saloon, tongue and grooved everywhere, fitted a diesel heater, painted sanded, etc. fitted batteries, charger system, fitted new fuel tanks, fitted bilge pumps, relined the deck heads, fitted new hatches, painted decks a couple of times, painted one side of the hull. fitted ventilators.. bloody hell we have done a fair bit.. although in the originaql plan it was only to take 6 months... hmmmmm

Anyway like you there are times when you lose hope, but a about a month ago we took her out for a wonderful trip on the Thames, just moving to another marina, and getting out there, feeling her move makes you remember why you are doing it. Yes just a short trip, but enough..

Keep at it and good luck



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[Anthony]

Hi,

Adverc (the people that make the alternator regualtors) recommend truck batteries as an option. However their prices are expensive.

I got a good deal on Numax leaisure batteries from totton autofactors in southampton, about half the price of Adverc who also sell them alongside the truck batteries.

Alough for full time serious liveabord you may want to consider the real deep cycle cells, albeit a much more expensive option.

Had a shock re the size and weight when I went to fit all this new battery capacity, but sounds like you wont have such limitations in your boat!

Good luck, I am sure you will get out there soon!

Anthony

Anthony

<hr width=100% size=1>The difference between men and boys, is just the price of their toys...

 

[tugboat]

I concur with the others above advocating truck batteries. These are designed to cope with truckers overnight stops powering eberspacher type heating, lights, tellys etc. I'm currently buying a steel boat with 5 100amp hour truck batts and the previous owner has had 7 years use out of them. I may need to replace a couple but that won't cause the wallet to expire.

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[Sunnyseeker]

UK is the cheapest place we found for batteries, so thats a good start.
You do need deep cycle batteries and not engine start for domestic use as they will withstand being run to near flat and recover, a lorry start battery is designed to provide hundreds of amps for a few seconds then be kept charged.
We found sealed liesure batterris from a wholesale supplier, check prices of liesure 120Ahr at 01752 227637 roughly £60.
I think its also better to have say three 120's than two 200..for a start they are easier to move and if one fails (which they do sometimes) you still have 240A left.
We had 2 x 170 and they were too heavy and awkward to fit, and one failed completely...120's you can at least move on your own.
Just a thought..
But actually it doesn't really matter...take some candles and go! thats the main thing.


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[Trevethan]

I would disagree re: your assertion that lorry batteries start the thing and then get their charge from the alternator so aren't suitable-- the batteries most of have referrred to are semi traction -- used to power lorry equipment -- tail liftts etc while the engine is off.

They might not stand the same level of punishment an agm will, but at about £65 for a 200 amp hour beast, replacing them every 5 years is not a huge investment.

I would agree regarding the weight o f them -- mine must weight 50 kilos a piece, but if I were building my boat from scratch I'd fit five or 6 of these in two domestic banksthat would equate to 1200 amp hours, or 400 amps real consumption before voltage got too low.

Of course to charge that array you'd need a couple of alternators, and orobably twin mains chargers but that way you have a bit of back up when when something packs up.

Cheers,

Nick

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[ccscott49]

I have been reading some of the replies here. I will say one or two other things, if you get five years out of a domestic battery bank, when you live aboard permanently, you are doing very well especially in a warm climate and you want cold beer and fans etc. Three years is good. Never and I repeat, never run your batteries, whether they are semi, or deep or traction, or semi, down flat! Only ever draw 50-70 percent out of them, for two reasons, they will take for ever to recharge, and may never fully recharge and they can be damaged by that kind of treatment. When you install a battery bank, use commonly available sizes, 100-110 AH, they are easier to handle and easier to find. Never replace one battery in a bank, it will very quickly be reduced to the same state/age as the others, replace banks. Buy a good battery management panel (I use sterling) that will tell you the state of your battery banks, you can then manage the charge regime for all your batteries. Install a battery bank, bigger than you first thought of, you will need it, I garuantee! I have fifteen years as a liveaboard, my brother fifteen and we are constantly in touch with other liveaboards, so I tend to know what I'm talking about, I too live on a biggish boat. It is a common conversation amongst live aboards, batteries/power generation/charging and of course toilets!! Think about the cost of deep cycle marine batteries and consider, they may last four years, but are they worth it, at twice the price? I think not, in fact I know not. Lots of people will give you advice, but.........

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[ccscott49]

Check out boatones' post on the MBY forum, reference, "Battery charging rates" a bit of an eye opener for you.

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[trouville]

my advice having been living aboard for yonks and knowing many others in the same boat(sorry) we almost all buy second hand batteris from a car breakers. i have 2 120amp hr and one 55amphr the small one runs the shower pump lights cd player and is charged with a 20w solar panel the others are for engin starting and the short wave radio transmitter and nav things and charger with a 60w solar panel (i have 2 60w ones) i also have a 1kw generator
I have so much electricity in general i only need the 20w panel the gererators more or less only used for sanding. One amazing thing i found is that by leaving the solar panel attched directly to the battery (20w one) after 4 years my batteries all have 13.somthing v with the 60w i no longer use a regulator either but have to be carful not to over charge as they deliver 20v+
Stop worrying get off then fit out that way youll know what you really need and not what the advertisers tell you youll need dont forget 53 foot has been the normal size liveabord for about 6years before that it was 40foot and before that 32foot!!
anyway with such a monster as a 53foot metal boat dont forget a solid wooden dingy to lay anchors recover them and go shopping with. woods easyly repainted with cheep paint and very stable

<hr width=100% size=1>liveaboard