"Gene Kearns" wrote in message
...

A run of 80 feet is going to be some truly huge cable.

No it isn't, for an 80 Amp load and 80 foot run "2" gauge is only 10% loss.
You
could go up to "0" gauge and still be only 35 pounds. And this is weight
distributing across the length, not just in the bow.


It is kinda hard to respond with any sort of specificity, since the
poster never mentioned the ampacity required for the windlass. Thus,
I don't know how you came to the conclusion that you arrived at.....


With the exception of the bigger Maxwell windlasses, the current is 85 Amps or
under for the windlasses in the West catalog. The 1/0 AWG is good to 130 Amps,
though you could go to 2/0 for another 10 pounds (and $50). Of course, if you
had a large windlass, you probably don't want a minimal battery, so everything
gets scaled up.


For example, S-L specifies for 12V:

6 AWG for 80' for the Sprint 600.......... $1.89/ft
1/0 AWG for 89' for the Sprint 1000.... $5.99/ft
2 AWG for 89' for the Sprint 1500....... $2.89/ft
1/0 AWG for 89' for the Sprint 3000.... $5.99/ft

West Marine is the last place to go for bulk wire. You can get a 100 foot spool
of 1/0 for less than $200.
http://bestboatwire.com/catalog/default.php?cPath=24_48

Although more than a battery, you don't have to replace it periodically, you
don't have to mount it, or think about combiners, etc. The fittings and breaker
for the main cable are essentially the same either way, so the battery just adds
more stuff.


Prices per West Marine retail.

10 AWG feeder.....................................$.69/ft

You might want to think about the voltage drop on a battery charging wire -
giving up 10% would mean that the battery is chronically under charged. That
10 AWG is only good for a trickle charge. You'd end up running 8 AWG, or maybe
even 6, and you still don't have enough wire capacity to run the windlass if the
forward battery is dead, though hopefully you could put some charge on it in 15
minutes.