Charge!

[Sheik]

So in the new boat I have bought, I have two batteries set up. One is purely for the yammie 60, so it's charged on board. Completetely separate is the house battery, for the sounder, lights, pumps bilge and bait tank. I charge that battery every few weeks.
I must admit I like having that completely separate battery for the motor, having spent a nasty night on the Mary after both batteries died and we couldn't start the motor. But it would also be nice to have the ability to use either one if things went pear shaped, without losing the ability to keep them separate if possible. Any suggestions as to the best way to do that?

[Fed]

Keep a set of jumper leads on the boat.

[Crunchy]

VSR with a three way swtich, very simple to install and will take care of your concerns automatically. I have had no trouble with BEP brand in the two boats I have installed them in.

[ranmar850]

VSR with a three way swtich, very simple to install and will take care of your concerns automatically. I have had no trouble with BEP brand in the two boats I have installed them in.

WHS^^^^ Only way to go. The VSR ( Voltage Sensitive Relay) keeps your House battery Separate from your Start battery unless charging. When charging, once the Start battery gets above 12.7V ( can vary slightly) which is immediately, the House battery is also being charged. When you shut down, and the Start battery drops below 12.4 V ( again, will vary slightly) , the House battery is isolated. So you cannot draw down the Start battery. This assumes you have all your House load running from the House battery, as it should be. You will have a switch , normally left Open, which can be closed in case you need to bring that second battery in for starting.

These can be purchased as a complete unit like this https://www.chsmith.com.au/Products/...BoC980QAvD_BwE

Or if you a bit handy, make it up yourself. Three battery switches, one VSR, some lugs, heatshrink, and short piece of cable. You have Start and House ON, Emergency parallel OFF for normal operation.

[gazza2006au]

Sheik have u thought about those 12volt car jump starter packs? leave one in the glove box, in Sydney if u need a tow its a 3 to 5 hour wait for water police or maritime, we have been towed before but by a local fisherman felt sorry for him he offered to tow us from the middle of the bay back to the foreshore ramp he was in a 4.2m boat towing 4 of us in a 5.3m i offered him cash to compensate for the fuel but he didn't accept the offer top bloke tho he came strait over when he seen us having difficulties

[Sheik]

Sheik have u thought about those 12volt car jump starter packs? leave one in the glove box, in Sydney if u need a tow its a 3 to 5 hour wait for water police or maritime, we have been towed before but by a local fisherman felt sorry for him he offered to tow us from the middle of the bay back to the foreshore ramp he was in a 4.2m boat towing 4 of us in a 5.3m i offered him cash to compensate for the fuel but he didn't accept the offer top bloke tho he came strait over when he seen us having difficulties

Yeah not a bad idea Gaz to have one in hte car that i take out and put in the boat...do you have a best option of these, as there are full battery type things and also little bitty things...very technical I know.

[Sheik]

WHS^^^^ Only way to go. The VSR ( Voltage Sensitive Relay) keeps your House battery Separate from your Start battery unless charging. When charging, once the Start battery gets above 12.7V ( can vary slightly) which is immediately, the House battery is also being charged. When you shut down, and the Start battery drops below 12.4 V ( again, will vary slightly) , the House battery is isolated. So you cannot draw down the Start battery. This assumes you have all your House load running from the House battery, as it should be. You will have a switch , normally left Open, which can be closed in case you need to bring that second battery in for starting.

These can be purchased as a complete unit like this https://www.chsmith.com.au/Products/...BoC980QAvD_BwE

Or if you a bit handy, make it up yourself. Three battery switches, one VSR, some lugs, heatshrink, and short piece of cable. You have Start and House ON, Emergency parallel OFF for normal operation.

Yeah thanks fellas, are they easy enough to install given I'm an eejit?

[ranmar850]

Easy enough. You hook up the +ve lead from your Start battery to the appropriately marked terminal, the +ve lead from your House battery to the other appropriately marked terminal, sensing lead to the Start battery. Negatives will stay where they are most likely. If your leads already have the right size lugs to go to the terminals on the new device, easy. If not, they will need to be changed. With this type of device, all the connections between switches are already made internally, so you don't need to work anything out.

