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Herschel wrote:Very nice. I take it that your anchor rode is all chain? If so, what is the length? If you get bored and run out of mods to do, you can come spend some to the winter in Florida and help me out with my '98 X!

Thanks. Boat came with 25' of chain and 50' of rope and a nice aluminum Danforth. Maybe we do a trade off...fancy mods for sailing lessons. Actually I do make it
down to Florida occasionally. A CDN friend keeps his 43' ketch off of Watson Island in Miami. I've gone down to hang with him a couple times now and caught up with him a few years ago
while he was in the Bahamas. Summers are so damn short here...and I won't be retiring for a couple more years so yeah Florida is very appealing. That's a long way to trailer my

First I need to get my sails out of their bags which hasn't happened yet. But I'm getting there.

mac n cheese wrote:

Herschel wrote:Very nice. I take it that your anchor rode is all chain? If so, what is the length? If you get bored and run out of mods to do, you can come spend some to the winter in Florida and help me out with my '98 X!

Thanks. Boat came with 25' of chain and 50' of rope and a nice aluminum Danforth. Maybe we do a trade off...fancy mods for sailing lessons. Actually I do make it
down to Florida occasionally. A CDN friend keeps his 43' ketch off of Watson Island in Miami. I've gone down to hang with him a couple times now and caught up with him a few years ago
while he was in the Bahamas. Summers are so damn short here...and I won't be retiring for a couple more years so yeah Florida is very appealing. That's a long way to trailer my

First I need to get my sails out of their bags which hasn't happened yet. But I'm getting there.

Great! I keep my boat in a slip on Lake Monroe in Sanford, Florida. It is a roughly round lake 5 miles in diameter and one of about 8 good sized lakes on the St. Johns River system that runs from near Melbourne in Central Florida all the way north to Jacksonville and out to the Atlantic. A good system for both sailing and motoring. Fall, winter, and spring are my favorite times to sail because of the almost daily summer storms. Actually, my PO was a very handy fellow who put in a lot of mods and added a lot of gear that I have found very nice. No fancy galley, but a full enclosure with Bimini and dodger, dual batteries, dual 9 gallon fresh water tanks, electric head with 13 gallon holding tank, a 110 shore power service, and additional 12-volt electric panel. I have added a battery charger, jack plate for for new 50 hp HT Yamaha, reupholstered V-berth, and a new mainsail. Would love to sail with you. I am a U.S. Sailing certified instructor and love to share my love of the sport.

Herschel wrote:

mac n cheese wrote:

Herschel wrote:Very nice. I take it that your anchor rode is all chain? If so, what is the length? If you get bored and run out of mods to do, you can come spend some to the winter in Florida and help me out with my '98 X!

Thanks. Boat came with 25' of chain and 50' of rope and a nice aluminum Danforth. Maybe we do a trade off...fancy mods for sailing lessons. Actually I do make it
down to Florida occasionally. A CDN friend keeps his 43' ketch off of Watson Island in Miami. I've gone down to hang with him a couple times now and caught up with him a few years ago
while he was in the Bahamas. Summers are so damn short here...and I won't be retiring for a couple more years so yeah Florida is very appealing. That's a long way to trailer my

First I need to get my sails out of their bags which hasn't happened yet. But I'm getting there.

Great! I keep my boat in a slip on Lake Monroe in Sanford, Florida. It is a roughly round lake 5 miles in diameter and one of about 8 good sized lakes on the St. Johns River system that runs from near Melbourne in Central Florida all the way north to Jacksonville and out to the Atlantic. A good system for both sailing and motoring. Fall, winter, and spring are my favorite times to sail because of the almost daily summer storms. Actually, my PO was a very handy fellow who put in a lot of mods and added a lot of gear that I have found very nice. No fancy galley, but a full enclosure with Bimini and dodger, dual batteries, dual 9 gallon fresh water tanks, electric head with 13 gallon holding tank, a 110 shore power service, and additional 12-volt electric panel. I have added a battery charger, jack plate for for new 50 hp HT Yamaha, reupholstered V-berth, and a new mainsail. Would love to sail with you. I am a U.S. Sailing certified instructor and love to share my love of the sport.

