aroostifer wrote:
On to the next project: My 1978 Catalina 30 has a painted wood battery
tray which is basically crumbling with wet rot.

The way I figure it, I can either:

1) Use the drill and fill method to saturate it with epoxy and maybe
glass over it.


It might be easy, but what you're really doing is building a fiberglass
battery tray on top of the wood. The wood will not have any structural
integrity and if you leave it in place, you'll end up having to remove
it later.


2) Build a new battery tray out of Starboard


How resistant to battery acid is Star Board? I wouldn't use this stuff
in this application ...besides, plasti-board or hardi-board or whatever
the generic equivalent from Home Depot is just as good and MUCH cheaper.

3) Build a new battery tray out of epoxy coated marine ply


Not such a bad deal. Easier to bond into place and definitely acid
resistant.



What do y'all think? Any other options?


I'd go down to Batteries Plus (or similar) and buy a plastic battery
case & strap, and build an epoxy saturated plywood platform to secure it
to. In fact, that's what I did last year

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

DSK wrote in
:

On to the next project: My 1978 Catalina 30 has a painted wood battery
tray which is basically crumbling with wet rot.


When you're replacing it, ask yourself, "If we get blown down or go
pitchpole, will the new battery rack hold the batteries in place?"

I like to ask it in person so I can see the blank stare on their faces...

--
Larry

On Wed, 03 Aug 2005 19:36:40 -0400, Larry wrote:

DSK wrote in
:

On to the next project: My 1978 Catalina 30 has a painted wood battery
tray which is basically crumbling with wet rot.


When you're replacing it, ask yourself, "If we get blown down or go
pitchpole, will the new battery rack hold the batteries in place?"

I like to ask it in person so I can see the blank stare on their faces...

I agree. When I built my new battery box, I imagined a giant taking
the boat and shaking it upside down. "Strong" is one of those things
that you never need until you *really* need it.
Norm B

wrote in
:

I agree. When I built my new battery box, I imagined a giant taking
the boat and shaking it upside down. "Strong" is one of those things
that you never need until you *really* need it.
Norm B


How many boats do you know of where the batteries are just sitting in a
box, not even strapped down? My answer is "most".

--
Larry