On Thu, 4 Oct 2012 16:27:38 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:

Where you cruising to now, Wayne?

===

A local shakedown cruise after a summer of project work. Just
finished converting one of our 8D starting batteries (150 pounds,
difficult location behind the stbd engine) to a pair of 31M AGMs (75
pounds each). I guess we're getting feeble in our old age because my
120 lb wife just can't wrestle a 150 lb battery over the top of an
engine the way she used to. Hopefully she'll have an easier time of
it now.

Of course on a boat project one thing always leads to another. When
you replace a lead/acid battery with AGMs, you also have to install a
new battery charger designed for AGMs, otherwise your expensive
collection of new batteries will soon be ruined. Installing a new
battery charger seems like a simple assignment but then you remember
that you're on a boat and nothing is ever simple. Prior to this
project we had one charger for all of the batteries because they were
all the same technology. Now I had to find an open breaker position
on the AC panel for a second charger, and sort out the asian spaghetti
installed by the builder and subsequent owners. That should be simple
but then you remember that you're on a boat...

Normal AC wiring in a house is neatly color coded - black, white and
green - for hot, neutral and safety ground respectively. The builders
of Grand Banks trawlers consulted with their experts in Singapore and
decided to simplify things by color coding all of the AC wiring with
red. This leads to a very harmonious looking wiring harness but is a
nightmare to trace out. At any rate all of that has been successfully
accomplished now and everything seems to be working well.

Stay tuned!