Thanks for your invitation! That's very kind you. I see you have some nice mods already on your Mac. It seems I can't retire soon enough and I will definitely PM you should I plan
to come down your way. Your lucky to have your boat so close to the St Johns River system. Nothing like being on a lazy peaceful river...on any type of boat.

Look for me this winter. Can I use your sofa?

Herschel wrote:Great! I keep my boat in a slip on Lake Monroe in Sanford, Florida. It is a roughly round lake 5 miles in diameter and one of about 8 good sized lakes on the St. Johns River system that runs from near Melbourne in Central Florida all the way north to Jacksonville and out to the Atlantic. A good system for both sailing and motoring. Fall, winter, and spring are my favorite times to sail because of the almost daily summer storms. Actually, my PO was a very handy fellow who put in a lot of mods and added a lot of gear that I have found very nice. No fancy galley, but a full enclosure with Bimini and dodger, dual batteries, dual 9 gallon fresh water tanks, electric head with 13 gallon holding tank, a 110 shore power service, and additional 12-volt electric panel. I have added a battery charger, jack plate for for new 50 hp HT Yamaha, reupholstered V-berth, and a new mainsail. Would love to sail with you. I am a U.S. Sailing certified instructor and love to share my love of the sport.

dlandersson wrote:Look for me this winter. Can I use your sofa?

Herschel wrote:Great! I keep my boat in a slip on Lake Monroe in Sanford, Florida. It is a roughly round lake 5 miles in diameter and one of about 8 good sized lakes on the St. Johns River system that runs from near Melbourne in Central Florida all the way north to Jacksonville and out to the Atlantic. A good system for both sailing and motoring. Fall, winter, and spring are my favorite times to sail because of the almost daily summer storms. Actually, my PO was a very handy fellow who put in a lot of mods and added a lot of gear that I have found very nice. No fancy galley, but a full enclosure with Bimini and dodger, dual batteries, dual 9 gallon fresh water tanks, electric head with 13 gallon holding tank, a 110 shore power service, and additional 12-volt electric panel. I have added a battery charger, jack plate for for new 50 hp HT Yamaha, reupholstered V-berth, and a new mainsail. Would love to sail with you. I am a U.S. Sailing certified instructor and love to share my love of the sport.

How about my V-berth?

Securing batteries is important. My buddies were loose and the bottom of battery cracked.
I haven't checked how speed boats are secured but think a rubber pad for shock absorption is not a bad idea too.

Snowdancer wrote:Securing batteries is important. My buddies were loose and the bottom of battery cracked.
I haven't checked how speed boats are secured but think a rubber pad for shock absorption is not a bad idea too.

Even though the internal plates and outer plastic housing tend to be thicker on marine batteries compared to lets say an automotive battery
they still aren't impervious to vibration. So yes, anything that can be done to reduce vibration can only benefit. Obviously the closer they
are to the stern will reduce bounce.
Where I installed mine (pair of group 24) was a challenge because of the hull curvature. I suppose one could devise any number of
ways using a rubber shock mount fitted to the battery tray. The right amount of cushion is just as important keeping everything rigid as too much could
defeat the whole purpose.

Following cut n' pasted from the web...the part about millions of dollars needlessly spent might be an exaggeration. Bottom line is to use a marine
battery that are designed specifically to meet the needs of a modern boat.


Independent industry studies prove that the most common cause for battery failure is vibration and mechanical shock. Each year millions of dollars are needlessly spent on replacement batteries because consumers unwittingly mount their batteries on hard surfaces that do not absorb the jarring effects of daily use, often leading to sudden and premature failure of the battery. Vibration causes active plate material to loosen and fall to the bottom of the battery case and can break inter-cell welds and grids. Loss of material decreases the life of the battery and could also cause shorts.

Simply put, battery life is cut far short simply by vibration and mechanical shock.

Durability: Some battery designs are simply more durable than others are. They are more forgiving in abusive conditions, i.e.; they are less susceptible to vibration and shock damage