Onboard battery charger for trolling motor batteries?

[MeJulie]

hi - just got my first boat ( open fishing boat, 2001 crestliner 1600 ) and I'm fitting a bow mount trolling motor which will be powered by two 130mah 12v batteries. I wanted to install a battery charger so I can hook it up to a marina supply and occasionally home supply when parked on the driveway ; so I don't have to keep taking the batteries out of the boat to charge them up in between trips.

Currently the boat electrics are 2 x 75ah batteries , a 25hp outboard , navigation light sockets, livewell, bilge and 2 x 12v accessory sockets.

1) what equipment do I need to buy to set this up? do I need an inverter as well as a marine battery charger?
2) I've seen various marine battery chargers online , they seem to start at about £150 - whereas a 12v Battery charger for home use can be had form about £50, why are they so much more?

Very new to this so any advice much appreciated, thank you

 

[Croftie]

1) what equipment do I need to buy to set this up? do I need an inverter as well as a marine battery charger?
2) I've seen various marine battery chargers online , they seem to start at about £150 - whereas a 12v Battery charger for home use can be had form about £50, why are they so much more?

Very new to this so any advice much appreciated, thank you

1, You do not need an inverter unless you intend to use 240v equipment away from shore power.
2. The more expensive chargers are intelligent and will adjust the charge rate depending on the state of charge of the batteries.

 

[MeJulie]

hi Thank you - so how do I get shore power to the charger itself? the boat currently has no shore power hookup sockets.

I notice marina power looks similar to a caravan type socket, do I put one of those on the boat and then wire that input directly to the charger ?

excuse my ignorance

 

[jrudge]

2. The more expensive chargers are intelligent and will adjust the charge rate depending on the state of charge of the batteries.

They will also have some degree of protection from water.

The degree varies. Some of the smaller ones are completely sealed. The bigger they get the more they become " splash proof" ( there will be IP rating to describe that!).

Also bear in mind your car charger is rarely on 24/7/365

 

[BartW]

when you leave the charger connected for longer periods, you better have a "smart" charger,
will charge the battery in steps and stops charging when the battery is fully charged. It will just continue to top up..

this feature together with water proove and continious operation will make such a charger more expensive, but it will keep your batt's healthy for many more years,
and won't explode your battery's when left charging for longer periods.
I can recommand a "smart" charger from Victron or Mastervolt.

congratulations with your first boat, and welcome to the forum.

 

[Andy Cox]

I would suggest something like a Victron Blue Smart IP65 12 volt 10 amp charger.

It has a seven stage charge program which will allow you to plug it in for extended periods without worrying about overcharging your batteries and it is Bluetooth enabled so you can monitor your batteries on your phone.

https://www.victronenergy.com/chargers/blue-smart-ip65-charger

I've just looked and can see suppliers on FleaBay selling them for £123. Clearly it's more than your budget 'dumb' home charger but it's from a well regarded manufacturer and being IP65 rated means it's ideal for your application in your boat and can be left connected almost indefinitely.
Cheers
Andy

 

[Croftie]

hi Thank you - so how do I get shore power to the charger itself? the boat currently has no shore power hookup sockets.

I notice marina power looks similar to a caravan type socket, do I put one of those on the boat and then wire that input directly to the charger ?

excuse my ignorance

You could fix an inlet plug (with male pins) to somewhere suitable such as


https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MKK9701BLU.html

Then you would need a caravan type cable to connect that to the marina supply. Plenty available in different lengths.

From that plug you want to connect to a socket for your charger to plug into. I don't think on your size/style of boat you need a full consumer unit but it needs protection so use a socket that has a RCD and is preferably waterproof. ie


https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Produc...MI3Y6zl8Wk4AIVL5PtCh3KjwsgEAQYDCABEgJlQPD_BwE

Just my thoughts but if you are in doubt get someone qualified in electrics to help