Battery recomendation
 

I have a 23' Tsunami w/ an 300 HP i/o - w/ (7) year old SeaHwak batteries that have worked great, but it's time to R/R.

I don't need anything too fancy as I just run a VHF, FF, and hopefully a GPS soon. I do run a livewell too.

Anyone have a brand / spec on a pair of good batteries...

Re: Battery recomendation
 

Just head over to the Bargain Bilge and buy another pair of those Seahawks-I use em too and have had excellent luck.

Re: Battery recomendation
 

I've always had good luck with Optima's blue tops. I have 3 in my 20sf with no problems so far and I had 2 in my 23sf with out any problems. Boats have always started right up no matter how long they have sat.

strick

Re: Battery recomendation
 

I'm using Deka AGM Group 27, I've been getting them for $159. West Marine sells 'em for $229. I believe your SeaHawks are made by Deka/East Penn. If you got 7 yrs out of them I'd go right back to them.

Re: Battery recomendation
 

Another Optima blue top fan here. The gel cells are much safer.

Re: Battery recomendation
 

Thx guys. That time of the year ( at least for us northeasterners )

Who makes Seahawks - looks like Deka has a SeaHawk battery but I can't find them online with the SeaHawk name.

OLDFIELDER, what model you got ? My model #'s etc have long been wiped clean over the years...

Bargain Bilge - where is that ? Patchogue ?

Re: Battery recomendation
 

It's right there on that corner in Patch. I have group 27's. I put a combiner on them a few years ago and have been really happy. One deep cycle and one starting.
They're really helpful in there. You'll probably wind up buying other stuff.

Re: Battery recomendation
 

Thank you ! Will go there and on the way home, stop in at the Blue Point Brewery for a cold one ! Just ONE !

Re: Battery recomendation
 

Is the taproom open during the week? My best friend's wife used to tend the bar down there on weekends when the beer was still free for tastings. BlueGlass Fridays-buy a glass for 5 bucks and have at it!
If you only have one, grab an old howling bastard-that really counts as two.

Re: Battery recomendation
 

Thursday, Friday, Sat 3-7 Free tastings - can't beat it. I bring 3-4 growlers home - good to have when you're going to have more than one or friends over...

Spoke via phone to a guy at Bargain Bilge - says he has what I'll need.

I know I had two identical batteries and that's what I want again - want to keep it simple. Probably two starter batteries as opposed to deep cycle.

Can I have a deep cycle and a starter battery w/ a Guest battery switch kept on "Both" at all times without any negative effect ?

Re: Battery recomendation
 

Unless you are in a bind, never leave it turned to both. One battery will always sap the other until you basically have one big cell at the same level of discharge and your worst case scenario is that you wind up with up with two dead ones, especially if you are on a long, lazy fluke drift out in the ocean on a nice summer afternoon.
Get a starter and a deep cycle and dedicate the starter to the motor and the deep cycle to your electronics, etc. They are very different batteries designed for difft. purposes. I invested in a combiner/isolater a few years ago and it gives me a lot of piece of mind for the $100 I spent on it. I now basically leave the battery switch turned to 1(starter) all the time when running, but the house battery also reaps the benefits of being charged. Talk to the guy down there about it. It's a very easy thing to wire up on your own.
We'll have to tip a few down there some time.

Re: Battery recomendation
 

You need an isolater/combiner, and two group 24 or 27 batteries. I use WalMart batteries, and one of my batteries is now 5, yes, five, years old, and test just fine.

Re: Battery recomendation
 

DAMN ! I like the idea ! I have never had a problem in the past, but I like the idea of a combiner / isolator... Makes a lot of sense...

I guess I would hook all my peripherals up to the deep cell and just the starter up to the starter battery...

How do you adjust how much charge goes to the deep cell ?

And, in a bind - can a deep cell start a boat ?

Re: Battery recomendation
 

It's automatic
Yes. As long as you've got the CCA rating you need. Not a problem for o/b motors.