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So I am finalizing all my electrical work and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on placement of another battery, the current location is under the small seat next to galley of my . I was wondering since the area under there is so cramped when the battery is put into a battery box and will be secured should I slide the battery further under the galley? also I was planning on attaching the fuse panel and bus bar on the inside side of the galley seat and was wondering if that was a good idea. Thank you everyone again for the info you provide.

I have the bus bar, fuse panel and Perko switch on the aft side of the seat where you have the battery. My other batteries are on the settee in front of the galley. With the electric fridge I have two house batteries forward plus a starter battery in the original location.

I have two Group 24 batteries in there, and it's fine. Just a little snug getting them in and out, but I only do that every few years at most.

As to the panel, I would not put it on the aft-facing surface of that seat cavity. Stuff back there tends to slide around, and you can't see there without sticking your head in there anyway. I have my two-bank battery charger there, and I have to be careful about not letting cockpit cushions lay up against it when on shore power.

My battery disconnect is on the inboard surface under the seat, facing the interior of course, but the previous owner put it there. Would not have been my first choice of locations, as it's kinda ugly. That would be a good item for the aft facing surface, as you don't even need to see it to work it. My last boat had a 1/2/both/off switch deep inside a cockpit seat, in a corner. I couldn't see it and work it at the same time, since I had to reach my monkey arm way in there to turn it. But it was a Blue Sea type, with 90 degrees between each setting, so I would turn it one notch to the right for house batteries, or one to the left for the stand-by emergency starting battery (small diesel engine), but never 180 for both. Easy to know where you are by feel. Not so easy with the Perko my boat has now, and it takes a lot of hand effort on that small dial/knob. Just sayin'.

Most owners have the fuse or breaker panel in the space under the port winch. But you have to bring the feeder to the stern cavity, then up into the empty space under the cockpit seat forward to the panel.

Thank you guys for all the help. Another question stemming off of this is where do you have water storage? I know people use the collapsible tanks but I am not sure where to place the head water tank and galley one or if I should utilize a solid sided one I already own. I was worried about weight placement since the port side will have all the added weight of the batteries.

macowneril2015 wrote:Thank you guys for all the help. Another question stemming off of this is where do you have water storage? I know people use the collapsible tanks but I am not sure where to place the head water tank and galley one or if I should utilize a solid sided one I already own. I was worried about weight placement since the port side will have all the added weight of the batteries.

Good to be concerned. Mine has a 7 gallon plastic hard tank under the seat just forward of the galley. Lotta weight on that one side, and the boat lists to port. I can't move it because the PO put an external deck fill and vent in, and I don't want to make an even bigger mess by removing that stuff and having holes.

So I keep heavy stuff on the starboard side to counter it. Like my tool kit, milk crates of boat stuff (under the table), and the port-potti with pumpout capability and full water tank. Oh, and two spare anchors. Sits nice and level now.

7 gallons of water is only around 60 lb, and I keep it half full or less normally, unless it's a long trip. That's really not much weight, so it's easy to counter with other stuff.

This brings up a question I have been meaning to ask you guys for a long time:

Is salt water bad for batteries or wiring?

As to the panel, I would not put it on the aft-facing surface of that seat cavity. Stuff back there tends to slide around, and you can't see there without sticking your head in there anyway. I have my two-bank battery charger there, and I have to be careful about not letting cockpit cushions lay up against it when on shore power.

you are right Tom, I meant fuse bar. My main panel is under the port winch as you mentioned. The previous owner installed the stereo and another panel on the aft side of the galley. I added a battery monitor in that location which is handy as I can see it from the cockpit.

Galley water is a flexible tank under the forward dinette settee, this is not used for drinking. That storage area also has the water pump. The weight of the water, fridge and stern anchor on the starboard side helps to balance the weight of the batteries on the port side.

I have a 1997 26X. My battery compartment is under the forward seat of the table across from the galley (on the starboard side). Lot's of room for two good batteries and a Perko switch.

macowneril2015 wrote:So I am finalizing all my electrical work and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on placement of another battery, the current location is under the small seat next to galley of my . I was wondering since the area under there is so cramped when the battery is put into a battery box and will be secured should I slide the battery further under the galley? also I was planning on attaching the fuse panel and bus bar on the inside side of the galley seat and was wondering if that was a good idea. Thank you everyone again for the info you provide.

BOAT wrote:This brings up a question I have been meaning to ask you guys for a long time:

Is salt water bad for batteries or wiring?

Would it not b better to install a salt water aquarium app onto ur lap top instead of using ur cabin as a fish tank but I guess that allows u go skinny dipping & fishing @ the same time. Do ur little fish's glow in the dark ! ! !
J

When the big wave hits the boat where will the water come in? Where is the main opening on the boat where the salt water will come inside when your smashed by the wave?

BOAT wrote:When the big wave hits the boat where will the water come in? Where is the main opening on the boat where the salt water will come inside when your smashed by the wave?

Worse than the big wave you suggest, that may or may not happen, is the salt air environment and its potential long term affects on your wires / electronics.

In the thirteenth seasons with this boat, I've sailed in some gusty & wet weather - saltwater splashing in the cockpit - chart in a waterproof sleeve kinda of stuff and have not been concerned about my battery getting wet - because the companionway was already closed! If I had to consider changing the battery original location for a rouge wave, then I'm in the wrong kind of boat.

Are you worried about the one big wave were you sail?

If I ever added a 2nd battery, I'd put them both over the keel under the aft dinette seat, considering weight balance.

macowneril2015 wrote:Thank you guys for all the help. Another question stemming off of this is where do you have water storage? I know people use the collapsible tanks but I am not sure where to place the head water tank and galley one or if I should utilize a solid sided one I already own. I was worried about weight placement since the port side will have all the added weight of the batteries.

I have two of the blue cube water tanks, 5 or 6 gallons each, placed under the dinette table - to help counterbalance the heavier port side. These just refill a smaller 1.5 gallon jug in use on the galley.

It just seemed odd to me that the very place where water will come rushing into the boat is the companionway - and that is also right where they put the batteries on the M boat.

Thinks that make you go - huh?

So the wave breaks over the side or the stern (or even the bow, for that fact) and crashes down onto the boat and there is water and foam and everything is all wet and the water rushes into the open companionway right on top of the battery compartment. It only takes about an 8 foot wave (VERY common out here certain times of the year) to break and make the top of the boat all wet.

It's also where the water goes when the fire department extinguishes your house fire while your boat is in the basement...

I get your point. The PO or dealer mounted both of the batteries there, neither in a marine battery box. My perko is mounted low on the inside of the battery compartment - such that I have to pick my selection by feel. Lots of wiring very low in the boat and certainly subject to water entry if I leave the hatch open. Future projects everywhere I look.

And to your earlier question, salt water environment is rough on wiring connections. You can watch them corrode on the gulf. It takes a little longer on the bay, which is brackish. I'm talking about connections that are merely exposed to the salt atmosphere - not getting splashed.

I have an X and when I got a house battery, I moved the motor battery in the pedestal at the bottom.

I got the idea from here:

http://www.macgregor26x.com/forum/viewt ... =9&t=21756