Vintage Boat Electrics

[Nowhere-Man]

Yesterday I started up my 1974 Lister air cooled marine engine. I was a bit nervous as it hadn't been started since September due to very bad weather. Fortunately it started easily enough. Last year I had to replace the alternator so used a Lucas which is OK although it needs a tighter belt. Yesterday I put a small bulb from D+ to battery + in order to energise the alternator (it had to rev a bit for the light to go out). Everything was hot-wired as I haven't redone the panel electrics yet.
At any rate, vintage boat electrics go back to an era when electrics were simpler with less gadgetery. Typical layout would be:
(1) Split charge relay with two domestic batteries.
(2) Ammeter and shunt plus voltmeter.
(3) Panel with switches for lights, pumps, navigation lights and radio et cetera.
(4) Back up solar or wind charging system.
(5) Shoreline hook up for onboard AC.
Good site on boat electrics is
- www.fishingandboats.com

[Crackle]

Maybe a larger pulley on the alternator will help it to generate at lower revs and also cure the loose belt problem.

Mike

[Ed_Dinning]

Hi, fairly similar to some of the caravan electrics that can be seen these days, plenty of parts around for them.

I did some work on split charging systems many years ago for racing yachts, where there was often a requirement to recharge batteries in port and it took a long time.
The circuit devised was to fit a different regulator to the alternator as well as the split charge relays and get a much higher output from the alternator at medium RPM.
Batteries were of different Ah ratings so on / off times of split charge system was modified as they came up to charge. It was mandatory to monitor battery temps.

Ed

[Crackle]

That web site mentioned in post 1 is a strange one.


Mike

[Refugee]

I can remember finding a contract job over Easter back in the late 1970s at a boat hire company.
There were two types of engine.
Water cooled ones used a taxi engine cooled by a tank of water that was part of the hull. The other type was the Lyster air cooled.
They all had alternators that were fitted with regulators with a remote sensing option on the regulator that can be identified by there being an extra wire terminal on the body of the alternator.
The split charge was as simple as two 80 amp diodes connected common anode to the alternator output and the cathodes to the battery positives. The remote sense wire from the regulator in the alternator was connected to the starter battery.
Both batteries just got charged to the same voltage monitored by the sealed regulator in the alternator.

[Nowhere-Man]

Why a strange site, Mike? John C Payne who runs the site is a first rate marine engineer who wrote the Marine Electrical and Electronics Bible. I believe years ago he made a living fixing electrical faults on yachts. He was one of the first engineers to fit the Hella power deep cycle regulators (think they appeared in the eighties). I imagine it must have been an interesting line of work as you must see some pretty nice yachts. I agree the site could use a bit more "impact". Maybe he's semi retired now.

[Nowhere-Man]

Yes, diode isolation is used to split house batteries from the starter. It allows charge from the alternator to all batteries but blocks any drain from the starter battery. The snag is the diodes need a compensation regulator to allow for voltage drop across the diodes. My system also is the K.I.S.S. - just fit a relay but not with an inverter as part of the load.
The steel boat I live on now has a Lister air cooled engine. Sadly I am going to sell the boat as I came to believe boating is no longer a cheaper, stress free lifestyle. I mean, I see so many people pour money into boats and suffer all sorts of problems. Seeping leaks, engine problems, cowboy mechanics and, lately, insurance companies only offering 3rd party to older boats. However, I think fibreglass is a good alternative. No need for welders, anodes, bitumen, galvanic isolators or such extra costs. Of course I met many wealthy boat owners and then also others who have older boats (the so-called continuous cruisers)
So my job this year is to work on both of the boats and fit the radio work in as well. The GRP will have solar power and I may fit a low power alternator.

[Crackle]

Why a strange site, Mike?

I described it as strange as it pretends to be a definitive source for rectifying marine electrical problems, and discusses a vast variety of issues, but is lacking in any real detail.  On many of the web pages there are repeated phrases at the end of each paragraph. "Batteries Start with a lead acid battery type".  this is strange!!!
The other thing I saw was many sketches and images all seem to be elsewhere on the internet, (or of course it may be the converse and the other examples of the same images were taken from John Payne's site)
He is obviously a skilled marine electrician, but his web site is obviously a means to publicise the books he has written on the subject, I cant comment on them as I have not seen or read them.
It's strange as well because I could see no links to actually purchase a book or to contact the author of the web site.
Just my personal view.

Just to add a little background about myself, I have sailed boats from when I was at school. I built my first boat, a 29 foot Motor Sailor when I was in my mid 20's from the bare fibre glass mouldings.  I have rebuilt and marinised diesel engines, fitted and aligned prop shafts, fabricated the mast from the bare aluminium extrusion and made all my own rigging. Designed, fabricated and fitted the internal joinery, and designed and fitted the deck hardware. I have since carried out extensive re-fits on other boats. In later life, with my background and C&G qualifications in Electrical Installations I was often called upon to rectify and advise on other yacht owners electrical issues.
Building my first boat was a massive learning curve, very hard work, but very fulfilling. As well as my full time job in the Theatre, I kept up 4 more part time jobs, including taxi driving, ice cream van driver, and freelance model maker involved in making models of Nuclear fall out shelters. I was recently pleased to be put in touch with the current owner of the boat I made, who confirms the boat is still going strong following a recent refit by him. Here is the boat, it still has the original name I gave it, but the colour of the hull has changed from green to blue.
   

Mike

[Nick]

Is that a Fisher? a 25 maybe?

They're fun. Used to see them a lot round the Solent...

[Crackle]

Hi Nick
It is a Colvic Watson officially known as a 28' 6" Watson, but my one was 29 feet due to the capping's I added to the deck coaming.. They are a very large boat for just under 29 feet, weighing in at over 6 tons.
Similar in appearance to the Fisher range of boats made by Northshore Shipyard.

This is me, inspecting the mud after taking a wrong turn in the River Swale, photo taken back in the early 1980's.
   

Mike