Battery advice

[Wrighty]

Howdo,
I've got a small 4m Humber assault RIB with a 55hp sizuki 2 stroke. She's been miss reated an sponson been badly repairs and a little TLC. Engine has been ran but I've ripped out all the electrical cables apart from the engine loom etc...

My main question (one of many over the months) is what battery do I buy to run the engine, trim/tilt and a good and radio. Pos nav lights if I decide to put them on.

Also as there only 1 lead the the battery + terminal, do I need a kit to be able to charge the battery when the engines running?
Regards
Steven

[jonp]

Marine battery's are built different from car batteries in a way they handle being bumped and banged better over rough conditions. They normally have a general 3 sizes unless you are getting into large deep cycle ones for running electric motore etc.

Personaly I use quite a small 12 volt marine battery for my Yam f 70 and carry a small lithium jumper pack just incase of failure. By the way I've never had a battery issue on any boat I've owned in 42years of owning boats ( I have once had a battery lead problem). Small outboards under 115hp can normally be pull started once the cover is removed from the flywheel.

As for running lights, these days by using led lights your power draw will be extremely low. You could even buy fully legal removable battery operated night lights that run on a couple of AA batteries for around 120hrs.

Most people will have their lights on at night while underway, with the engine running and the alternator putting power back into the battery.

[Last Tango]

Originally Posted by Wrighty

Howdo,

Also as there only 1 lead the the battery + terminal, do I need a kit to be able to charge the battery when the engines running?
Regards
Steven

The wiring and rectifier/regulator for charging is integrated within the engine so no external wiring is required for that.

You're best with a "leisure" type battery as it will survive being left flat much longer which is a possibility if something's been left switched on when you hap up the boat.

Never had any issues with these..

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LV22MF-75...rte5:rk:9:pf:0

[jeffstevens763@g]

get a dual cycle gel battery

[beamishken]

Engine will charge the battery via the same lead that starts it so no worties there
If your using it as mainly a start battery you can just use a fairly cheap small car battery. Something like this
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F301828607396

Pure Leisure batteries are not designed for starting loads. They are for light loads over long periods & starting will reduce there life however you can get dual purpose kinds of halfway house batteries now.

For your purpose you can have two perfectly adequate batteries for the price of 1 leisure battery
Whilst it may be argued the leisure battery will last longer i doubt it will last twice as long

[Last Tango]

Looks like the same battery, same price with a higher cold cranking capacity and being called a "marine leisure battery".....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MARINE-LE....c100505.m3226.

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by Last Tango

Looks like the same battery, same price with a higher cold cranking capacity and being called a "marine leisure battery".....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MARINE-LE....c100505.m3226.

[emoji106]good find and doesnt carry the usual "marine premium"