Important

[little bubba]

It does no good what so ever to have 2 batteries in your boat if you are going to put the switch on both and kill both batteries. Today I was fishing on the NNReef. We had chummed out and had our limit. Pulled all lines and prepared for the ride in. When we started to pull the anchor in I see a gentleman waving to me to come his way. After getting the anchor secured we preceeded over to his boat. Well he was dead in the water. Both batteries dead. Ask if I had jumper cables. No I didn't. Called Smith Point Rescue for him and they said it would be 20 to 30 minutes before they would leave their dock. Told them to wait for me to try plan B. I removed one of my batteries and handed it over to the stranded boat. He hooked it up and she fired right up. He was heading to the Public ramp so I told him I would meet him at the ramp and get my battery back. I did get my battery back.
As I stated at the start of this post. I does no good to have duel batteries on your boat if you are going to put the switch on both so you drain both batteries at the same time. Put the switch on either ONE or TWO not both. By putting the switch on either or you will drain only one battery. You will have the other to start your boat so you can go home. What I do is put the switch on 1 to go out and switch to 2 for trip home. This way you keep both batteries charged. Was glad to be able to help this fellow today. I did give him an education on how to use the switch in the future.
Bubba[angel][angel]

[capt. dave]

Right on Bubba. Ya did good.

[Ware Fisher]

Great lesson for all and thanks to you for being a good boater. It seems there's a lot of techniques for battery usage. I like yours.

[rmlewisjr]

Even number date use battery 2, Odd number date use battery 1.

[capt. dave]

I put the switch on BOTH as I am running out. When I get there I put it on either no.1 (preferred as it is a bigger battery) or no.2. Then back on BOTH as I am running back in. I have never run out of juice that way and I run two radios and the sounder much of the time at anchor plus the loran if drifting.

[little bubba]

Capt. Dave,
I like your idea also. It works for me. The gentleman that was broken down told me that he was told to leave the switch on "BOTH" all the time. Like I said previously we had a quick school on proper use . I'm sure he won't have the same problem again. Anyway I hope this post keeps someone else from having this problem.
Bubba[angel][angel]

[docjr03]

Thanks for the info, guys! I've had battery issues in the past, and just had a second one added this winter; I use both in and out and one when the engine is shut down and OFF when the boat is in the boatel.

Also, with marine batteries, I've heard any more than 2 years usage is borrowed time. Maybe the original guy had two old batteries!

[capt. dave]

My no 1 battery is a big Deka. I've had it for 51/2 seasons and it is still holding a charge even after being in storage all winter.

[riverwatcher]

Good suggestions for charging batteries without draining both.

Here's another couple of ideas to help you get home.
I provided a short tow to a boat stranded in the creek near my home on Sunday. His fuel line had a pinhole leak and was spraying gasoline. I have spare hose line clamps on my boat and electrical tape, but now I have added some duck tape.
Another low cost but valuable item to keep on board is a filter wrench for the water separator - you do have a water separator, don't you?
I have been out on a boat which wouldn't run until the water had been removed from the fuel/water separator. This boat owner had the wrench with him and we were able to fix the problem and get home without a tow.

[capt. dave]

My seporator has a drain cock on the bottom of the lower bowl. That is very convenient for draining the water out.

[jimpyne]

Our lunch time routine is a sandwich, a cold drink and switching from one battery to the other. We also carry one of those rechargable booster packs just in case.

[docjr03]

I like the batery jumper idea. I started carrying one on my first "older boat". I still carry one just for safety; but I really like it for keeping my cell phone charged when it uses up so much charge looking for service on the eastern shore side of the bay.

What other "must haves" do you guys carry to get yourself home?

[captaingeorge]

docjr03 originally wrote:
What other "must haves" do you guys carry to get yourself home?
Towing insurance.[smile]Never had to use it but I wouldn't go in the Bay without it.

[Sea Gristle]

I am right in the middle of deciding how to wire up my second battery as we speak. West Marine has a new battery isolator/combiner for about 80 bucks that looks pretty good. The "user error" situation is exactly why they developed the product. The only drawback is you don't have the flexibility of paralleling two batteries to start without a switch.

