Extra Long Jumper Cables

[Grenne]

Has anyone heard of jumper cables long enough to jump the boat from the truck while still on the ramp? In my case, I would need a 45' cable... any chance a cable that long would pull the necessary juice to turn over a big block? I'm storing the boat at the lake this season and don't have the ability to plug in to shore power. Suggestions? Don't have the ability to pull the batteries each trip nor can I find one of those portable units that I feel comfortable with...

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Extra Long Jumper Cables

get a heavy duty extention cord for a charger. jumper cable large enough you could not pick up.

 

[arks]

Re: Extra Long Jumper Cables

Years ago I had to jump my boat from the ramp and it wasn't fun. The truck had to be driven INTO THE WATER up to the front bumper, and even then the cables were barely long enough.
I now use a portable jump box. MUCH easier!

 

[5150abf]

Re: Extra Long Jumper Cables

Why are the batteries always dead?
Are the batteries bad or is the boat draining them?

 

[Boatist]

Re: Extra Long Jumper Cables

I have a set of 2 gauge 25 foot cables I carry in my truck and they work very well.

I would worry that if the battery is so dead that you have to jump it to start then it might leave you high and dead on the water. If batteries are left discharged even for a short time it does lots of damage to the batteries. People who do not charge the batteries fully before leaving the boat until the next trip will always have batteries troubles and have to replace batteries offten.

A option that may work for you is to charge from your truck while towing. I set this up for my boat because of a dumb mistake I made one time. Where before the first trip of the season I started the main motor on muff at home before heading down the road 2 hours to launch in the San Francisco bay area. Problem was I left the key on and when I got there the motor would not turn over. So launched the boat and pulled the truck down the ramp to the water edge and use my 25 foot jumper cables. It started right up and I left off to the side with the wife onboard and parked the truck.

Since that time I ran 2 8 guage wires from my alternator thru a 30 amp circuit breaker back to the trailer plug. Wired the trailer up to another plug on the winch stand. Installed a Pulg on the bow of the boat and used a 10 guage extension cord to take 12 volts back to my battery isolator so I can charge both batteries. I admit I do not use this very often but I never leave my batteries discharged so when we fish at anchor all day and to about midnight for Sturgeon with all the lights on I hook up the cord before heading home and it will charge from my trucks 65 amp alternator at up to 25 amps. When we get home it not fully charged but has replace a large bulk of the charge and I can finish by hooking up my battery charger to the same plug on the bow without taking the cover off and climing in the boat. Since it is easy I charge offten.

 

[jollymon]

Re: Extra Long Jumper Cables

I am not sure why you do not like the Jumper Boxes, they work great. I have even jump a diesel crane with one. I would get a Jump Box, but I would also look into getting a small solar charger for your boat. Leave it hooked up while you are gone, probably would solve all of your problems.

 

[guy74]

Re: Extra Long Jumper Cables

get a heavy duty extention cord for a charger. jumper cable large enough you could not pick up.

I have a set of 000 gauge jumper cables that are 65ft long, like TD says they are very heavy. I have found no substitute for jumper cables when dealing with heavy equipment, and the equipment is never parked where it's easy to get to. I think on a boat you would be better offf with a portable jumper box, it should do the job and would be alot easier to use. BTW cables like the ones I made cost over $200 in materials to make, and that was 10 years ago.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Extra Long Jumper Cables

Back when I was buying and selling cars and I had to be able to jump start a car from the rear of the car(no side access), I made my own jumper cables from 0 gauge welding cable and very high quality clamps.

 

[Grenne]

Re: Extra Long Jumper Cables

Thanks for the feedback... We've always left the boat plugged-in however this year we are too far from power... I guess I'm just dreading the possiblity of hearing the Click-Click-Click when the wife is trying to start it on a busy ramp. Ruins a day pretty quickly...especially if it's 115 degrees!

I found some high-power portable units called Jump-n-carry that look like they pack quite a punch...
http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/shop/KK-JNCXF.html
Looks like I've found a place to invest my gift from George W...!

 

[JCF350]

Re: Extra Long Jumper Cables

Don't see the point in getting a 770 amp jump box that still only has 4ga wire and, what? 200 amp clamps (if that)?

Find yourself one of these http://www.batterymart.com/p-solar-booster-pac-es2500-jump-starter.html
and save some dough and it won't let you down.