I have power in my battery but no where else. Please help!

[rukh]

Short version: I just charged my 36 volt battery for about 40 hours. Went to hook it up and now it seems as if a fuse is popped somewhere. What should this look like? The boat was made in the later 70's.

Thank you for any help or laughs.

[noelex 77]

Firstly are you sure its 36v that is an unusual battery voltage for a boat. 12, or 24v is much more common.

The main house fuse (if one is fitted) should be close to batteries.
The most common type is like this:
There are some fuse holders that fit directly on the battery terminals, but they are rare and reasonably new.

Don't overlook the fact it could be a problem with the main battery switch or one of the connections along the way.

[drousy88]

get a test light and/or multi meter and follow the power and make sure what your voltages are.

[hellosailor]

Boats in 70's usually had no primary fuse.

If you used a 36 volt charger on a conventional boat, you'd blow something up. In the US boats are usually 12 volt, in the EU sometimes 24, but 36 volts? Are you sure you don't have an airplane?

[rukh]

Thanks for the help so far.

Yes, it is a 36 volt battery. Actually there are two of them. One for the house and a starter battery. I was figuring on getting a test light and think I have figured out where the fuse is. If I'm right, there are two of them and both have gone south.

[hellosailor]

So what kind of boat is this? With what kind of electrical system?

Fuses "should" be within easy reach of the positive battery terminal, either mounted on the battery or immediately adjacent to it. With old battery wiring, every connector has to be checked for corrosion and tightness, so you'd want to put hands and eyes over all the cables tracing them out from the battery posts anyway. You'll find the fuse while doing that.

A 36-volt test light?? Only at an aviation supply house.<G>

[Group9]

Check the wiring right past the batteries. I had my boat for three years before I discovered a hidden 100 amp breaker put in about a foot past the battery select switch, that I had to stand on my head to see.

[rukh]

Checked and replaced it. Got the lights working realizing I (like a complete newbie) had hooked up one of the battery cables wrong. After learning that power flows backwards threw a battery, it is now an issue of the starter going bad. If it's not one thing it seems as if it's a combinations of three.