Mahe 36: Original FP Mahe 36 Thread

[Scott730]

Kev & jo
I am just south of you in Cocoa Village Marina on the Indian River. Would love to get together. How long are you here for? I'm sure you will be watching the shuttle take off tonight, you will have a great view.

Scott

[kev&jo]

Hi Scott,

Good to hear from you and we will be here for just over a week, so would love to get together at some point.

We will be watching the shuttle tonight and looking forward to it, as you guessed.

We could easily come to Cocoa Village Marina, if they have room for another Mahe for a night or two!

[Scott730]

Kev
I'm PM'ing you.

Scott

[lstyles]

Hi Kev,
Thanks for the info on your battery change out. You have done exactly what I want to do. One question though. I couldn't tell from your picture but were you able to put all four Trojans into the same space as the original three batteries? It has been difficult for me to get an accurate idea of what the dimensions of that space are though the pictures posted by others make it easier.
thanks,
Lori

[kev&jo]

Hi Lori,

Yes all 4 batteries fit with room to spare (2 batteries facing you with 2 behind) so as far as we are concerned it has been a really good modification.

[lstyles]

Kev,
Thanks for the information. You dont happen to have a water filling system for those batteries do you? Or some sort of water miser cap? I was wondering because once you put in those trojans you have to start maintaining them and there doesnt look to be too much room to do so.
thanks,
Lori

[solarbri]

Do you really want to be using unsealed batteries in a boat?
I would think that not only from a maintenance point of view (pain in the arse), but from a safety point of view- if in the ever so small chance that your boat were to flip, all electronics would be rendered useless.
I know sealed batteries are more expensive, but I, for one, would think there is no other option.

[lstyles]

Most of the cruisers I know are using unsealed batteries unless they can afford the pricey AGMs. I really cant and the Trojans are so highly thought of in the cruising community. I think if my boat flips I got a lot more to worry about then the electronics!!
Lori

[solarbri]

Originally Posted by lstyles

Most of the cruisers I know are using unsealed batteries unless they can afford the pricey AGMs. I really cant and the Trojans are so highly thought of in the cruising community. I think if my boat flips I got a lot more to worry about then the electronics!!
Lori

You can afford a Mahe 36 but can't afford sealed batteries for it?
What does the boat come stock with?
What does a life lost at sea cost?
Hell, I justified the cost of a sweet Li-Ion powered bicycle headlight ($700) because that is WAY cheaper than a single visit to the emergency room.
Maybe my thought process is all wrong though...

[Southern Star]

Solarbri, most of us have budget limitations and concerns that go beyond ultimate safety. In a catamaran, unlike a monohull, the risk of spilled battery acid is much lower because the boat does not heel. Furthermore, in the extremely unlikely event that the boat capsizes, your electronics, with the exception of units with self-contained batteries, will be of no use anyway.

Furthermore, your EPIRB, hand-held VHF and hand-held chartplotter/GPS units (your required rescue backup) will still be usable if properly stored, regardless of the type of house/starter banks the boat had originally employed. Simply put, your comment 'what does a life at sea cost' is a gross overstatement, all while acknowledging the fact that the water in the overturned cat is eventually going to contain a somewhat toxic mix of diluted diesel fuel, cleaning fluids and yes, diluted battery acid after the capsize. Even without battery acid, the idea is to save your life and get out of the boat through the quickest means possible after a capsize.

Further, all is not quite perfect in the world of sealed, even glass-mat batteries. They are reputedly much more sensitve to overcharging and, to date, seem to have a life-expectancy that is less than top-of -the-line lead acid batteries such as Surrettes/Rolls. I think you will find that a great many cruisers have chosen these as a house bank, even in monohulls where the risk of spillage is greater. They have done so after weighing up the pros and cons, of which initial cost is only one factor.

Brad

[solarbri]

Originally Posted by Southern Star

Solarbri, most of us have budget limitations and concerns that go beyond ultimate safety. In a catamaran, unlike a monohull, the risk of spilled battery acid is much lower because the boat does not heel. Furthermore, in the extremely unlikely event that the boat capsizes, your electronics, with the exception of units with self-contained batteries, will be of no use anyway.

Furthermore, your EPIRB, hand-held VHF and hand-held chartplotter/GPS units (your required rescue backup) will still be usable if properly stored, regardless of the type of house/starter banks the boat had originally employed. Simply put, your comment 'what does a life at sea cost' is a gross overstatement, all while acknowledging the fact that the water in the overturned cat is eventually going to contain a somewhat toxic mix of diluted diesel fuel, cleaning fluids and yes, diluted battery acid after the capsize. Even without battery acid, the idea is to save your life and get out of the boat through the quickest means possible after a capsize.

Further, all is not quite perfect in the world of sealed, even glass-mat batteries. They are reputedly much more sensitve to overcharging and, to date, seem to have a life-expectancy that is less than top-of -the-line lead acid batteries such as Surrettes/Rolls. I think you will find that a great many cruisers have chosen these as a house bank, even in monohulls where the risk of spillage is greater. They have done so after weighing up the pros and cons, of which initial cost is only one factor.

Brad

Brad,
Well said.
Please excuse my ignorance.

[kev&jo]

Hi Lori,

No we don't have a water filling system (but I think this would be a good idea) and space is tight as you can see.

I use a small mirror to keep an eye on the water level.

Kev & Jo

[lstyles]

I am trying to decide whether to go water filling route or water miser cap route. I will be only at the boat intermittently for the first couple of years so I wont be there to be able to monitor the batteries regularly. Has anyone else changed out their batteries and dealt with this?
thanks,
Lori

[jean1146]

I think that my batteries are on there way out,still don't know for sure since they are in such a tight space.I will go with sealed batteries since you almost cannot access the top,it is too tight unless some one has a trick. Every week the house bank is down,the refrigerator is pulling those down to nothing,so either my battery charger has a problem,or I have a dead battery wich is pulling the others down. When we leave the boat it is charging and somewhere down the line the charger shuts off......the breaker is fine so I am puzzled. Any one has any suggestions? Thanks.
JC.

[LarryW]

J C

I had a simular problem with my orginal charger, after the lighting strick. It would charge until float then shut off and only charge again if you shut it off and back on. The charger should float contiously at 13.5, when the battries are chargted. Your battries when full charged should hold your frig for a couple of days, holding 12.00. How long they hold is a function of their condition. But it sounds as if your charger is shot. I hope this helps.

Larry