New boater with questions on Battery and Solar Panel

[wilreyca]

Hello,

We are new boaters, and we just bought a 2016 SX192 so we have a few questions, hopefully it's ok to have a single thread for all of them.

1. The boat will stay in a lake mooring the entire summer while not in used. Do I leave the battery ON so the bilge kicks in if water gets in the boat while we are away? We are planning to keep the covers on while the boat is not in used so I would presume not a lot of water should get in.

2. Should I buy a solar panel to keep the battery charge while the boat is in the mooring? If so, any recommendations?

3. Should I install a second battery instead?

Thank you,

 

[Julian]

Unfortunately Yamaha changes the configuration of each boat, your best bet is to read the owners manual for your model to see how the bilge works. I would also TEST their statements as sometimes the manual doesn't match the actual set up. Pull the pump and drop it in a small container of water to ensure it works.

2- A solar panel would be a good idea. (mine has one)
3- I always have a 2nd battery as redundancy is great to have. (also good to have when you cove out and don't want to drain the start battery)

 

[HawaiiBreeze]

Congrats on the new boat. The bilge/battery question is a tough one. I'd almost say hook up a separate battery with a solar charger to the bilge and install a float switch and keep your other battery for starting and managing the boat. I've been seeing an increasing amount of boaters with batteries dying prematurely when kept on charge for long periods of time so I wouldn't want my main battery susceptible. That being said a 2nd battery is always super handy to have and you can just install it unconnected (I did this for awhile as I contemplated the wiring scheme that I wanted to install). When you are ready to do a full-on 2nd battery install system there are plenty of build threads here on the forum and on YouTube. Two pieces of advice on that install, think and map it out fully and don't scrimp on the materials.

Good Luck with the new ride...you're going to have a great summer!

 

[RNYCLV]

Congratulations on the new boat! Hope you love it. Our boat stays in a mooring station for only a few weeks at a time, however we did install a tender/charger that plugs in at the slip. We also have a converter and solar panel for when we camp on the island on lake geroge Ny. The solar converter is Goal Zero, same with the panels. The panels just chill on the island and store the power to the inverter then we plug the boat in.
not going to lie. While camping I run down every few hours and manually check the bilge. While at the slip the AUX switch controls second bilge but that’s plugged in to power source. Don’t know if any of this will help.
me joy the boat and welcome aboard!

 

[AuburnVFR]

I have a 2016 SX190 so we probably have the same oem bilge setup. The master battery switch and the helm switch need to be left on for the stock bilge pump to operate. It is the water sensing type that activates every few minutes to check for water, so I don't think the stock setup is ideal (or viable) for long-term mooring. Your best option is to install a second bilge pump with a float switch wired directly to the battery, so it will activate (and draw on the battery) only if water is present without having the master on.

 

[wilreyca]

Congratulations on the new boat! Hope you love it. Our boat stays in a mooring station for only a few weeks at a time, however we did install a tender/charger that plugs in at the slip. We also have a converter and solar panel for when we camp on the island on lake geroge Ny. The solar converter is Goal Zero, same with the panels. The panels just chill on the island and store the power to the inverter then we plug the boat in.
not going to lie. While camping I run down every few hours and manually check the bilge. While at the slip the AUX switch controls second bilge but that’s plugged in to power source. Don’t know if any of this will help.
me joy the boat and welcome aboard!

Thanks for all the information. Based on your post, I checked the Goal Zero panels and converter and those are nice but a little pricey. Plus the panels of that size are not something the I can somehow keep in the boat with the covers on. So I think that for now, I think the best thing for me to do it's what others recommended and add a second battery and a bilge pump with a float switch connected directed to the battery.

We are loving the boat BTW. We just had our successful second weekend of boating.

 

[RNYCLV]

Thanks for all the information. Based on your post, I checked the Goal Zero panels and converter and those are nice but a little pricey. Plus the panels of that size are not something the I can somehow keep in the boat with the covers on. So I think that for now, I think the best thing for me to do it's what others recommended and add a second battery and a bilge pump with a float switch connected directed to the battery.

We are loving the boat BTW. We just had our successful second weekend of boating.

I completely understand, I see the pricing on things has increased dramatically! I would not be buying at todays pricing either. Happy you are enjoying the boat!