Battery Tender / trickle charger

[Whitewater]

Do any Guru's out there have any thoughts on using these on a regular basis?  

After leaving my Sandpiper on the dock for a week I got a call from the person (homeowner) who owns the dock letting me know that the boat was now sitting 4-6 inches under water.  Larger problem is I seem to have a hull leak.  

Smaller problem is that the bilge was running so often that it actually deaded the battery. Its a long story that involves about three hours driving and 2 hours under the boat working on possible leak culprits by cyalume light. Possibly a little crying (hard to prove underwater)  Long story short the bilge is still taking on water slowly.

Bottom line I want to try to back up the batteries and wondering if this would be a decent and workable solution.  Obviously I will fix the leak issue but in the just in case for the next tragedy..... what do you think?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0026T ... PDKIKX0DER

[jdupree]

I would personally address the larger issue before I would worry about the trickle charger.

Your hull is basically the CCP hull.  Have you checked your hoses and thru hulls that are part of the self bailing deck for leaks?  When the hoses get some age on them, they will begin to dry rot and start leaking water into the bilge.  My CCP is a 1986 and when my hoses were removed they were shot.  I was taking on some water prior to them being removed.

My boat stays in the water sometimes for weeks at a time.  She doesn't take on water anymore and that allows the bilge pump never to come on thus batteries stay charged.  

I would get the water intrusion figured out first and then you should have fresh batteries if needed.

[wingtime]

I think John hit the nail on the head.  Either the hull is leaking or rainwater is getting into the hull.  Aquasports are self bailing hulls so any rain water should just drain off the deck.  The CCP hulls and your hull are unlike other Aquas in that the deck drains through hoses that drain out of thru-hull fittings.  When the boat is new those thru hulls were just above the waterline.  With age the hull gains weight and now they are at the water line.  If those hoses are leaking.... well your boat will sink!  

Question,  Was the boat just sitting 6" low in the water?

[GoneFission]

What John said above.     Once you get the leak fixed, consider a solar charger to keep the batteries up if you are going to leave the boat untended for very long.  You can get one for less than $20 and it will give you some extra piece of mind...  

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-5W-Solar-Pane ... 2c6a7fb034

[Whitewater]

Hey Guys,

Yes I absolutely agree I need to address the hull infiltration issue first and foremost.  Those scupper holes have been sitting underwater since I purchased her and they have stayed opretty level form the start.  This is the first time since I have owned her that she has spent anything more than a few hours sitting in the water instead of motoring around and then beinf hauled out.  My thought is this couls have been the hidden reason the PO sold the boat in the first place but not sure of course.

The hose suspicion is a great point and I appreciate that call out for me to check out, It probably would not have occurred to me.  My first thought is the drain plug mainly because it is a screw in type that has seen better days.  By that I mean that there is the outter flange that is the escussion that mounts to the transom.  Then inside there is a threaded inner female section that appears to only be a few threads deep at this point ( i beleive that it has broken down over time).  Can I replace that?  It there an improved system that I could use?  The second reason I am suspect of that fitting is that when the hull was drained by the Bilge and hand pump I could visibly see that waer was flowing back in from the transom.  I have an old thru hull transducer from the old fish finder that the PO had ( it seems tighter than a frogs ass and there is nothing coming in from there that I can see.  There is also a raw water port that goes thru hull but the petcock is closed and when tested is also not leaking but will flow when opened.  


You are all correct in the fact that I want to get the BIG issue fixed first but, was looking to invest in this cheap insurance that the solar chargers offer as back up for future coverage.  

I am also considering changing out the 2 batteries for a new set and wondering what is the current front runner in that depaertment?  I can not afford to drop a few hundred on batteries for her but thinking I need to be in the 150 each range form what I am seeing in the Opti line.  Currently running yellow tops in the F-350 and having no complaints with those at all.  I hear that Wall Mart actually has one of the top rated batteries at this time but I am so new and green to the boating world and this site is my only real source for reliable information form what I consider masters of the boating wordl.

I sincerely appreciate your thoughts and input as I learn the ins and outs of the wonderfully wet world of boating!

With regards,

Chris

[seabob4]

My recommendations Chris?  Dekas.  Group 24 start, group 27 deep cycle...

