Long Time to the Simple Solution
I’ve finally reached the point when I can start working on the pieces leading up to the installation of the new electric engine. First stop in that regard is getting the 4 – 100# AGM batteries in place. These are taller (12″ vs 10″) and longer (13″ vs 8″ or 12″) than ‘conventional’ marine deep cycle wet cells. I wracked my brain, and those of several friends, to try to figure out a way to put the batteries forward in the engine compartment, making them easier to install and deal with. But every configuration we came up with left us short on space; we couldn’t find a way to fit all 4 without reconfiguring the stairs down into my cabin. And, as long as this years project has taken (2 months out of the water as of yesterday), I really didn’t want to add another carpentry project to the list.
So yesterday afternoon and this morning, I spent making cardboard cutouts to confirm the battery placement, before I started cutting wood. This afternoon, however, I had an ‘ah hah!’ moment.
Why not move the house batteries, leaving enough room for the engine AGMs right where we wanted to put them?
So I started looking at the lockers on each side of the engine compartment. They could easily hold the house batteries. I could then put two of the engine batteries where the house batteries were, put one battery ‘under’ the engine platform, forward of where the engine would sit. That would leave one battery that I hoped to put over the bilge. But, again, I ran into a height problem. So it will go on the port side, behind the engine and on top of the porside engine rails.
After all that planning and figuring, I was only able to get one house battery moved today. Tomorrow, I hope to get the second replaced. By the end of week, I’ll try to post pictures with the new configuration.