Dry Dock/No Power Charging Options Between Daytrips

Smesh · 25 October 2015, 20:20

I am installing a fishfinder with GPS on my Avon. I used to have this mounted in my Achilles and used a pelican case with a small 12v AGM UB12100-S battery in it. These are sold as kits for people to use on their fishing kayaks. The pelican case has a charging cable through the side and when done for the day I would just unplug the pelican case and bring it home and charger it there. Only issue is the battery doesn't last very long. Maybe 4-6 hours. Since I have all that room under my jockey seat, I'd like to put a full size battery under there. That way I would have more than enough to run the FF/GPS and maybe even be able to charge my phone, handheld VHF or run a small bait tank for example.

Only issue is that I keep my RIB in a dry dock in San Pedro and they lift it in and out of the water onto my trailer as I use it, then they put the whole rig back into my stall. I haveaccessto water, but the power is about 100 meters away, and across the lane way. I can't plug in a cord and leave the boat there connected to a charger/maintainer to top it up for the next day. I use my boat a lot and I don't want to be hauling that battery back and forth to my tiny studio apartment.

I'm thinking of running a solar charger of some sort, but it would have to be something I plug in and just leave on the boat while parked, then remove while out on the water, or if it's some kind of roll up, and I got it he islands, I guess I could put it in a dry bag. Anyone have any suggestions? The other concern is sometimes I do have several day breaks where I don't use my boat, and don't want to overcharge either on those rare cases where I am not using the boat for extended periods, although I guess I can always run down and remove it if I know in advance it will be sitting a while.

ShinyShoe · 25 October 2015, 20:51

Why not charge off the engine?

Solar charge controller would sort the over charge concern

Poly · 25 October 2015, 21:33

Even in california you might struggle to charge a full size battery from a solar panel, unless it is very large (expensive) and feeds the battery via controller (more money) and has no shadow on it at all.

Smesh · 25 October 2015, 22:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

Why not charge off the engine?

Solar charge controller would sort the over charge concern

It's 30HP manual start Mariner so no charging ability that I'm aware of.

Smesh · 25 October 2015, 22:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poly

Even in california you might struggle to charge a full size battery from a solar panel, unless it is very large (expensive) and feeds the battery via controller (more money) and has no shadow on it at all.

I was afraid that was going to the answer. It's outside in full sun but that might now work I guess. Maybe I'll see if I can get a stall closer to a plug.

jeffstevens763@g · 26 October 2015, 09:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smesh

It's 30HP manual start Mariner so no charging ability that I'm aware of.

i would look into the charging smesh i have a Suzuki 25 and bought a charging kit cost £106.00 its basically a rectifier & fused wiring loom i got full instructions with it took 20 mins to fit.i use an 8 AH motor cycle battery works well i took a lead off to a cigar lighter to use for charging other kit too

cheers

ShinyShoe · 26 October 2015, 12:58

For that size of engine it would not be impossible that it has a "lighting" coil that just needs connected. You don't by any chance have to wires coming from under the flywheel area that have dead end crimps on them?

I keep a 100Ah caravan battery topped up with a 20W solar panel. After two days use (mostly LED lights, but LCD TV for a few hours etc, USB phone/tablet chargers) the battery can be dipping down a fair bit. 2 weeks later it'll be full charged again.

So it depends what size of battery, what size solar panel and how long between visits to let it recharge. You'll probably only take it to 40-60% of stated capacity so in my case I need to put 60AmpH back in. 20W panel at 12V is capable of producing 1.5+ AmpH. But that assumes good sun etc. In daylight without sun you can get 25-40% of output still if the angle is right. I assume I'm getting 0.5AmpH from the panel. So thats 120hours of charging to get me back to charge. I usually have 12 days frfom running down to returning so thats 10 hours of daylight. That seems to work OK for me so I think my assumptions are OK.

If your battery is smaller you'd have less charging time. If your panel is bigger you'd have less charging time. GPS will draw < 1Amp, FF the same. USB charger the same. VHF I think similar. No idea about your bait tank!

If you are doing some weekend boating and parking up for the following weekend you just need to add the amps together, multiply by number of hours you are operating the kit before returning to base. (If charging phones etc combine the same overnight figure with your total). Now divide that figure by 0.4. That tells you the capacity battery you need.

Then you need to work out the likely number of hours of daylight between parking up and needing the battery to be fully charged again. Take the figure you divided by 0.4 and divide it by the daylight hours between charges. Thats the number of Amps you need per hour from your panel. In my experience you get 0.025Amps per watt, so multiply your Amps per hour by 0.025 - that gives you your solar panel size in watts.

You need a charge controller as Poly says but only cost ~£10 on fleabay. If there is a lighting circuit (you'll need a rectifier probably) and you should probably fit one anyway if you are charging a battery from it or running electronics that may not like a spike of 25V being chucked at them when you accelerate!

That will give you a cost to compare to retro fitting a a lighting circuit.

Of course you can then get into having a small panel on an A frame, a lighting circuit a battery and a big panel and working out what the requirements of each would be to keep you at a critical level of power...