For you guys that use your 1-2-1+2-OFF switches - do you usually start the boat with both batteries combined? I've read that the dead battery can drain the good one and I'd be worried that there might not be enough juice between the two to turn it over for long. I guess you could start the engine and warm it up then shut down, switch to both and restart but seems like a lot of trouble.

I also carry a couple of hose clamps and a male-male hose connector to take the water/fuel separator out of the system in case of emergencies- I hid it in the bilge and it's a bear to get to to drain unless I'm on dry land.

[LinMar]

Kevin, I switch from 1 to 2 or to both with motor on and have for years, is their some reason you can't start the engine on say 1 and then switch to both while its running. Just curious.

[Sea Gristle]

If you don't have a "make (contact) before break" type switch you could fry your rectifier/diodes. All I know is that you are never supposed to disconnect a battery from the alternator while its running or you'll fry something- I've read the book I don't know how many times and I still can't remember exactly but you don't want to do it.

[ReelCommocean]

we pulled a boat in from the reef friday with a battery issue. long trip home

[captaingeorge]

ReelCommocean originally wrote:
we pulled a boat in from the reef friday with a battery issue. long trip home
We saw you both headed in. He's lucky for your help.

[capt. dave]

I saw them too. I wasn't on Aces Up at the time. I carry a set of jumper cables with me to help start others if need be.
I once was running a 46 ft. charter boat for the owner. As usual we had the VHF and CB radios on all day plus the bilge pump ran some. The chum grinder had it's own battery. When it was time to go in the batteries wouldn't turn the big 671 Detroit over. We tried to use the grinder battery but it wouldn't work either. We finally called the owner and he brought out a power pack to get us going. Two weeks later the batteries were dead in the slip so the party had to wait until we could change the batteries. It is no fun to be out there with a dead one.

[little bubba]

RC,
Sounds like you had an audience on the tow job. We were out there also. My little dingy wouldn't have pulled that boat in. I heard you talking to the Captain, but didn't realize his problem was battery. I had my Jump Start Pack on board. Would have loaned it to him. Then again my pack might have not been big enough.
Bubba[angel][angel]

[LinMar]

Kevin, if your battery switch has both /all between positions 1 and 2 ( 1 both 2) wouldn't you have to make contact with at least one battery all the time. That is the kind of switch I always used and never had problems on any boat.
Also whoever runs batteries on both may run out of power on both at same time if alternator not working and pulling from both to run ignition. Anyone ever had an alt/gen belt break on the car and wonder how far you can go before nothing left in the battery. Same problem if a short is draining system. Only time I have ever used both position was after lay up when batteries were weak and I needed the extra juice. Am I nuts about this stuff or lucky?

[Sea Gristle]

Seems like it would, but they sell a specific variation on the off-1-both-2 switch that is designed to allow switching on the fly (also more expensive). I just picked up the regular kind and will try it out before I spend the extra $ on the ACR. The issue for me is using the same batteries vs using different. I have one deep-cycle and one starting battery and supposedly they want different charges. Anybody use this set-up with a off-1-both-2 switch?

[LinMar]

Thanks for the good info, by the way I have one deep cycle and one starting batttery also, but have just gone this route myself so no real experience except maybe 30 hrs of running time, will let you no if any problems.

[Sea Gristle]

Same here.

[ReelCommocean]

not sure exactly what the problem was, we just saw them waving us down as we were heading in early so we did our good deed for the day and drug em' in. Ya im sure everyone saw us as it seemed like the entire fleet passed us on the way in. Just glad to get them home safley especially considering how rough it was that day.

[capn paul]

YEAH, GOOD LUCK ON MORE THAN TWO YEARS ON MARINE BATTERIES, THE GRADY WHITE PEOPLE ARE ENDORSING THE DEKA BATTERIES FOR THEIR BOATS NOW,

[little bubba]

Put two of the Deka marine batteries in my boat 4 years ago and they have worked flawlesslly. I do put a trickle charge on them over the winter months when not in use, but other than that they have always worked. I have fished for periods of 12 hrs. straight without starting the engine to charge. I have the switch on 1 or 2 never both. Never had to switch to the other battery to start my boat. I usually run the baitwell pump continously, fishfinder, GPS, VHF radio.
Bubba[angel][angel]