Battery locations - where is your battery positioned?

[cruiserpete]

Hi all,

I'm now up to the final refurbishment stage of wiring my electronics and I'm looking at battery mounting positions.

I've decided to go with 2 batteries. 1x 105Ah AGM (main house) and 1x regular marine battery 80Ah (house backup ) with appropriately sized plastic battery boxes.

I've invested in a 100 watt solar panel, 12 gang (2 x 6's) circuit breaker switch board, 6mm, 4,, and 3mm tinned marine wire, a 10A MTPPT solar regulator, a 60A Navara Auto charge relay to charge both batteries from the solar panel and 2x 20A fuse boxes for the battery wire to switch panel.

The original battery location was the starboard cockpit locker and it looks like 80% of the I563s have their batteries housed there.
I'm doubtful that I would want the regular 80Ah lead acid mounted inside the cabin but to mount the 105Ah AGM in the cabin and the 80Ah lead acid in the S/b locker is creating too much distance between the batteries.

Essentially, how good is the s/b cockpit locker for battery positioning?
Cheers, Pete

[Yara50]

The logic of mounting the battery on the starboard side is to balance the typical mount of the outboard on the port side. A locker drained and isolated from the cabin is a good plan when you are dealing with battery acid and explosive fumes during charging.

[Dr. Peter]

Mine is under the cockpit floor just behind the step. It's a gel type. I charge it before we go away and use a small solar panel to keep it up. It only runs nav lights, interior lights, and charges up devices. It seems enough.

[Ozzie]

I used to have a monster 750cca truck battery , which was the starter battery for my old cruiser, mounted in the starboard locker but now as per my other posts on my last haulout I have a small sealed LA in the front compartment closest to the anchor locker. I also have my water, tools and stove there.

I'm not a racer and not that interested in squeezing the last knot out of the boat but apparently moving weight forward can improve boat speed if you are tail heavey and I've noticed a slight difference in light airs particularly since I've done this . I even keep my fuel tank as far forward in the locker as I can.

I don't think its that critical its just that on a big weekend it's surprising what you will stick in the rear lockers as I've just done over Australia Day weekend. Esky with ice and drinks, extra water. Extra fuel , fishing gear and some snorkeling gear. It goes on.

SO. If you already have heavy stuff like batteries in the back it all ads up. My 2cents for what it's worth.

I guess the ideal place for batteries is in the floor compartment either side of the keel bolt case at the lowest and most central point . Maybe multiple smaller batteries ?

[Andrew]

Hi Pete and everyone, you may have already seen my post on my battery location and set up in Terias log book blog posting. updated it today with more info

http://teria563.blogspot.com.au/2014/01 ... ttery.html

I bolted my heavy 80 AH battery under the cockpit behind the companionway step. It's low down and central - good for a heavy object in a small yacht. This location is probably avoided because of Investigator 563's unmovable fixed step which blocks access to the space. So made a quickly removable step, the design is a bit rough and ready for now but it works well for me and can be refined later.

Cheers

Andrew