Locating batteries in bow?

[Grant Brown]

I have one battery in my 17 foot Glastron and am planning to install a dual battery setup with switch.
I want to locate them in the front of the boat to balance the weight better.
Right now in the transom area there is too much weight. With the 70hp merc, 10 gallons of fuel, a 4.5hp kicker, 5 gallons of fuel for that, and the single battery, the back of the boat is pretty low. Add a 200 pound +- guy fishing and a good wake and it could be swamped.
What size wire should I use to make the run to the front of the boat? I was told 10 ga stranded but my gut says overkill is better so I'm thinking of 8 ga.
Also, how many fused circuits should I have? Lights, sonar, vhf, bilge pump and a stereo this summer. One circuit each?

Thanks,
Grant

 

[John_S]

Re: Locating batteries in bow?

I think the recommendation for lead-acid batteries is that they should not be located in the bow. They take too much abuse and punishment bouncing up and down. The stern see allot less. Consider moving some or all fuel tanks to the bow.

Most trolling motor install manuals say to run 6ga stranded. At least the 12V MG wireless does.

Silvertip and others have posted some good threads on boat wiring. Do some searches, and you should find them. or just look at the first two threads that are pinned.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Locating batteries in bow?

Since one of those batteries is the start battery, the wires going back to the stern for the starter need to be at least as big as the current engine battery cables and probably larger because the distance involved. Drawing start current through small wire will melt them. Since you are adding a switch so you can also start the engine from the other battery, those cables need to be engine battery cable size as well. Your cost for wire will be high!

 

[JustJason]

Re: Locating batteries in bow?

measure it out and post your lengths... depend on the lenght it's going to probably be 4 gauge all the way around.... and that includes ripping out the 6 gauge thats going to the motor right now and replacing it with 4

 

[John_S]

Re: Locating batteries in bow?

I recently priced 6ga bonded (has both black and red) was $2.79 a foot at Cabela's. I don't think I found it at iBoats, but recheck (think it was 100' rolls). Other marine and boating supplys should have it. Even at 6ga installing connectors can be "fun". 4ga is probably a blast!

 

[oops!]

Re: Locating batteries in bow?

dont want to hijack this thread....but i also want to mount my batteries in the bow......unfourtionatly...they would be UNDER the gas tank......

thats right ...under.....the batterys would sit on the deck in a closed compartment...then in thoes plastic battery boxes...then a glassed plywood shelf would hold the gas tank.....

these compartments would be totally seperate from each other....all glassed in with a hatch

and this shelf design was the way the boat was orignally designed...

they just left the caviety between the deck and the tank void.

i gotta get weight outta the stern... thats the only way i can think of.....

 

[eastern27]

Re: Locating batteries in bow?

I agree with "Silvertip" the bow is just not a good place for batteries. To much bounce for the plates, to much voltage drop to the starter unless you want to spend big bucks on cable. I just bought 30ft of Anchor Marine tinned 6awg cable to run from my battery charger to my bank, about a $100. I also wonder, why would you have 500amps of dead short potential ,mounted under your fuel tanks. If you bounce those suckers out of their trays or if something else comes loose you'll have a dead and "flaming" short under your fuel tanks. Just my opinion.

 

[HONKER1]

Re: Locating batteries in bow?

I moved my utility battery to the front of my 18' Starcraft and added a onboard battery charger to maintain both batteries. It wasn't my 1st choice, but the weight of 2 batteries, 2 motors and my fat posterior was making the stern go under.
I am running all my utilities off the deep cell battery in the front and I left the starter battery in the back close to the 115hp so I wouldn't have to run large wires.
I was concerned about pounding in the front of the boat, so I added some battery balls to the battery case. Don't know if they will work, I will know more by the end of this boating season. If my experiment doesn't work I may have to go to a gel battery, but it is better then sinking.

 

[Boatist]

Re: Locating batteries in bow?

I would not put them in the bow either but one thing for sure if you are going to put in the bow they must be marine batteries and will cost much more than Auto batteries.

Is there someplace mid boat where you could put them?

Could you move other thing up front like ice chest, tackel boxes, tools, ect.?

 

[Grant Brown]

Re: Locating batteries in bow?

Ok so maybe I locate the fuel in the bow and keep the batteries in the stern.
I use portable 5 gallon tanks, what's the best way to set up the fuel line? How long can you go with a standard line and primer bulb? I don't want it in the passenger area getting under foot all the time.

 

[oops!]

Re: Locating batteries in bow?

grant i dont think you will have too much trouble with the long fuel line.....

thoes little primer bulbs have a lotta suck

 

[John_S]

Re: Locating batteries in bow?

Look at these pics: http://www.canadalake.org/Starcraftii.html May work if you have a similiar type hull.

 

[eastern27]

Re: Locating batteries in bow?

Ok so maybe I locate the fuel in the bow and keep the batteries in the stern.
I use portable 5 gallon tanks, what's the best way to set up the fuel line? How long can you go with a standard line and primer bulb? I don't want it in the passenger area getting under foot all the time.

You should be able to go as long as you need to. The fuel pump will pump once the line is primed. You could run the fuel line as in the pics or under the gunnel. The primer bulb can go where it's convienient. Think about a bigger poly tank. The only down side to the long fuel line is running it dry. It'll take more than a couple of pumps to prime a long one.

 

[Grant Brown]

Re: Locating batteries in bow?

Could I install a permanent poly tank in the bow and put a filler through the deck? Otherwise it would be a PITA to pull the tank out every time to fill it.

 

[cbavier]

Re: Locating batteries in bow?

Ok so maybe I locate the fuel in the bow and keep the batteries in the stern.
I use portable 5 gallon tanks, what's the best way to set up the fuel line? How long can you go with a standard line and primer bulb? I don't want it in the passenger area getting under foot all the time.

I ran the fuel line with that little primer bulb about 12 ft from the bow to the motor for about 13 years. Never had a problem. I also had a deep cycle battery about three feet back from Bow and never had a problem with that either. I had to do that on a 13 ft Aluminum Fishing boat with a 15 Hp Johnson so I could run wide open with me alone in the boat. The weight up front kept the Bow down.
When someone else was going along I just put the fuel tank in the back to give the second person feet & tackle Box room. Both the battery and Fuel tank were mounted on a home made wooden deck. The battery only ran Lights, Fish Finder and a trolling Motor.

 

[Grant Brown]

Re: Locating batteries in bow?

Nice boat Imported. I like a console style myself but the family likes to be dry and out of the wind.

Grant