[gazza2006au]

Yeah not a bad idea Gaz to have one in hte car that i take out and put in the boat...do you have a best option of these, as there are full battery type things and also little bitty things...very technical I know.

If u can drop into a local auto store near u and check them out ask about how warranty returns are handled and service life of such products

[Ah Me Ting]

... we have been towed before but by a local fisherman felt sorry for him he offered to tow us from the middle of the bay back to the foreshore ramp he was in a 4.2m boat towing 4 of us in a 5.3m i offered him cash to compensate for the fuel but he didn't accept the offer top bloke tho he came strait over when he seen us having difficulties

Sorry, off topic... But.

Isn't this the boatie code? You help out a fellow boatie!

Agreed, offer of cash or fuel or cold beverages in exchange is THE boatie deal, of course. And, acceptrd as ok to decline in the spirit of good karma.

I couldn't in any situation go past a fellow boatie in trouble and not offer assistance. I find it interesting that you were surprised old mate came straight over to help!

As for 4.2m towing a 5+ ... My old 18hp on the 385 Stessco Squire towed a 7m glass boat back to the ramp at Wooli... Poor buggers lost motor heading out for a nights fishing, when they ran into a sandbar... motor wouldn't kick over again. The old 18hp churned away and pulled it back no worries, and I too declined the cash / fuel on offer, but had a "cheers to Huey" cold Beveridge with the blokes.

[blacklab]

Down here Ting, one year in the height of the snapper season, a bloke broke down just outside the mouth entrance, there were guys talking about it while I was launching. The ramp was hectic, 30 minutes later I headed out, the poor bloke was still sitting there.
So yes, it's the done thing. I'm picking probably 15-20 boats went before me and didn't give a flying "F" about the bloke.
So don't be surprised about it, there are indeed some selfish pricks out there, that consider getting to that spot before the bite is the most important thing.
Thankfully there are enough of our type's out there to raise the percentage some what. Took me 15 minutes to get him in, he didn't offer me anything, I wouldn't have accepted, towed him in to the tie ups by the ramp and resumed my morning. In all fairness to him, I didn't hang around for a chat, had I have done so, he probably would have offered something.
As for all the other pricks that left him sitting there, Karma will come back to them....

On topic, I'm fitting one of those VCR-ACR blueSeas set ups in my refit, look like the bees Knees.....

Col

[gazza2006au]

Ah me ting i have broken down a few times mate broke down on a jetski 700 meters from the ramp in georgers river boats,jetski, were everywhere not one person stopped to help we drifted out into the channel when someone from the picnic area called 000 and said we were in danger cops showed up about 20mins into the drift and tied us on towed us to the picnic area got a statement from the person who called 000 than dropped us off at the ramp where my car was

Another time had just done a full engine rebuild on a mercury 25hp 4 stroke on a quintrex fishabout we headed down stream at about 6:30pm oil alarm sounded thought "we are in shit" engine was still running tho decided to shut it off and row against the current same river as above 1km down stream however had to row back to the ramp the previous guy who called 000 was at to pull the boat out we struggled badly and the gates were closing at 7pm 1 other boat near us didnt even look at us and a guy on a jetski zooming past multple times didnt give a rats ass i eventually just started the engine and drove it back all my hard work and money almost gone made it to the ramp and old mate on jetski goes new jetski sorry couldnt offer assistance f..... incredible

Me and my cousin heading out in the harbour one morning guy comes flying past us than stops we see him struggling we pull up he said engone wont go over idle he was in limp mode offered to tow him back strait away would have ruined our day only had about 20L petty we followed the bloke but he said he was fine to go back we headed off byt kept an eye out on our way back for him

We always lend a hand but astonished at some people on the water...

[Ah Me Ting]

Oops, sorry OP, we're heading off course! I'll take full responsibility, @gazza2006au put the GPS mark in ... I just followed it!

Selfish pricks deserve no fish.

Karma always catches up, cause Huey balances the books.

Whatever you believe, honour the boatie code!

[scottar]

I use one of these - simple way to disconnect entire boat via one switch and still has the parallel feature if required

https://www.bluesea.com/products/551...Battery_Switch

Add a VSR as already mentioned and all bases are covered. Just make sure the VSR disconnects when the battery switch is turned off or it will flatten your start battery.