Chris Craft 426 Manual and battery info

[HappyMdRSailor]

Sigh...

I think I have gone nutty... Already own 35', 48' sailboats....

Pursuing a purchase of an '88 Chris Craft Catalina 426.... Strictly for an investment you see.... Because we all know how much money can be made from investing in boats!!!

Anyway... The batteries are gone from this craft... I am a couple hours away from where she lies... I am looking for an owners manual, AND/or help with what batteries might go on the boat from similar owners... I have only seen 2 LARGE battery boxes, so I assume she uses them for dual purpose start and house.... Engines are Cat 3208's, genset looks like an Onan 6-8k... Battery boxes from memory look to be about 18" x 12"...

Thanks in advance!

[HappyMdRSailor]

57 views and no love....

[ranger58sb]

Just a guess, but maybe it's set up for two 8Ds, one for each engine...

And then each would maybe also run approx. half the house, and one might operate running electrics (lights, horn, etc.), the other might power electronics.

That's a relatively common powerboat set-up, especially given those diesels. Another diesel variation would have multiple smaller batteries (Group 29s, 31s, etc.) in banks, one bank for each side as above.

You could check battery sites for dimensions and compare those to your battery boxes. Lifeline's 8D, for example, is approx. 21" by 11".

-Chris

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

Just a guess, but maybe it's set up for two 8Ds, one for each engine...

And then each would maybe also run approx. half the house, and one might operate running electrics (lights, horn, etc.), the other might power electronics.

That's a relatively common powerboat set-up, especially given those diesels. Another diesel variation would have multiple smaller batteries (Group 29s, 31s, etc.) in banks, one bank for each side as above.

You could check battery sites for dimensions and compare those to your battery boxes. Lifeline's 8D, for example, is approx. 21" by 11".

-Chris

THANKS CHRIS!!!!

Yea... That's what I get out of the thought process too.... 2 8D's for everything....

Hard for me to "think outside of the SV box" with regard to house and start banks... the 35' has std 27/start, and 4- 31's house. The 48' is a battery supplier's DREAM.... 4- 8D's house, 1 27 for each, main and genset, 2- 8D's windlass and thruster....

I appreciate the help and the input my friend!

[ranger58sb]

Wow, TWO 8Ds for thruster? You could likely just do all your motoring on that!

Heh... actually, I suspect that means it's a 24V unit...

You could likely revisit the 426 battery layout, maybe a single (or smaller bank of 2) high-CCA Group 31s to start each engine, then some 8Ds for house, etc. Probably depends on space, convenience, and so forth...

-Chris

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

Wow, TWO 8Ds for thruster? You could likely just do all your motoring on that!

Heh... actually, I suspect that means it's a 24V unit...

You could likely revisit the 426 battery layout, maybe a single (or smaller bank of 2) high-CCA Group 31s to start each engine, then some 8Ds for house, etc. Probably depends on space, convenience, and so forth...

-Chris

Yea... Euro boat.... All 24v/240(220?)

I was thinking the same thing about paralleling smaller units for higher CCA, and 1 8D, but then it really only leaves the 1 house... Whereas 2 8D's for double duty....

Maybe I shouldn't reinvent the wheel though....

[ranger58sb]

We simply added amp-hours to each of our existing banks... which effectively added to our house, too.

-Chris