Battery and Engine strategies at the floaters or overnight trips?

[Chris-Chris]

Battery and Engine strategies at the floaters or overnight trips?

Hey Guys

Reading about using a green light
Got me wondering…

I have twin F-150's and two 12 volt batteries with two switches.

How do you manage your power on overnight trips?

Do you keep one engine running at all times?

Do you keep one battery switch set to the off position - as a back-up?

Is one engine’s alternator able to keep the switched on battery charged - as well as supplying power for equipment - such as lights, live well pump and instruments?

Thanks

[bobbycocano]

take two more back ups. just in case.

[KG2]

i sail on a bristol 29 sometimes and whenever we take it out be it offshore or even in the bay we keep it on one battery instead of leaving it at both, just in case....but this is a little sailboat that uses virtually no power...

[Chuck]

Just take the small Honda 1000 gen set with the 12 v battery hook up option.
That little thing tied to the bow platform and a couple of gallons of gas and you are set for the night.

[wacker]

Really depends how your wired, You make drifts all night so we leave the motors run. On Franks triple OB we leave the center off but don't mess with switches at all. Really don't burn much fuel at iddle.

[bostonwhaler]

just bring a spare battery and put it next to the side but out of the way and wire straight to it that way you dont have to worry about messing with the batterys for the motor

[jjjansk]

We leave the battery switches lined up to (both), then we alternate between motors every hour to keep the run hours close. twin F-150s

[tbuckshot]

In all seriousness, if you are going to drift the floaters you must have someone on watch all night. If this is so, leaving AT LEAST one engine on all the time makes sense. Those aren't so loud that one of them is going to be a big distraction. It definitely won't run the fish off (compared to some of the really loud boats that I've been on out there).

[Hotrod]

Good question and alot of good info. Take spare batteries and maybe a jumper box and I guess your good. I thought I may have been the only one to do the run 1 motor for a while then alternate when offshore drifting a wreck. Thats a good idea to leave 1 on.

[Mont]

Everyone running a boat ought to have one of those jump starters that have the nicad batteries in them. It stays charged from the cirgarrette lighter. Mine has sucessfully started outboards up to 250 HP with no problems. It also has a light on it, which comes in handy when you need to rig it in the dark. An extra battery is also a great idea. I carry a completely sealed backup battery that is a direct replacement for the two already there. It's a royal pain to replace a battery at sea, but it sure beats being on the wrong end of a tow rope.