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We need more power
S/V Zeke E Boy is a small floating home. Which means it needs electricity to run things – lots of things. There are many outstanding electrical projects but the most pressing were old failing batteries.
Our starting battery was tested at under 50 Cold Cranking Amps, not enough to start the engine. The house batteries supplying power to everything other than the engine were over 12 years old and could not hold their voltage for more than 15-30 min.
How did we use the boat with failed batteries?!?
It kinda worked … Well, sort of …
Well, last spring I replaced the starting battery. It is only connected to the engine starter and has a dedicated charger that could be replaced without any other changes. This worked well and the engine cranked alive every time we wanted – thankfully!
The house batteries were another story. We just never operated the boat in conditions where we didn’t have access to an alternate power supply.
At the dock, we plug in for shore power supply and run everything from there. When the engine is running, its alternator keeps the electrical system up to voltage. And while sailing, our 2 solar panels produce more than enough power even on cloudy days to keep all the current electrical needs met.
New House Batteries!
Even though we survived last season, this was a project that we were planning & budgeting for since the batteries were way past their life expectancy. Plus we are planning to visit more harbors this year and we may not have access to shore power. So, over the winter, I replaced the house batteries. But …
I discovered in the process that the physical configuration of the batteries was poor, so I added new battery boxes and repositioned the batteries to better fit.
We also added in a new battery charger, the old one was old and there are a lot of good things a new smart charger can do to take care of and charge all the batteries on the boat.
But … Then it was discovered that much of the wiring was not marine grade and had odd splices and missing fuse protecting on many of the feeds …
Mind you this work is not done on a comfortable work bench but in the bottom boat lockers in the middle of the winter with limited heat supply and spotty lighting. I had to wear my “yoga” outfit to work my way into the nooks and crannies of the boat.
The Results
All six of our batteries on the boat are new and the wiring to each has been inspected and traced to make sure there are no worn spots.
New battery charger and new fuse protection for all the feeds to the batteries were installed. 14 new fuses were added.
The battery monitor was wired backwards, which I fixed. It will be interesting when I hook all the batteries up this spring if that monitor comes to life or if it needs to be replaced as well.
I added an engine hour meter and replaced a worn out 12v outlet.
In the end, or more accurately, as spring approaches, I replaced and fixed a lot more electrical items than expected. There was a lot more work to do than originally anticipated, and the budget reflects it. However, my hope is that the new battery system will provide years of reliable use with regular maintenance. And this won’t be a line item to tackle in the near future!
What do you think?
How long do you expect your house batteries to last? What do you do to ensure they come to life year after year? I’d love to extend the life expectancy more in the future!
Let us know what you think of our sailing adventures by sharing your feedback in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!
– Kyle from Zeke Life
Live like Zeke
You’re such a good boy!
