Help me understand how to use my boat :/

T

TheSTRdude

Member
Feb 3, 2022
59
Boat Info
1995 Sundancer 330
Engines
twin 7.4L mercs w/ V-drives
Alright - little background. We previously had a 26' Bayliner Ciera. Single engine, two batteries, no generator. It was basic - wasn't much that needed explanation. Never had any charging issues or the like. I knew the microwave, refrigerator, and outlets only worked on shore power. When on the hook listening to the stereo, we'd switch the battery switch to one battery, preserving the other for starting.

Enter our new baby - a 1995 330DA. We love it. Nice and spacious with all the amenities we wanted.

Buuuttt... how do we use it? How do we monitor battery power? When do we start the generator?

Seriously... gotta start somewhere. I need some guidance. Explain it to me like you're explaining it to your wife :)
 
Many times I start the genset at the slip and let it run till I go on the hook. How old are the batteries and do you have three or two?

Fridge should be both 12/110 us the 12v while underway then switch it to the house while the genset runs.
 
What is the generator charging? Does it have to run for certain things to run when off shore power? Like HVAC?

do you ever have to use battery switches to preserve power? Is there any way to monitor your power?
 
So I start the generator before I leave the dock and don't shut it off until I get back or to another dock for the night. Sometimes that means days with the genset running. The battery charger is always on so the batteries are always fully charged. You may not want to run that way but that's how I have always run, even with my 34.

If you don't want to do that, then you need to setup a house battery and isolate your engine batteries from everything else.
 
Dude, you have come to the right place to get your questions answered. I had two different 95 330's but it's been 12 years but maybe I can help you.

IIRC there are three ways to charge your batteries-#1 would be when you are at the dock on shorepower. #2 would be when you are running and the engines are charging them and #3 is when the genset is running and charging them.

So when you take off from the dock they should be fully charged and you are cruising they are still getting charged. Now, when you stop and drop the hook you are using your batteries. So if you are going to be on the hook for a long time a (days) make sure you run the genny any time you use appliance that has a heavy current draw, like a heater, microwave, etc.

If you have A/C on the boat make sure you have the genny running any time the A/C is on.

That kind of empties this old brain about the knowledge you are looking for but hang around and there will be a lot of others who are a LOT smarter than I am who jump in.

Oh, and welcome to CSR.
 
SkyBolt's advice about running your generator non-stop is fine for Diesels. Your 330 has a gas generator, and gas generators produce carbon monoxide. Running the genny during the day is totally fine as everyone is up and moving and hopefully would notice the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning setting in. No way would I go to sleep on the hook with a gas generator running. I'd be trusting my life to a carbon monoxide detector.
 
Any time you want to run away from the dock a high powered appliance such as AC and microwave (coffee maker, stove, etc) you’ll need the generator going. Everything else can use battery power.

As for battery monitoring, I don’t think that model offered that option. So it would be something you’ll need to add.

And as others have said, you’ll want to run the generator regularly. Good luck.
 
You will need to run your gen away from shore power for anything that uses 120v-microwave, AC, hot water heater, battery charger, etc. Don’t know where you are, but I live in the south where the summers are hot and humid. I ran a 260DA with the gen running in the summer from the time we left the dock, until we got back-all night, every night. I had good CO detectors and also used 2 more versions from HD and never an issue. We let the boat swing with the wind on the hook and never a problem. Now we have diesels so not an issue.

Bennett
 
Thanks for the replies - this is all useful.

If I’m on the hook and have the stereo going, what batteries is it drawing power from? Do those batteries effect starting?
 
LTD.330 said:
SkyBolt's advice about running your generator non-stop is fine for Diesels. Your 330 has a gas generator, and gas generators produce carbon monoxide. Running the genny during the day is totally fine as everyone is up and moving and hopefully would notice the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning setting in. No way would I go to sleep on the hook with a gas generator running. I'd be trusting my life to a carbon monoxide detector.
Click to expand...

Yep, much easier to do with a diesel. But with gas running all day long and turn of at bedtime, that said I know plenty of people that do run all night long for the AC. Personally gas generators running when I am not awake scare the crap out of me. Not because of CO, but because of fire.
 
TheSTRdude said:
Thanks for the replies - this is all useful.

If I’m on the hook and have the stereo going, what batteries is it drawing power from? Do those batteries effect starting?
Click to expand...
Most likely yes. Searay typically runs one motor and the cabin DC off of one bank and the other motor and cockpit DC off the other bank. You can figure out which side your radio is on by turning the radio on and turning off the port and then starboard battery solenoids.

You should have an emergency start switch at your helm that jumps both battery banks together. If you do kill one bank you can jump start the motor with the other bank.
 
In a diesel powered boat I agree to turn it on when you unplug and turn it off when you return to plug in. In a gasser I would only run it when I needed to power up a certain appliance, air conditioner or top of the batteries. You will learn how long and with what on you can go before charging. Make sure you have replaced your old co2 detectors with new version.
 
