Boat issues .... looking for advice.... moving batteries

JimW · **Posted:** Wed Aug 22, 2012 9:33 pm

polliwogg wrote:

Can you get at it from taking off the seat mount, or is that too small a hole and too long a reach?

Too small of a hole and I would need super stretch arms.

I am going to look at the idea MClapp suggested about making a vertical access hatch under the console.

Again thanks for all the suggestions.

I am leaving for England for our family vacation on Friday (one day fishing for cod on the North Atlantic included) until Labour Day. I will probably wait to do the fix when I return.

JimW

JimW · **Posted:** Thu Aug 23, 2012 11:29 am

Well after considering a bunch of options and having a couple people take a look I decided to make the two small cuts and remove the front section of my deck. This way I know for sure I will have easy access to all my livewell plumbing and wiring. I want to replace all the cheap clamps on my hoses with the screw "O" clamps.

My boat does not have a lot of storage compartments so I was hoping removing the deck would also allow me to see if I had any space to intall some more storage hatches in the bow and it looks like I have space for a couple small hatches. Cabelas sells aluminum storage hatches that are basically identical to my factory installed hatches, so I might look at installing a couple over the winter.

Front deck off....

Wasted space will eventually be new storage (red circle is where my seat base is).

Will update when I fix hoses and put the deck back on.

JimW

MattClapp · **Joined:** Mon Jun 15, 2009 10:03 pm **Posts:** 210

Clamp + some 3M 4200 should hold the hoses on very well.

JimW · **Posted:** Thu Aug 23, 2012 1:22 pm

MattClapp wrote:

Clamp + some 3M 4200 should hold the hoses on very well.

thanks for the tip

JimW · **Posted:** Mon Sep 24, 2012 9:25 pm

Ok since I have been doing some work on the bow of my boat I have been thinking about a few winter projects......

One project I am considering is to move my 2 deep cycle trolling motor batteries to the bow, my current set up is...

I have 3 batteries in total (2 deep cycle and 1 starting) all in a storage compartment in my back deck. I would like to add a 4th battery to hook up my electronics (radio, electric downriggers...) but there is not enough room in my back compartment, as well my boat is already quite stern heavy.

Since removing my front deck to do work on my livewell and discovering lots of empty space in front of my bow livewell, I am thinking about building a bow storage compartment under my front deck and move my 2 deep cycle batteries up to the bow. Resulting in reducing weight in the back of my boat, as well as freeing up space in the back to add the extra battery to run my electronics.

Just looking for any thoughts on the idea, before I start to do some serious planning.

Thanks,

JimW

Fred Fisher · **Posted:** Mon Sep 24, 2012 10:00 pm

As a rule of thumb Jim batteries are always placed in the stern of the boat for a softer ride and therefore extending the life of your battery. The harsh pounding up in the bow section can easily shift the cell insulating plates causing your battery to short internally. I don't know how ruff your particular boat rides but if you get her out in the ruff stuff it is definitely hard on a battery. Just my 2 cents....

JimW · **Posted:** Mon Sep 24, 2012 10:25 pm

Thanks for the info Fred makes sense. I was just curious as many of the newer aluminum fishing boat models have their deepcycle trolling motor batteries in the bow under the center rod locker.

JimW

rtkman · **Joined:** Sun Jul 10, 2011 6:28 am **Posts:** 528

4 seems like unnecessary excess to me Jim. What are you running on that thing? I would worry about the bumpy ride as well. Especially in a aluminum boat.

steve-hamilton · **Joined:** Fri Apr 25, 2003 7:40 am **Posts:** 1776

mine are in the front.

24v system up front for my 80lbs minn kota.

12v cranker in the back.

12v deep cycle in the back for electronics.

17' boat. (and very loaded down all the time!)

JimW · **Posted:** Tue Sep 25, 2012 5:35 pm

rtkman wrote:

4 seems like unnecessary excess to me Jim. What are you running on that thing? I would worry about the bumpy ride as well. Especially in a aluminum boat.

My thoughts for batteries is similar to Steve's set up:

Move my 2 deep cycle batteries for my 24V electric trolling motor to the bow with onboard charger.

And then in my back battery storage area I would keep my cranking battery and then add a deep cycle for electronics (electric riggers, stereo, vhf radio...). This extra battery is probably not needed but I figure couldn't hurt.

The main advantage I see would be to get some weight out of the back of my boat by removing the 2 large deepcycle batteries and moving them to the front.

Another option I was considering was leaving my batteries as is (2 deepcycle and 1 starting) all in the back and just upgrading the size of my cranking battery a bit, and then creating storage up front for tackle.

I am thinking I might remove my trolling motor batteries from their back compartment and then throw a couple bags of sand up front on my deck (to act as the extra weight as if I moved my batteries to the bow) and take the boat out for a water test and see how she handles with the new weight distribution.

I am a bit worry about the bumper ride for the batteries if they are in the bow, but I have heard both ways, too much bouncing for batteries in the front, and then on the other side, you should be fine just buy gel batteries.

The newer models of my boat have the trolling motor battery compartment in the bow just in front of the console.

JimW

rtkman · **Joined:** Sun Jul 10, 2011 6:28 am **Posts:** 528

Ah now gel batteries are an entirely different story entirely.

JimW · **Posted:** Tue Sep 25, 2012 6:45 pm

rtkman wrote:

Ah now gel batteries are an entirely different story entirely.

I currently don't have gel batteries but I am considering buying them if they will take the pounding in the bow better?

So many things to consider. My order of tracks from YakAttack in the US just cleared Canadian Customs so I will have to finish my rod holder track install soon as well.

steve-hamilton · **Joined:** Fri Apr 25, 2003 7:40 am **Posts:** 1776

I "really" don't pound my boat....i'm a total suck when it comes to running in waves....

so my batteries really don't take a pounding...but I wouldn't know how long they would last, as I change out my trolling motor batties every 2nd year...

Winter kills my batteries.

So I can't really comment on if the position of the batteries in the boat makes a difference. They are in their "designated" battery container...in the very front of the boat.

JimW · **Posted:** Tue Sep 25, 2012 8:02 pm

Thanks steve I was looking back at your boat build post and it looks like where your front batteries are located is pretty much where I am looking to put mine. And I am like you I'm a suck when it comes to running the waves, prefer the slow and steady.

steve-hamilton · **Joined:** Fri Apr 25, 2003 7:40 am **Posts:** 1776

yep. slow will do it. fast will break it.

plus, dad doesn't overly love it when I pound the boat....

you can see things up close in less than a month - if you still are on the fence.

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Boat issues .... looking for advice.... moving batteries

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