The battery box is a mess. It houses the battery (of course, that is why it is called a battery box) the distribution panel and assiciated wiring. I have removed as much of the unused wiring in order to help trace the actual working circuits. The battery platform is mounted crooked and the tie down strap design is all totally unacceptable to me. There also needs to be some natural ventilation system for the off-gassing of the battery. Also will be adding a second battery. I think I am just finding things to fix just so I have something to do.
The old battery platform is too small and is one reason I am replacing it. If you noticed that one battery isn't even connected, you are very observant. That is the new battery and I didn't want it hooked up until I removed all unused circuits. The old battery would not take a full charge and it was boiling and off-gassing during a charge. I noticed this the first night aboard since we were sleeping with heads directly above the battery box. I was very uneasy about the battery situation.
This is where we are starting from.
Extra wires, excess wires, dead runs; a regular plate of spaghetti. Some wire runs were actually still hot with no fuseable links with the ends of the run terminating in the bilge and engine compartment. It is no wonder the original battery held a charge of 3.2v on its' best day.
Here is the proposed plan. I have a lot of paper laying around with different versions of what could be. The first drawing is never the final idea. I make the drawings, go look in the garage for material and then modify some ideas based on what I actually have in stock. There still needs to be a ventillation system installed in this battery box. The only vent is in the compartment lid which is blocked by the sette cushion. I am thinking a 12VDC brushless fan vented through the lazarette.
You can say that I have committed to an idea by way of polyurethane glue and lots of clamps. A template was created using some cardboard and then transferred to the 3/8" ply with 5/8" mahagony marine ply support rails. The battery platform will be 5/8" marine ply all will be glassed in place. That should hold a couple 12V batteries.
After glassing the supports, I layed the platform piece on top to make sure the measurements worked out and the platform is flush on the edges. The unofficial plan is to epoxy and then paint the inside of the battery compartment then cleanup and secure the existing wiring or reroute and replace some wiring. Once the resin dries and I can get my head inside the box without fear of sticking, I will make a more enthusiastic approach. After all, switches, fuse holders and indicator lights need replacing.
The charging systems consists of a Nautilus 10amp charger that is directly connected to the battery terminals. It sits in the lazarette, unsecured. I have not decided where I will move it - maybe I'll draw a plan for it.
First layer of glass wetted out. What a sticky, gooey mess fiberglass is. I thought I was having a heart attack the night after doing this job but it was apparently a bruise on my chest from trying to lay in this small hole. After all, if a human was suppose to climb in there, a cushion would have been installed.
Dried first layer after sanding with 25 grit. I like this step, it means I'm close to being done.
Glassed in, primed and trimmed; looking better but still have the spaghetti.
It was necessary to glass the sides of the battery compartment where some separation occurred. Since I am lacking in good docking skills, I will put extra reinforcement where I can. I'm thinking there should be velcro attached to pillings and the boat.
This not only looks stronger than Superman, it looks clean enough to be a beer locker.
Final coated battery collage.
After attaching the battery platform, I glassed the remainder of the platform to the sides of the battery box.
