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Post by optimystic on Sept 29, 2014 23:26:47 GMT
My owners manual for a SO 379 states directly to turn off the battery banks when leaving the boat. I always leave the bilge pump in automatic mode and if the batteries are switched off the electric panel goes dead and I can't tell if the bilge is in fact still active with shore power, or if the entire boat and all systems are "dead". This seems very dangerous to me. I can see turning off the starter battery to avoid someone using the cockpit starter but I don't know if the charger is still operating since the panel will not display the starter battery level if its switched off. Until I learn more I am leaving everything on, including the automatic bilge pump and starter battery. I'm keen to hear what other owners are doing about this situation as following the manuals guideline seems I'll advised.
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Post by Don Reaves on Sept 30, 2014 0:37:08 GMT
You can always activate the bilge pump manually by tilting up the float switch to see if it comes on. I agree with you, it's not a good idea to leave the boat unattended without having the bilge pump enabled.
When I leave my boat unattended, the battery charger and bilge pump are two circuits I always leave on.
Don
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Post by so40gtb on Sept 30, 2014 3:05:36 GMT
Boat in marina slip. Battery charger, bilge pump, and refrigerator ON. Starter battery also on charger. Everything else powered by 12V, OFF. Standard procedure since 2007, on SO34.2 and now SO40.
My new Xantrex inverter/charger developed a ground fault, so it is not enabled at the moment. Instead, the batteries are kept topped off and the bilge pump powered by the solar arrays temporarily installed this summer (permanent happens next spring). Fridge off and empty, though, just to be sure that there's juice for the bilge pump.
I should also note that this is with an "intelligent" charger. I believe that the standard charger supplied with the boats is not "dumb", though perhaps not as "smart" as some. If the charger is "stupid", merely a transformer and some diodes, then it's not a good idea to leave it on continuously, as the batteries are likely to be over-charged, lessening their life.
--Karl
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Post by Spritz on Sept 30, 2014 23:31:18 GMT
I realised the same situation, so I modified the electric system connecting the bilge directly to the batteries when is in "automatic".
so I leave the boat with everything off and disconnecting it from the 220v of the Marina.
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Post by hoppy on Oct 1, 2014 5:19:53 GMT
Now that I have 200w solar panels, I leave the house batteries switched on and the bilge pump on.
Before I fitted the solar panels, I did have a foldable 50w which I would sometimes mount and then leave the pump on.
I have never left the boat on shore power. Partly because the marina's I have stayed in have never had one outlet per boat (get annoyed when I am onboard and vacant boats prevent me from connecting)
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