Cruising Sailors Forum Archive
Using an electric windlass without the engine on is not good for the windlass (aside from the battery issues)
The windlass motor really likes to see Voltages as high as possible. If you use it a lot, then it's better to have the engine on and putting out enough juice to keep the voltage at the windlass (under load) above 12.7 volts. It's not that you can't raise the anchor under battery power alone -- it's that it's not very good for the "starter motor" that is driving the windlass. Forgeting the Watts = Amps x Volts issue.
Messages In This Thread
- Seasons almost over, what are your best boat improvements for 2011?
- Rewiring the 110V circuits.
- New fuse panel, battery monitor and some rewiring.
- Nice Tom ! And what type / manufacturer of belt ...
- Tom love the clear engine panels
- I improved the skipper with ham radio and SCUBA certifications.
- Two of them, 1st one are four new Lifeline 150Ah batteries ...
- ... and the 2nd one was the new Raritan Marine Elegance electric-flush Head ...
- Nice! What is the lifespan of Lifeline batteries John?
- Yes AGM, they tell me 10 years, we'll see about dat mon ! Cheers, John
- Probably more likely 3-7 years, depending on use/care and charging system
- There's ten years on the Optima 31's in our old boat...
- We had a Optima as an engine start battery
- To clarify: I replace the Optima with another brand new one. (And I added another one as a dedicated Gen start batt
- As it got older, could you see any difference in it's actual condition?
- WIth a conventional lead (wet cells) battery, you really should equalize them or they'll sulphate.
- 5 months(I'm sailing this weekend
) But the starting battery is different test.
- Using an electric windlass without the engine on is not good for the windlass (aside from the battery issues)
- 5 months(I'm sailing this weekend
- WIth a conventional lead (wet cells) battery, you really should equalize them or they'll sulphate.
- To clarify: I replace the Optima with another brand new one. (And I added another one as a dedicated Gen start batt
- My Optima lasted....
- We had a Optima as an engine start battery
- There's ten years on the Optima 31's in our old boat...
- Probably more likely 3-7 years, depending on use/care and charging system
- Yes AGM, they tell me 10 years, we'll see about dat mon ! Cheers, John
- Just switched away from Lifelines
- Lifelines (and any AGMs) need to be fully charged periodically...
- Lifelines are different....
- Lifelines are different....
- Lifelines (and any AGMs) need to be fully charged periodically...
- ... and the 2nd one was the new Raritan Marine Elegance electric-flush Head ...
- Two big
- Pretty big list this year
- The biggest ones were new holding tank and new broadband radar/c-p/fish-finder
- My summer was spent putting an addition on my house... but there is a serious boat component
- I cleaned and coated
- out with the - in with the new
- I dropped this new Volvo-Penta D2-40 in
- After realignment I did a speed versus engine rpms run...
- Here is a picture of the boat..
- Is that where the engine tops out, Todd, around 9 knots?
- Top speed was 9.1 knots at 3,150 rpms...
- How are you calculating burn rate?
- I have a plastic tank that I can see the side of...
- That would be really nice info to have
- It is remarkedly simple to calculate fuel burn versus speed if...
- How would you do that? What info is needed?
- For a first approximation, waterline length and displacement
- The calculations are a bit too involved to write up here...
- I can give you everything now, but BWL
- corrected LWL to 36.75 feet in post above
- Larry - here is a crude estimate...
- By the way...
- Thanks Todd. It doesn't match the real world though
- corrected LWL to 36.75 feet in post above
- I can give you everything now, but BWL
- The calculations are a bit too involved to write up here...
- For a first approximation, waterline length and displacement
- How would you do that? What info is needed?
- It is remarkedly simple to calculate fuel burn versus speed if...
- That would be really nice info to have
- I have a plastic tank that I can see the side of...
- How are you calculating burn rate?
- Top speed was 9.1 knots at 3,150 rpms...
- Here is a picture of the boat..
- After realignment I did a speed versus engine rpms run...
- Flat belt kit for high output alternator
- It had something to do with
- Fantastic projects everyone! . . .
- Rewiring the 110V circuits.
