The Blue View - Installing New Batteries

A few weeks ago, I did a blog on the latest and greatest in battery technology, and which type of battery would be best for Nine of Cups.  After a little analysis, a lot of hemming, hawing, and harrumphing, and a fair amount of pontificating, I finally narrowed the field down to either a replacement set of my old Lifeline AGM batteries or a set of Thin Plate Pure Lead (TPPL) AGM batteries.

My Lifeline AGM batteries had lasted longer than expected - a little over eight years. Buying a new set would make the installation quite easy as they would be identical to the old ones. On the other hand, after a few years of use, I had to equalize them frequently (every 3 months or so) to reduce the build-up of sulfation. They are also more expensive than the TPPLs. In the end, I did some shopping around and bought six new Odyssey 100 amp-hour TPPL batteries.

The new batteries are smaller and lighter than the old batteries, but also only about half the capacity. (The six Odyssey batteries have a total capacity of 600 amp-hours vs. the original 820 amp-hour capacity of the four Lifelines.) Given that our plans for the next few years will more than likely be more coastal and shorter offshore passages rather than the major ocean crossings and high latitude sailing of the past, the smaller battery bank should suit us quite well, however.

Installing the new batteries took about two days. The hardest part was lugging the old 135 pound (61kg) batteries up out of their lockers and hauling them out and onto the dock. Removing the braces that held the old batteries and replacing them to secure the new wasn't difficult, but took most of the time.

Unless the new batteries are identical to the old ones, it is likely that at least a few of the battery cables will have to modified and a few new ones made. I have a lug crimping tool which was quite inexpensive on Amazon.

It is the kind that is smacked with a hammer, so I can make or modify battery cables myself. I strip one end of the cable, insert the wire into the lug, place the lug in the crimper and whack it a couple of times with a small sledge hammer. Then I measure the length needed, cut the cable to the correct length and repeat the process on the other end. Some suggestions:

• I cut the cable with heavy rigging cutters, but it can be cut with a hacksaw, a small angle grinder with a cutting wheel or even a Dremmel tool.
• Before crimping the second lug, I make sure the cable fits. I also rotate the lug if necessary – it's better if the cable doesn't twist in the lug after it is crimped. I use a marker to mark the proper orientation of the lug and wire.
• I finish the lug with a short length of heat shrink tubing.

As the installation is planned, there are a few considerations to be aware of:

Mechanical security. Each battery must be secured so that it cannot move more than 1 inch in any direction – right, left, forward, back or upwards. To accomplish this, I built a frame around the base of each battery out of 1x2 lumber, then bolted it in place. This prevented the battery from moving horizontally. Then I attached pad eyes to opposite sides of the frame and strapped each battery down. I've used either webbing or light line.

Overcurrent protection. A short circuit between the positive battery cable and ground will create some terrific on-board fireworks. The ABYC requires a suitable fuse or circuit breaker on the positive cable within 72” of the battery. An exception is the starter battery. A direct, un-fused connection is permitted between the starter battery and the starter motor.

Terminal isolation. The positive battery terminals should be protected, so that if a metal object is dropped onto the battery, it can't short the terminals. On terminals that have only one wire connected, I use a rubber boot. This doesn't work well if there is more than one wire connected, in which case, I use a small section of clear, heavy plastic to protect the terminal. The last time we replaced the windows in our dodger, I kept the excess plastic window material, and this works quite well. I hold it in place with cable ties. I also protect any other terminals connected to the positive side of the battery – terminal posts, fuse connections, etc. Another alternative is to enclose the entire battery in a battery box.

Ventilation. Most battery types – even the sealed ones – can release explosive hydrogen gas while charging. The battery compartment should be vented to allow this gas to dissipate. Since hydrogen is lighter than air, at least some of the vents should be at the top of the compartment.

Cables. The battery cables must be stranded, and obviously large enough for the current that will be carried. This is a whole subject unto itself and will be the topic of next week's blog.

Fuel fittings, tanks and filters.

• Batteries should not be located directly above or below fuel tanks, filters or fittings.
• Any metallic fuel lines located above or within 12 inches of a battery must be shielded with an insulating material.

In actuality, it took more like three and a half days for the installation – two for the actual installation, half a day to round up all the supplies and another day to look up all the rules and regs and. The good news is that I only have to do this every 5-10 years – the bad news is that I will have forgotten all the regs by then and will have to look them up again.

PV - Easy-to-Make Fender Covers

Yes, PV … that's Pink View. I know you were expecting the Captain today, but he's up to his eyeballs in alligators, I mean alternators, so you'll have to settle for me instead. That said, this is the how-to blog on making fender covers that I promised the other day. Fenders act as “bumpers” to keep Nine of Cups off the dock and prevent her hull from being scratched and chafed by whatever sticks out from the dock, like cement or wood pilings. Covering them is partly cosmetic … it looks better ... and partly to keep the fenders from rubbing and scuffing the hull. There are pros and cons to using them, but we find them quite useful. Our last fender covers, or fender boots as they are sometimes called, were purchased in Australia and they never fit quite right and were looking pretty ratty. I'd repaired a couple of chafe spots in the past, but their current condition was beyond repair. It was time for something new.

