I also have a small boat (19') and when I added a second battery I installed
a combiner. I don't have a house or start battery: which ever battery is
selected powers everything. The combiner takes care of charging both
batteries or whichever one is low. I alternate in selecting battery 1 or
battery 2 when I go out, so that each battery gets used for starting and
powering things.

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
k.net...

"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
ups.com...

Tikbalang wrote:
Hello,
I checked the previous posts and Battery faq but I still need a little
advice regarding my boat batteries. (I've been shocked countless times
and had two near hits with lightning so electricity and I have a
dysfunctional relationship probably aggrevated by my own stupidity.)

I own a 2000 Bayliner 2152 and it has two batteries. There is a switch
for 1, 2, All, and None.
I understand the concept about how the batteries are isolated.
So what do I set the switch at? What is the None setting for? Which
battery is 1 and which is 2?
I fear having a dead battery at sea on startup.With my luck, having
two dead batteries is just as easy as having one.

Thanks
Charles

Forgot to suggest: Once you have figured out which setting is house and
which setting is for starting, use some labeling tape and relabel the
switch "house" and "start" rather than "1" and "2". The "Both" and
"Off" indications can, and should, remain unchanged.


This is a small boat, not a trawler. Either battery will start the boat.
If the switch is on 1 then the battery connected to 1 on the switch will
start the boat and run all the electronics. Like wise on 2. Both will
connect the batteries in parallel. Both hooked up. Run the switch in #1
for a while and then next time run it in #2. If you run it in both, and
you have a battery failure, you may end up with no starting battery. One
bad battery adn one dead battery. None, just disconnects both batteries
for storage. I find it much better to add another switch and install a
battery combiner. Run the starting battery on 1 and all the electronics
on 2. Then when you are running both batteries will charge and when not
running, only the electronics battery will be drawn down.