[gran398]

Chris,

The boys make great points, particularly regarding the old hose on your deck drains. That would be the first area of concern.

The transom drain will only leak so much...but the big cockpit drains could leak a lot, as their size is 3X or more the size of the transom drain... and underwater as you report.  Plus... there are two of them.

Pull the boat, put her on the trailer, and inspect thoroughly. Plug the transom, and put a garden hose in her if need be.

[wingtime]

So wait your saying the boat came with stopper type plugs for the deck drains thru hulls?  That means the PO knew there was a leak there...

[dburr]

By that I mean that there is the outter flange that is the escussion that mounts to the transom.  Then inside there is a threaded inner female section that appears to only be a few threads deep at this point ( i beleive that it has broken down over time).  Can I replace that?  It there an improved system that I could use?  The second reason I am suspect of that fitting is that when the hull was drained by the Bilge and hand pump I could visibly see that waer was flowing back in from the transom.  

Chris, that fitting should be ALL ONE PIECE, there is no cover escussion :o   ..... I would strongly recommend not putting the boat back overboard until you get a new bildge drain, that thing fails completely and your only hope of not sinking is to keep the boat on a plan until you can get it on a trailer or beach it....

So here is the problem. With water coming in around that fitting the transom is going to be wet.. To get the rest of our short summer out of it you can temporarily replace the fitting with a new one and use an easy to remove bedding compound to seal it up. 3M 4200 would be a candidate but will still be a royal PIA to clean up because when the season is done you will have to pull the fitting out and let the whole show dry out over the winter.

Please change that fitting before something really bad happens.. A slow leak, a bilge pump that isn't quite up to snuff has sunk many a boat...

[Capt. Bob]

Ww,

Is this the same craft you have listed in the Classified section? If so, are you keeping her now? Just curious.

Does the transom bilge plug look similar to this?
http://compare.ebay.com/like/2809667789 ... s&var=sbar

Have you tried to access the deck drain/thru hull/hose fittings? It may be possible to access them here.
viewtopic.php?p=108660#p108660

Good luck.

[Whitewater]

I couldn't quote your questions on the mobile app.

So I drove the hour back down to check in her tonight. She is still above water now. The water is slowly trickling in but the bilge pump has kept up. I replaced the battery with a brand new deep cycle (thanks for the pointer on that seabob)!

I couldn't get her out tonight as I got here too late to be able to bring her out in the pitch dark. I am coming back down on Sunday morning to take care of that. I am charging the two older batteries now.

Hey wingtime, no sir that is not the case. The self bailing deck is un fooled around with.


Capt Bob.

Sound pointers. I do believe that I will need to go that route at least. I do have a few weekends left to be able to take her back out. Then I will make the major overhaul a priority. This season here is far too short especially when you encounter issues like this.

Someone asked if I was keeping her now and for the time being that is a yes. No one rely honked the horn on her here (didn't put her up on Craigslist). The offer of the dock from one of my cape neighbors has made the old in out in out a might less painful to deal with and has made using her far more enjoyable while reducing stress. Save the sinking bits.


That boat that was quoted in the links was mine. So heck yes that's what she looks like. The scuppers are not accessible thru that teak access point as there is an inner skin that holds the oil injection tank on the left and the batteries are housed in the right. Also shielded by an inner wall.

I saw from that thread there was someone with a similar boat to mine also having issues. I will hook up with him ASAP.

Someone else pointed out how to change out that bilge drain for the short and the long term and I do believe that I will take that advice as sounds and make it a course of action.  This weekend.

Sorry that I missed names and quoting. Trying to do this in the dark and on the iPhone.

Many thanks as always to the incredible people of the Classic Aquasport world

Follow up soon

Chris

[Whitewater]

Looking like a sewer drain isn't it?



Popped the old unit out




I know you really can not see the depth but you can see that he old units is flush to the countertop, meaning that there were no threads left to seal



Finished prep and install... went with the 3m 5200 may be a PITA to swap out later but the transom wood was bone dry and solid as a rock so I am not anticipating having to do this again for a while

[Whitewater]

The bilge is bone dry; Sea trial was a huge success after replacing that bilge drain and the addition if the solar panels just give that added sense of surety that sets my mind at peace that the batteries will always be fresh (to a point).  

Thanks for all the tips and pointers men.


Chris

[jdupree]