@TheSTRdude - In my opinion, you hit on the biggest issue on our SR boats; there is no way to understand where the batteries are on charge. The OEM voltage gauges are pretty much for entertainment only. It's interesting because the batteries are just about the most important electrical device on the boat.... So, we know that any 12-volt flooded lead acid battery that is discharged below 10.5 volts is irreparably damaged; some say you can bring it back, but it is forever damaged and a ticking time bomb to fail. To maintain engine starting margin then we never want to take a battery below 11.0 volts in its resting state. The question is then how much power do I have from 12.5 volts to 11.0 volts? For that you need to know the Amp Hour rating of the battery. Let's say you have a FLA battery rated at 100 AH; at 10.7 volts fully discharged you have used 50% of the AH which is 50 AH. In reality therefore you really have about 35 AH to use to maintain the engine starting margin. If you have two 100 AH batteries in parallel then you have 70 AH to use.... Now to understand the demand from all of the boat's devices - Let's say you are operating the stereo and amplifiers on the batteries and you know that at the volume level that you are consuming 15 amps. The math then says that you have 35AH/15A = 2.3 H of stereo use until you should consider recharging the battery. SR boats are power hogs and the bigger the boat the bigger the hog.
Here is the bigger issue - recharging. Let's say your engine alternators can charge at 50 amps so most think I only need to run the engine for an hour and the battery is fully charged. In actuality the alternator does bulk charging to a point then reduces current to do what is called the absorption phase. The absorption phase is that last five or ten percent of the battery charge and for a 100 AH rated battery can take two to three hours. The absorption phase is important to complete (bring the battery to "float") because if it isn't done routinely the battery takes a memory at a lower charge level and will never regain its full potential.
To help in understanding battery health many of us install a shunt based battery monitor like what Victron offers.
So at this point I suggest you replace / add CO monitors throughout the boat and run your generator whenever away from the dock and you are demanding battery use. Like @SKybolt the generator on my boat runs pretty much 24/7 away from shorepower. Refrigerators, radios, stereo, lighting, heck, even flushing the toilets takes battery power....
Lastly, there is no need to turn off charging sources; they can all operate in parallel, it won't hurt anything.
Sorry about the long diatribe but there you have it.
 
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I spent the money, bought 4 new group 31 AGM dual purpose batteries last spring. My 380 has a cockpit fridge and an apt size fridge n the salon.

I run my stereo at a reasonable level all day, not crazy loud, but it does sound good….

I typically run my genny for a couple hours before bed to run the AC and charge the batteries a little, do it again about 6am to make coffee for my wife, use the microwave if needed and charge the batteries again…. That seems to keep me out of problems from low batteries
 
To take what @ttmott and @Chris-380 have stated, if you disconnect the "house" systems from the engine starting battery(s) and add a separate house only battery to the mix, that battery could be a more suited type for it use and then install a battery status monitor, like a Victron, would allow you know exactly what is going on and also allow you to limit the generator running. There are also a couple of threads here about just this. @dtfeld has one going on about LiFoPO4 batteries for just this purpose.

On my 34 I had a dedicated 8D to the house. I had also converted everything to operate on 12v. Everything except the coffee maker and the AC. I ran the generator ~4-6 hours in the mid day to recharge everything and cool the boat down. Now I can't be bothered with all of that and just keep the generator running.
 
I bought a 175w flexible solar panel from Renogy with a Victron controller. I installed a plug for the panel in the radar arch next to the port speaker in the arch and the wiring goes internal down to the engine room where it is routed to the house batteries.

https://www.renogy.com/175-watt-12-...MIisrVypnS9gIVBRTUAR0ZaQIvEAAYASAAEgLnzvD_BwE

https://www.solar-electric.com/vict...MIj9bB3pnS9gIV8BvUAR2omQzpEAAYAiAAEgLdWvD_BwE

https://powerwerx.com/anderson-sb50-panel-chassis-mount

https://powerwerx.com/rigid-plug-cap-lanyard-sb50

After anchoring, I place the panel on top of the bimini top (its thin and flexible) and plug it in. You cant even see it except for a few wires.

When on the hook for hours with my Isotherm fridge running and stereo on (amplifiers too), the panel not only keeps up with the draw, it is putting a charge in the battery.

Cheap, quiet, no fumes....if I need to stove, A/C, microwave etc I crank the GenSet.
 
I bought a 175w flexible solar panel from Renogy with a Victron controller. I installed a plug for the panel in the radar arch next to the port speaker in the arch and the wiring goes internal down to the engine room where it is routed to the house batteries.

https://www.renogy.com/175-watt-12-...MIisrVypnS9gIVBRTUAR0ZaQIvEAAYASAAEgLnzvD_BwE

https://www.solar-electric.com/vict...MIj9bB3pnS9gIV8BvUAR2omQzpEAAYAiAAEgLdWvD_BwE

https://powerwerx.com/anderson-sb50-panel-chassis-mount

https://powerwerx.com/rigid-plug-cap-lanyard-sb50

After anchoring, I place the panel on top of the bimini top (its thin and flexible) and plug it in. You cant even see it except for a few wires.

When on the hook for hours with my Isotherm fridge running and stereo on (amplifiers too), the panel not only keeps up with the draw, it is putting a charge in the battery.

Cheap, quiet, no fumes....if I need to stove, A/C, microwave etc I crank the GenSet.
 
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