I saw some in West Marine on-line … ~$40 for the size that would fit our fenders and we needed three of them. Yikes! I looked for a pattern on line and found some how-to directions, but none seemed all that cheap nor reasonable until David happened upon a sailing thread that mentioned using sweat pants as fender covers. Brilliant!

Here's how …

1. Measure the circumference and length of the fender to be covered.

   

2. Purchase sweat pants in your choice of color(s) at a thrift shop or discount store, e.g. WalMart, with the following criteria:

   * Be sure the pants are elasticized on the leg cuffs

   *Measure the width of the pant leg and multiply x2. That number should equal the circumference of the fender. For instance, the circumference of the largest fender was about 29”. We chose size 3XL sweat pants for it and a 2XL was large enough for two slightly smaller fenders. Remember the pants have a bit of stretch and the final fit needs to be snug.

   *Measure the length up to the crotch of the sweat pants to be sure the “leg” is long enough.

   *You can make two fender covers from each pair of sweat pants.

3. Stuff a fender into a pant leg bringing the elastic end as far as it will go, but keeping the attachment ring on the end exposed. It should be a snug fit.

   

4. Measure the length allowing for a 1” seam at the cut edge and mark accordingly. Remove the fender and make the cut.
5. Stitch along the top edge, leaving a 1” tube through which you can draw a small length of line.

   

6. Make a small cut in the tube and insert a piece of line attached to a safety pin (or paper clip) and work the line through the tube, drawing it through as you go until it meets the other end of the line. Seize the end(s) of the line with a lighter to keep it from unraveling.

   

7. Slip the cover back onto the fender drawing it up snug and tight from one end to the other. The elastic cuff will keep one end in place.
8. Cinch the drawn line tight on the other end. Tie a knot and tuck it inside the fender cover.

   

   

9. Attach lines to the attachment rings as you usually would and make fast to the boat.

   

Voila! A fender cover that looks great and protects the hull. The only maintenance required is periodic laundering. Hint: If you don't drag your fenders in the water, you won't have to wash them as frequently.

Total cost: ~$4.00/fender cover

Sweatpants at WalMart - $7.36/pr + local tax (makes two fender covers)

A bit of thread, about 18” of small line and 20 minutes of my time.

We Pink View girls are very budget-conscious and handy to have around.

The Blue View - All Iced In

Now that our big blizzard has passed, there is a prediction of sub-freezing temperatures for the next several days here in Chesapeake, VA, and we were starting to worry about the river freezing. There is no current, it's not very brackish, and we've already seen some skim ice. Will it freeze solid? If so, will the ice damage Nine of Cups? What happens when a barge goes by – will it push the ice into Cups? I remember well, the story of Shackleton's expedition, and how his ship was crushed after becoming trapped in the ice.

We have always managed to sail the high latitudes only during the warmer months and to find more temperate climates during the winter months. Thus, we are truly neophytes when it comes to living aboard in prolonged freezing temperatures. We thought we would be far enough south to avoid a hard freeze, but I'd say we were wrong. Time to do some research.

After searching through a dozen or so forums and checking the recommendations of Boat U.S., the general consensus is that boats usually come to no harm from being frozen in. Several yachties recommend using bubblers or water agitators to keep ice from forming against the hull. On the other hand, several seemingly sane, knowledgeable captains claim they have wintered over in northern Europe and Scandinavia frozen hard in the ice, and their boats did just fine.

There were a few caveats and exceptions, however. Although there was some disagreement, most yachties didn't think motoring through the ice was a good idea, especially with a fiberglass boat. One skipper, who seemed to have a lot of experience, said that he's motored through 2-3 inches (50-75mm) of ice on more than one occasion with no damage other than rubbing off most of the anti-fouling paint along the waterline. Not to worry... unless the wharf is on fire or there is some other major emergency, I can't see us going anywhere until well after the ice is all gone.

Another seemingly knowledgeable captain brought up the possibility of water freezing inside an underwater thru-hull fitting. As the water freezes and expands, it could crack or break the thru-hull, causing a significant leak. On Cups, most of thru-hulls are well below the waterline. Unless the water freezes to a depth of 1 foot (30cm) or more, there is no chance of any of them freezing. We do have three thru-hulls located right at or slightly above the waterline, however. While I think it unlikely that these will become a problem, I will be checking them.

A third potential problem is ice being blown or pushed into us. Although the barge traffic has stopped since the blizzard began, I wonder whether it might be problem when they start running again. I can't imagine there will be enough ice pushed into us to be a threat to Cups, but it may be enough to scratch or gouge our new paint job.

I've read that, in some parts of the world, floats made of hardy reeds are placed around the boat to protect them from floating ice. Another solution I came across is to nail a band of copper sheathing around the boat's waterline. Neither seems very practical for us – guess we'll just take our chances.

P.S. It's now a couple of days since I wrote this blog, and sure enough, we have 1-2 inches of ice surrounding Cups. I've been using a length of 2x4 to break through the ice along the hull (see the video below). I don't know whether it helps or not, but I can't imagine it hurts... plus I didn't have to do my Tabata exercises today.

Fortunately, the weather is warming up tomorrow. Just in time too ... it was almost time to start checking the price of ice skates and snowshoes on Amazon.