Smesh · 02 November 2015, 20:58

Thanks for all the info Shiny Shoe. Right now I'm using a small 12v AGM battery inside a pelican case kind of like this, although simpler.

https://youtu.be/d1cKStvnuTM

I'm planning to mount a full size deep cycle battery under the seat and run it to a Blue Sea fuse box under the console. While we're at it, anyone have any mounting ideas for the battery? I understand there are some concerns about drilling through the deck? Is that true? Any other ideas besides drilling holes?

Smesh · 26 November 2015, 05:11

Sorry to dig up an old thread here, but I'm just addressing this now. I don't have any wiring looms in my motor, but I see that something called a rectifier is still available for purchase. Would this charge my battery while the motor is running?

1986 Mariner Outboard 7030226 ELECTRIC START COMPONENTS Diagram and Parts

Smesh · 26 November 2015, 05:15

Here's another "rectifier assembly" listed under "Optional Parts" that's a bit more money. I'm not sure what the difference is between it and the link above.

1986 Mariner Outboard 7030226 OPTIONAL PARTS Diagram and Parts

Do I need the voltage regulator too? Ugh $347!

Poly · 26 November 2015, 08:46

Are there connections on the engine to attach the rectifier (and regulator too?)...

jeffstevens763@g · 26 November 2015, 14:13

have a look on the rectifier for a red take off +ve -ve back to ground on the engine block if you have, put a multimeter across when engine is running you should get around 14 v dc you will need a 20 amp fuse in the +ve side for protection if no take off you need a second rectifier i suspect get in touch with mariner they will advise. suzuki sorted me out.
d rays shop on youtube gives a lot of advice might be worth looking into

cheers

Smesh · 26 November 2015, 17:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poly

Are there connections on the engine to attach the rectifier (and regulator too?)...

Not sure. I'll be at the boat today and will check the engine. I don't recall anything obvious. No wire looms or anything hanging ready for an install that I recall. The motor has these optional parts listed though and they are still available. Several on eBay too at much lower prices. I can get a straight rectifier new for $50, but I have no idea where I would wire it to. I understand the ground , but not sure where it gets its incoming power from. I don't have a starter or alternator, but there must be something generating the power for the spark plugs so...

jeffstevens763@g · 26 November 2015, 18:07

On mine the flywheel has two coils one for the ECM and one for the charging circuit so the connectors are all there, on the lower hp engines you have to change the flywheel so sold as a kit the only joint is for the cable to the the battery. in short my 25 manual has everything the same as the electric start except for the starter motor and charging rectifier.best would be to get a manual of your year engine and look at the charging circuit to determine what you need before you start spending $

Smesh · 26 November 2015, 18:40

When I look at the schematics, it appears that the motor (1986 Mariner 30ML) has the option for electric start, and the only things needed to add it according to the specs, are the starter solenoid, voltage regulator, neutral start switch and the rectifier. There is no option for a different flywheel, so I must have the wiring to attach to. Would I need the voltage regulator as well, or just the rectifier?

Smesh · 26 November 2015, 19:18

Oh, and my motor has a lighting coil, whatever that is...

jeffstevens763@g · 26 November 2015, 19:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smesh

Oh, and my motor has a lighting coil, whatever that is...

Lighting coil would be charging coil I suspect (terminology ) so I would say you just buy the changing kit from mariner.
I will say that it took me four weeks to get the right kit due to sales at Suzuki uk aren't all technical so your in a que till the one man who knows gets to you.on my engine there was blanked off connectors with dummies in.

Cheers

jeffstevens763@g · 26 November 2015, 19:48

Google 30hp mariner charging kit, Look on forums.iboats.com mariner outboards all info there quick read says two yellow wires coming from under the flywheel ,charging kits etc.

Good luck smesh
Looks like you need lighting coil and rectifier $200 ish in 2009

Poly · 26 November 2015, 20:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smesh

Oh, and my motor has a lighting coil, whatever that is...

OK we have progress! If you have a lighting coil this is (typically) an a.c. unregulated supply - light bulbs work fine with AC and just get brighter with more volts.

You can't charge a battery direct from AC though - so you need to rectify the signal to DC. If you just rectify it you will find that the voltage will still vary significantly with revs, and likely the volts at full throttle will be higher than you should be charging a battery with. I have heard of people just putting it into a really big battery because the load is so high the effect is minimal, but the correct way is to regulate the voltage (with a regulator!). Sometimes the rectifier and regulator are a combined unit.

Marine regulators and rectifiers like many things boaty are price inflated. They MIGHT be more water proof. They are usually intended to fit somewhere neatly inside the engine cover. If you know what you are doing with voltages and currents you can usually find a motorbike (or similar) reg/rect which will do the same job and can be appropriately boxed to keep it dry and fitted near the battery. You should be aware the regulator can get hot in use.

jeffstevens763@g · 27 November 2015, 08:49

smesh

this might help [not same engine but gives an idea], you will see its for an elecrtic start model, on the manual start the second rectifier is not present for charging so a kit is needed [rectifier, wiring loom, fuse & bracket to hold onto engine], voltage will be regulated within the rectifier in this case its housed within a finned heat sink.

hope that helps cheers