Battery relocation

[mardog]

I see some members have moved their battery(s) forward and into the bilge.  Not to be a smarty pants, but 40+ years ocean going experience has taught me to put nothing in the bilge that can't take a drenching.  Same with batteries aft.  Ship a bunch of water over the side and it is going to run aft and short out whatever isn't tightly sealed.  The only personal experience I've had with how well a submerged battery worked is, it didn't.  Course, this is just one fool's opinion................Marstin

[gfakkema]

When most do the relocate, they are putting batteries and associated components in the cuddy, NOT the bilge. 

[Yachter Yat]

   What Mardog is saying is the reason I have my battery strapped-down in a battery box...........the plastic type with the cover that goes down over the edge of the box base.  If the water level comes up, it does offer *some* protection against flooding........even if only long enough to keep the bilge pump moving.  I get the chills when I see pics of batteries just sitting in the open in the backside of these Arimas with no level of protection.  We can never forget most of these boats are not self bailing.  My :twocents:

Yat 

[gfakkema]

If you do the relocate and the batteries are "in water", I think you have bigger problems than battery failure.

[troll4fish]

I moved my 2 batteries forward last year but they are not in the "bilge". They are where the porta-potty used to reside and inside of individual battery boxes that are strapped down and then the area is covered with the 1/2 plywood cover and it is bolted down and on top of it resides a 11-1/2 gallon extra fuel tank. The area is then blocked off by a piece of star board and I mounted my onboard charger to it. By moving the batteries forward the boat gets up on step quicker and also sits a little higher in the rear when at slow speeds. If water gets to the batteries I have WAY bigger problems than worrying about them being shorted out!

[gfakkema]

I moved my 2 batteries forward last year but they are not in the "bilge". They are where the porta-potty used to reside... If water gets to the batteries I have WAY bigger problems than worrying about them being shorted out!

Exactly.

[Kahunanui]

on same subject : AGM batteries, long used in aircraft and touted to be correctly installed up, down and sideways, wondering if anyone has actual experience with mounting your AGM batteries when relocating

in any attitude other than standard orientation,

in most cases the air space over a standard install is wasted space to some degree and was thinking if installed 'on end' for example, more batterys in same space ±

?

[Threeweight]

I used AGM's in my old Arima battery relocation.  I did not do anything crazy like mount them upside down, I just wanted them because of the design being shock and leak proof since they would be up in the cuddy.

I built a platform compartment for them out of 1/2" Starboard, mounted to the hull liner.  If mine ever got into a situation where they'd be underwater, you'd have water lapping around your ankles while sitting at the helm.

[DevMah]

I used AGM's in my old Arima battery relocation.  I did not do anything crazy like mount them upside down, I just wanted them because of the design being shock and leak proof since they would be up in the cuddy.

I built a platform compartment for them out of 1/2" Starboard, mounted to the hull liner.  If mine ever got into a situation where they'd be underwater, you'd have water lapping around your ankles while sitting at the helm.

IMO

-moving the battery's  to the cuddly is not a issue as long as they are AGM type as lead acid type batteries produce hydrogen gas while charging and are not good for shock (impact caused by chopping through waves)
-moving the batteries to the cuddly removes them from the elements.
-on smaller boats it helps  weigh down the front giving better balance.

That being said I have not seen any pictures of anyone cutting the deck and placing the battery's in the bilge so far....


As per Threeweight if the water is at your ankles... you're last worrie should be the battery's.

There are specifications in battery mounting
33 CFR 143.20 
ABYC E10.7
Transport Canada TP 127 E sub section 55.


Dev

[58Johnson]

Batteries (AGM) in cuddy:

[DevMah]

I used AGM's in my old Arima battery relocation.  I did not do anything crazy like mount them upside down, I just wanted them because of the design being shock and leak proof since they would be up in the cuddy.

I built a platform compartment for them out of 1/2" Starboard, mounted to the hull liner.  If mine ever got into a situation where they'd be underwater, you'd have water lapping around your ankles while sitting at the helm.

IMO

-moving the battery's  to the cuddly is not a issue as long as they are AGM type as lead acid type batteries produce hydrogen gas while charging and are not good for shock (impact caused by chopping through waves)
-moving the batteries to the cuddly removes them from the elements.
-on smaller boats it helps  weigh down the front giving better balance.

That being said I have not seen any pictures of anyone cutting the deck and placing the battery's in the bilge so far....


As per Threeweight if the water is at your ankles... you're last worrie should be the battery's.

There are specifications in battery mounting
33 CFR 143.20 
ABYC E10.7
Transport Canada TP 127 E sub section 55.


Dev

Sorry should have typed.

33 CFR 183.420

Dev