Battery Placement ( 4 batteries )

[fishrdan]

Looking for some suggestions on where I should place 4 batteries in the boat I'm rebuilding, Crestliner SuperHawk 1800. In the pic I have battery locations marked in red and will be choosing 4 of the 5 locations (the bow casting deck is laid out different than pictured). Don't know if I should have 3 batteries in the stern or balance out the boat and have 2 in the bow? I have never run this boat and looking for suggestions, maybe someone who has a similar boat.

I need 2 batteries for a 24V trolling motor, 1 start battery and a house battery. The setup is going to wired so one of the trolling motor batteries will be combined with the house battery for additional power while night fishing. A battery switch will be connected to the start and house batteries something like this...

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Battery Placement ( 4 batteries )

i think you can get by with 3 batteries, unless you fish all night with lights on. i think you are going overkill. and a lot of weight. trolling bats to bow, engine bat in stern.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Battery Placement ( 4 batteries )

Your battery switch wiring leaves something to be desired as well. The jumper between the bottom battery and the one above it was added (I assume) to allow charging one of the troller batteries. Note that I said ONE of the troller batteries. The bottom battery will not be charged in the configuration you show. If you set the battery switch to BOTH while under way, the top three batteries will be placed in parallel and those three become series with the bottom battery. I didn't chase out the grounding but I would tend to agree with Tash. You have overkill and an unreasonable approach since the engine alternator does not likely have the output capacity to charge all four batteries anyway. You would need to run wide open for hours to put a full charge on just the two trollers (but the bottom one isn't anyway).

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Battery Placement ( 4 batteries )

unless you fish all night with lights on.

Yes, that's the reason for 2 house batteries, sitting dead in the water for 8+ hours with lights running, not just the anchor and interior lights, but fish attracting lights also.


Silvertip,
I don't have a problem with the bottom battery not charging since it lasts fine for 2-3 days. I had my old boat configured like this and it worked perfect for my uses, overkill for most, but not for my needs. The engine has a 105 amp alternator which does a nice job of charging the batteries.


I'm just wondering where to put the battery that is shared between the trolling motor and house circuit, 2nd up from the bottom. I'm kind of torn between the stern and bow, good points for each location in my eyes.

Looks like TD favors the bow, anyone else?