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cavalamb himself

wrote:

On Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:38:59 GMT, Dan@ (Dan ) wrote:

I've read the specs. for Coast Guard requirements and still have a
question with regards to batteries.
The starting battery is in the engine compartment.
The engine is a gasoline engine.
I built a tray that the battery has to be lifted up to set it in. Has
a lip all the way around.
The battery has only 1" of clearance on top of the battery. The
battery slides under the berth deck into this tray. It's really hard
to lift this battery up and out of the tray. I have a clamp that holds
the battery into the tray.
Question is, does the battery need to be in a box or is it OK to sit
it on a tray?
I worry about the side of the battery cracking and leaking the acid.
Dan

AFAIK, I has to be in a box. It would probably be a good idea even if
it were not required, especially for flooded batteries. Boats
sometimes capsize or get tossed about violently. It also protects the
terminals in the event something else gets loose and ends up striking
the battery. I'm not really too keen on a flooded battery being in a
confined space with a gasoline engiine, but that's just me.

The battery will emit Hydrogen gas when under load.

The box should be gas tight and vented overboard where a stray spark
can't ignite the H2.

It should also be about to hold spilled or leaked acid without leaking
acid into the boat.

Ok?