Forums, Electrical Systems, Navigation and Safety equipment, Correct Batteries for 79 CO32

Andrew at 23/06/2011 18:56:14
Can anybody inform me of the correct 12v Batteries for a 1979 CO32. I would like to know the battery number IE (Type 627) I think they where 85AH?
I will also need to know terminal layout
Thanks

Wisdish at 07/07/2011 20:02:34
Hi Andrew, this may not be a direct answer to your question but due to the increased power requirements most owners have many Co32s now carry at least 2 domestic and 1 engine start batttery. We ourselves carry 3 105 Ah domestics + an engine start, but after several days of sailing without motoring, we still managed to have only 40% charge on our domestics whilst cruising this week off the West Coast of Scotland. A single 85Ah is almost certainly insuffucient for modern cruising in my experience. Hope this helps, Mark

George Isted at 08/07/2011 12:15:18
I would agree with Mark, a pair of 85’s is probably a bit on the small side for anything other than local weekend cruising. I don’t have separate domestics and engine start but one bank made up of a pair of 110ah batts although I had to rearrange the battery storage arrangements to fit them in.
I would suggest you have a measure up and see what is the largest capacity you can fit in the space available, there are some good online battery retailers with all the size and capacity info you need.
If you are interested I wrote a tech paper on improving the battery storage on my 78 boat. It is in the tech docs section of the website members area. Cheers

Andrew at 12/07/2011 21:52:35
Thank you for that I just wondered what the original spec was.

St Paddy at 20/07/2011 18:36:30
Hi
I use 2 powermax 110 amp hour leisure batteries and have modified the battery box to suit.
I use them independently simple battery switch 1 – 2 – both
These will start a small engine with out harm to them.

This has worked well and I live on board and spent 5 years cruising as well, I run the heating all night too.

the less you cycle a battery the happier it will be. mine go on for 4 years. charged from a wind generator with no regulator careful if you do this.

Robin

chris at 03/09/2011 12:31:26
Been sailing / living onboard for 9 months, only have one domestic battery @ 85 AH which gives me 40A before I hit 10.8V. Isn’t always enough.

I don’t have a fridge, solar does an ample job providing power. But then I don’t use any fancy navigation gear / windex / log, all my juice goes into the laptop.

Galatea at 12/09/2012 01:07:41
Wisdish
Hi Andrew, this may not be a direct answer to your question but due to the increased power requirements most owners have many Co32s now carry at least 2 domestic and 1 engine start batttery. We ourselves carry 3 105 Ah domestics + an engine start, but after several days of sailing without motoring, we still managed to have only 40% charge on our domestics whilst cruising this week off the West Coast of Scotland. A single 85Ah is almost certainly insuffucient for modern cruising in my experience. Hope this helps, Mark

Mark (and others),
Where do you keep your batteries? I have two (under the quarterberth) and I’m looking at adding at least one more deep cycle house battery.
Thanks,
Mark

Kemah at 12/09/2012 22:04:09
Hi Andrew,

Originally I had three batteries in the boat situated under the quarter berth. 1 65Ah for the engine and two 105 Ah for the electronics aboard. While looking for a new location ( I didn’t liked the idea my son sleeping on top of the batteries) I found out that there was room for two batteries in the engine room just in front of the engine. I decided to replace the two classic batteries with one deepcycle. Cost twice the amount as the classic batteries but wil give you 85 % of the capacity instead of 40% or the regular one. With one deepcycle battery for the electronics and the 65 Ah for the engine I made a batterybox for those two batteries just in front of the engine. I did rebuild the lower step of the stairs and the front of the box fits now nicely over the battery box. Another advantage is that we have some extra storage underneath the quarter berth.

This summer we went on a 4 week vacation in the baltic and never had a problem with the electrity.

Regards

Rob

Wisdish at 15/09/2012 19:28:20
Hi Andrew,

All the batteries were located under the quarterberth. As an electronics engineer who used to work designing electric vehicles, I can see no specific safety issue to prevent you using the quarterberth. We decided that more batteries used less heavily was more cost effective than specialist ‘deep cycle’ battteries, and gave you more margin if for any reason you had battery charging problems through shore power/alternator when away from home

Mark