pegz Posted January 5, 2021 Share Posted January 5, 2021 4.1.2021 Hi all I decided to take the boat out for nice fishing session with my daughter. The morning was looking good with the rain clearing I hooked up the car and started for the ramp. Got into the queue for the ramp whilst waiting prepped the boat for lunch, waiting in the queue watching launching and having a laugh (you see some funny things at ramps). Eventually it was my turn all went smoothly and tied up to the wharf. Then the trouble started, turned the battery on lowered the motor and went to start and it just clicked, dam battery was flat. So no trouble switched to second battery and click click flat battery. Got a battery bank from daughter’s car and nothing it wouldn’t start it either. So a trip back home (lucky only live 5 mins away from ramp) picked up the jumper leads and headed back. Took out the battery from car and jump started the boat yah it worked. Put the battery back in car then headed out. Powered around the lake for about an hour gave the daughter a go. Then decided to start fishing, went to the drop off (Lake Illawarra) and decided not to turn off the motor to charge up the batteries, after about 4 hours of drifting and moving around to other spots the tally grew 17 for me 7 for the daughter (first time actually fishing) all C & R with motor running all the time. Decided to call it a day with a storm approaching. Back to the ramp joined the queue again eventually retrieving and heading home. Pulled up at home and started to wash down the boat and flush the motor, and it did it again the dreaded clicking sound the battery didn’t charge up ((glad it didn’t switch it off when fishing). Thought it may have been the way it was connected to the new motor. So another jump start and flushed it out. Put the boat away and connected the chargers up to the batteries just before the storm hit. Next day checked out the battery issues, went to start the motor and click, charging didn’t work so out with the batteries and off to an Auto sparky main cranking battery stuffed normally 720 cranking amps had only 400, spare battery was ok fully charged 720 amp had 780 (good repco battery) so the hip pocket lighter headed home and installed, checked wiring seems ok motor starts, turned off switched to second battery motor starts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big Neil Posted January 5, 2021 Share Posted January 5, 2021 You were very lucky pegz. You and your daughter could have been stranded for a while. No doubt something good will come from your experience, at least you both got among the fish AND got home without too much concern. bn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masterfisho7 Posted January 5, 2021 Share Posted January 5, 2021 Have to agree with Neil - Pegz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Posted January 5, 2021 Share Posted January 5, 2021 Great story of owning a boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shakey55 Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 (edited) On 1/5/2021 at 10:56 PM, pegz said: 4.1.2021 Hi all Eventually it was my turn all went smoothly and tied up to the wharf. Then the trouble started, turned the battery on lowered the motor and went to start and it just clicked, dam battery was flat. So no trouble switched to second battery and click click flat battery. . Just one question, do you know why the second battery (good condition) wouldn’t start the motor? Edited January 10, 2021 by shakey55 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegz Posted January 10, 2021 Author Share Posted January 10, 2021 4 hours ago, shakey55 said: Just one question, do you know why the second battery (good condition) wouldn’t start the motor? Hi no i dont know as it is working fine since replacing the bad battery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunc333 Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 mate i would go back to motor rigger and confirm you are getting around 13.9 volts at battery terminals when engine running also confirm if your battery switch is good cheers dunc333 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegz Posted January 11, 2021 Author Share Posted January 11, 2021 Volt meter and hummingbird sounder confirm charge rate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bessell1955 Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 How long does a boat battery usually last? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shakey55 Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 8 hours ago, bessell1955 said: How long does a boat battery usually last? My current boat battery is nearly four years olds don’t appears to be going well. recently I had a starter battery problem with my Nissan Patrol. The battery was just over four years old. Unfortunately left the lights on. recharged then took for a sixty kilometre run. Stopped at a mates place for half an hour. When I went to start car it just didn’t sound right. went to battery specialist and discussed this with him. Then then checked volts and found that okay. He then used a special load tester, which I asked about before he started test. Explained that it will test load and cranking amps, which he stated was important. He then explained that my battery was a 720 cranking amp battery, and should show near to the 720 amp to be a good battery. He conducted the test and it showed only 210 cranking amps. Battery replaced. I know nothing about batteries, just relaying what I was told. Note ensure if what I was told was true,but he told me you could have good volts but be down on cranking amps, which are the important part. Others here will know more than me and may confirm or negate what I was told. One thing the battery bloke told me was, if the battery not being used regularly, I should at least monthly put into the charger or invest in a good solar trickle charger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelm Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 OK, here is a general (very general) home handyman explanation of how a battery works, and why they need to be load tested. A battery consists of cells, these cells produce 1.5v each, just like your AA battery, these cells are connected in series (pos to neg in a line) 8 cells gives 12 volts, now connect up 8 AA batteries and try to start your car....it's just not going to happen, because it just doesn't have the "Amps" yet has a full 12 volts! To make a cell with sufficient amps/current requires different materials to your AA battery, these materials are lead and acid in a plastic case (cell) these cells still only produce 1.5v each (that's a whole different story, too complicated for here) but as well as the 1.5v they also produce huge amps, this is what gives a car/boat battery it's ability to start a car. Now as you use the battery, it's efficiency is reduced, but your car/boat has the ability to replace what you use, or "charge" the battery via an alternator that supplies electricity to replenish the battery. Modern batteries are not "real" lead like the old days, and tend to not last as long as the old days, and usually just die, rather than get "dicky" as they age. The construction of a lead acid battery is really quite simple, it's just a group of lead "plates" suspended in acid, and connected in series to produce 12v, the number of plates determines the batteries capacity, more plates, more amps, but no more volts, as the battery ages, and gets used and recharged, the materials get eaten away, and the battery starts to lose its ability to provide the high current needed, but the voltage remains steady at 1.5v per cell, hence why a simple voltage check on a battery is not the best test, it needs a "load" to verify it's true capacity, often referred to as CCA, or "cold cranking amps" this is a measure of a good battery being able to supply it's rated "power" on demand. There is often talk of batteries needing to be constantly kept on charge, if you have to mess around with chargers and stuff, your battery is shot, a good battery will remain charged, unused for months, so there you go, a very simplistic description of how a battery should be load tested, and that doesn't even touch on different battery construction and materials. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelm Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 Just as a side note, a battery isolator switch is probably a good idea on a boat , because even when switched off, lots of devices still draw power (only a tiny bit) and over time, they can slowly deplete even a good battery, these devices (like radios and other electronics) use power for their "memory" function, plus often lights and so on get over looked and left on, so a master battery switch is a good idea, they are quite cheap and easy enough to connect up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bessell1955 Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 Thank you to all of those that have shared their knowledge of battery life. I am far more wiser, now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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