Living aboard

[VALERIE-BOO]

Hi all anyone living aboard near canveyisland. Could do with advice and maybe a hand to make my boat more comfortable engines are strong but for some reason batteries ate not charging.

 

[PlanB]

Suggest you post on Liveaboard forum here, and give more details about your location and the type of boat.

 

[Fire99]

Suggest you post on Liveaboard forum here, and give more details about your location and the type of boat.

I think they started in the Liveaboard forum and got sent to the Mobo forum. It's a tough crowd this boaty forum lark..

 

[Fire99]

Hi all anyone living aboard near canveyisland. Could do with advice and maybe a hand to make my boat more comfortable engines are strong but for some reason batteries ate not charging.

I mostly live aboard my Mobo but that is in Northern Ireland and I'm only in Essex a few more days, so won't be able to squeeze in a canvey boat visit im afraid.

 

[Seastoke]

If she is on her own not a good idea to say on a open forum exactly where she lives.

 

[Bouba]

It’s not a boat specific issue...it’s a battery charging issue......there are many on this forum who are experts in this field

 

[Fire99]

It’s not a boat specific issue...it’s a battery charging issue......there are many on this forum who are experts in this field

Exactly.. I'm sure one or many of us have experienced similar at some point. We can prob point in the right direction.

 

[oldgit]

Usually simply not enough battery capacity vs the amount of " stuff" needing power vs the capability to put power into the batteries ?
On my first boat a Princess 33 the two alternators charged 4 batteries. Two start and two leisure.
Fairly certain could recall going 24 hours without a charge and engine alternators would be able to do the job.
A rest the leisure batteries powered half a dozen sad dim incandescent bulbs and a tiny little fridge.

On my present boat the same four batteries with quite probably the same Ah capacity are required to supply enough amps to power half a small village .
Am of course amazed when the batteries start to give up after a few hours and the only way to get enough charge in quickly means finding some expensive marina shorepower.
No matter how many odd ball sized batteries you look at, no place to squeeze them in without major reworking of battery boxes or worse.

 

[PaulRainbow]

I think they started in the Liveaboard forum and got sent to the Mobo forum. It's a tough crowd this boaty forum lark..

The liveaboard forum was the correct place, very few people on this forum live aboard.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Adding batteries is rarely the answer, especially as a liveaboard, all it does is to extend the time before you need to put the batteries on charge. If you can't match your consumption and charging capabilities, you're screwed.

It's practically impossible in the UK to be able to harvest enough solar power in the Winter for liveaboard use, so you need a generator or shore power and a decent battery charger.

To the OP, you need at least a couple of decent leisure batteries and a good mains charger, then you can run the whole boat from shore power whilst on your mooring. Looking to the future, some solar panels would be a sound investment. I'd agree with the comments from Tranona, in your liveaboard thread, that you should get someone to check the shore power system is safe and adequate, especially given the age of the boat.

 

[Bouba]

Adding batteries is rarely the answer, especially as a liveaboard, all it does is to extend the time before you need to put the batteries on charge. If you can't match your consumption and charging capabilities, you're screwed.

It's practically impossible in the UK to be able to harvest enough solar power in the Winter for liveaboard use, so you need a generator or shore power and a decent battery charger.

To the OP, you need at least a couple of decent leisure batteries and a good mains charger, then you can run the whole boat from shore power whilst on your mooring. Looking to the future, some solar panels would be a sound investment. I'd agree with the comments from Tranona, in your liveaboard thread, that you should get someone to check the shore power system is safe and adequate, especially given the age of the boat.

The wind is always blowing.....

 

[Fire99]

The liveaboard forum was the correct place, very few people on this forum live aboard.

Not really. My experience over the years is the Liveaboard forum is mostly sailing long distance travellers. Not Motorboats.. And I've been lurking here a loooong time. I've always got pointed back to the Mobo forum. Right or wrong, that's the deal

 

[Neil1300r]

Are then batteries not charging or not holding a charge?. How old are the batteries, how many are there?

 

[Bouba]

If you can re-title the thread as Battery Charging Questions or something similar...then many people on the Motorboat forum will reply

 

[PaulRainbow]

The wind is always blowing.....

You can't get enough power from the typical yacht wind gen for liveaboard use.

In fact, if you fitted a wind gen and 2000w of solar you still would not get enough power in the UK, in the Winter.

 

[Fire99]

For keeping sailing boat instruments working on a long sail, wind gen isn't bad but for a mobo I think it's pretty ineffective.

 

[Seastoke]

The wind is always blowing.....

So are you

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Pot, kettle. Etc.

 

[Seastoke]

Pot, kettle. Etc.

Why don’t say what you mean ,instead of meaning what you say.

 

[Fire99]

Give it up gents.. It's like waving schoolbags in the playground. Filling the thread up with this nonsense won't attract the OP to engage with posts..