Roger, I like your parallel bilge pump idea, but I'm not sure how you can
run this through one float switch as I've never heard of a DPST bilge
switch. Is there such an animal available? Without it you will have
difficulty isolating one battery bank from the other.

I'm quite new to the sailing game and can't address many of your points, but
I've risked my life and family in many other kinds of self-reliant endeavors
and I've found that it is most important to rely on YOUR style of operation,
not just "general practices". The row-in-for-a-quick-battery approach had
me in stitches; not because I was laughing at you, but because it resembled
my own unconventional, but practical, style of risk assessment: If you're
not vulnerable, why be defensive!
Padeen

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
I actually agree with all your points and it's probably the advice I'd
give someone else. However, I'm opting for simplicity and economy
over the certainty of being able to start the engine in all
circumstances. I'm not even going to invest in the emergency battery.
The proper place for that, as you say, is in a box hooked up with the
combiner, etc.

My emergency propulsion for this year at least, will be good ground
tackle and the willingness to wait for a wind. I'm going to try hand
starting. If it does prove impossible I'll invest in a more
sophisticated system. This is also a boat with no major electrical
loads. I'll also be upgrading a lot of stuff before starting long
cruises. This will be a duff around close to home and get to know the
boat summer. I'll probably be spending a lot more time working on the
systems than sailing. Aside from saving money, I'll have a much
better idea at the end of the summer exactly what the boat needs and
how I want to set up a more complex system.

Even on a cruise Downeast, sailing in to anchor and rowing ashore to
pick up a $40 car battery for a jump start wouldn't be a major
emergency in this part of the world. Another two or three hundred
dollars could be spent on much more critical things at this point than
avoiding the slight possibility of that exercise.

--

Roger Long



"Jeff" wrote in message
...
I've mentioned this befo you should simply parallel the bank and
install a small starting battery. If you want it to be high quality
and "idiot proof" and a battery combiner (the smaller ones are
cheap. Why invest in an "emergency" starter when the same money give
you a proper solution?

BTW, the small Yanmar will *usually* starts with under 5 seconds of
cranking, but it isn't self bleeding, so it can get balky if the
line gets dirty or airbound. I just started my two engines after
winter layup - one fired quickly, but the other took about 30
seconds of cranking. My point is that in real life problems always
come in groups - the morning your battery dies could also be the
morning the fuel filter clogs. Why rely on a pack of D cells that
cost the same as a proper battery?