New battery box and other mod's to the Sculpin

[Sculpin]

Well I am a bad bad captain of my vessel. I left her in very rough shape this winter and I even forgot to disconnect the batteries .

Well I have never been very happy about all the "exposed" electrical on my Edwing. Time to do something about it. I am going to get those batteries up out of the hold and build a nice battery box with double doors against the transom just behind the hatch.

The before photos.



My bad . Yes I bought a new gasket for the Freeman hatch as well!!!



I will post up some photos of the after once they are complete at the end of this week.

The raw water wash down pump is shot and will be replaced with a new unit and kept inside the new transom cabinet. The switch and hose will be on side outside of the cabinet. I think I will keep the Racor where it is just outside of the new cabinet. The battery switch and new distribution block will be inside. I have to chop the intake pipe for the raw water wash down and relocate it to allow two batteries side by side lengthwise to fit along the bottom of the new cabinet.

Anyways hard to explain with out some photos of the new unit. I hope to have them up shortly. Thanks for all the great information on this site folks.

Cheers and sorry for being a stranger,

John

[Sculpin]

Here is another problem I have to deal with. I would like some input if I could.

I am getting some cracking at the outer locations of my swim platform. The one side is obviously worse due to the weight of the kicker motor. The other side is not as bad. I gouged it out once and re welded it but it cracked again. I was thinking of adding some bracing but have not decided how or where.







One thought was to add a pipe brace about mid way and back up to the upper portion of the transom. This would allow me to butt a cooler up against it if I choose to put one out there and something to tie one end of it to. Oh yeah those scupper rubbers are going to be replaced too!!!

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
John

[goatram]

The welds look like you did not penetration on the hull. Cold Welds? My NR has pipe braces under the swim step. When I changed out the main to a F250 with the additional 100+ pounds added to the swim step I thought about adding two more braces to the top side of the swim step.

I just rewired my boat's Battery area butting in a new set of BEP switches and a VSR (Voltage Sensing Relay) I also cleaned up all of the corroded wire connections, also added 2 Fuse panels One hot all the time for the 3 pumps and the memory lead for the radio and added the Hull Ground that Kevin aka Kmorim has talked about. I had added a bunch of new items (Bilge Pumps, Autopilot, Lights, and a Fan for the windshield to help preventing the Fogging) to the boat over the last three years and just hooked them up to the Batteries willie nillie. My dive to repair was three weeks ago the FF was showing less then 12 volts when I was running back in; out in LaPush. I finished it last weekend. Like you I need to take some pictures now that is done. you know the rain this past weekend made me a troll stuck in the house.

[Sculpin]

I'm also finally replacing the ss cleats (that were a b*tch to remove) with weld on aluminum ones

[Sculpin]

Thanks for the reply Goatram. I'll post a pic tomorrow showing the inside of the transom ripping away from the inside. Not a cold weld. There are some forces at play that are reaking havoc on the immediate area. I thought about a brace under but I have trim tab's, transducers etc. under there. If I did have a brace under there with a bend in the lower portion of it to act like a step to help get up onto the swim grid (MOB situation) that might be a good thing.

[goatram]

That is what I have the lower pipe comes straight out then bends up could have used it as a step in the past now it is hidden. I added to the hull and enclosed it around the swimstep.

[JETTYWOLF]

How bout weight distribution, solution?

Close in the "entire" stern to protect whatevers back there?? Obviously "weathering" is an issue. And send them battery's up into the cabin? I don't think I would have ever bought my boat if the stern was open where the filter, pump and wiring is. Snag hazzards, and saltwater splashing?

The battery photo sent shivvvvers up me spine....it may have worked, but they just don't look Kosher down there. I can see why ya want them moved!!



Goatram,
I've been breezing thru a few catalogs and really didn't grasp the "voltage sensing relay" stuff to well. Because they don't seem to say explictly what I'm looking for.

Did you add one for:

Motor to charge both batteries, when one is low.
Isolate each battery so one doesn't drain to other.
How do you seperate each when starting motor....manually switch it?

With out having to always turn a switch, how or what is used to have engine start on just the starting battery, and electronics pull from dedicated battery?

But then, I have a on-board 20amp charger, that I plug in when I put her to bed at night. Which independently charges each to full. A voltage sensing switch wouldn't effect that, because it's not run thru the battery switch. I'd hope.

[goatram]

Goatram,
I've been breezing thru a few catalogs and really didn't grasp the "voltage sensing relay" stuff to well. Because they don't seem to say explicitly what I'm looking for.

Did you add one for:

Motor to charge both batteries, when one is low.
Isolate each battery so one doesn't drain to other.
How do you seperate each when starting motor....manually switch it?

With out having to always turn a switch, how or what is used to have engine start on just the starting battery, and electronics pull from dedicated battery?

But then, I have a on-board 20amp charger, that I plug in when I put her to bed at night. Which independently charges each to full. A voltage sensing switch wouldn't effect that, because it's not run separate the battery switch. I'd hope.

I completely isolated the batteries so the main has the # 1 battery; it runs the bilge pumps and the 12V constant to the FM Radio. The 2nd Battery is for the house it runs all of my electronics. The VSR charges the Main Battery first then when it tops off the relay closes to charge the second one. In theory I should always have one (my Main) Battery ready to run in. Yes I have three battery switches in the back, one of them is a combiner. You have to switch them to make them turn on unless you oppt for one of the remote switches. I also have a Minn Kota Battery charge on board that maintains my batteries like you have

[JETTYWOLF]

Hmmmm....Yeah, I get way too busy to remember to "turn switches". That's what I thought.
Right now and pretty much my entire boating life I have just kept my switch on "ALL" with out any problems.

But this summer I've been running my washdown pump on a livewell. I added a timer so I can do either; Run, or 1-3-5 minute cycles, on for a minute, off 1-3-5 minutes. Too lessen any stress on the ole pump, and save power to the house battery.

Along with the Sounder, GPS on, & VHF. I'm still good. But always thought there could be a better way. If simply adding a few components.

I guess I could stay where I'm at. It all seems to do just fine. Jus' wonderin'.

[goatram]

You and the thousands of the other guys with the two battery switch have working systems why mess with it. Mine was not working and I wanted to do a upgrade and also clean the wires up. My corrosion issues and snake pit was beginning to cause problems. I also did a lot of reading on the Hull Truth. I do that a time or two to get smarter, read other Forums that is.

Going Shrimping in the Morning for those big Spot Prawns that we have up here. Will post up tomorrow night a few pictures of the shrimp and mods on a new thread. The new Miller Fish cleaning Station looks good on the stern.

[Sculpin]

You and the thousands of the other guys with the two battery switch have working systems why mess with it. Mine was not working and I wanted to do a upgrade and also clean the wires up. My corrosion issues and snake pit was beginning to cause problems. I also did a lot of reading on the Hull Truth. I do that a time or two to get smarter, read other Forums that is.

Going Shrimping in the Morning for those big Spot Prawns that we have up here. Will post up tomorrow night a few pictures of the shrimp and mods on a new thread. The new Miller Fish cleaning Station looks good on the stern.

Look forward to seeing your thread goatram. I will have the opportunity to change some things before it all goes back together.

Cheers
John

[Sculpin]

Here is a shot from the inside showing the cracking that is going on at the swim platform attachment points.





After reading about JW's steering problems I noticed this.



Oil that shouldn't be there.



Add another thing to the to do list. Don't think I'll be getting her in the water for quite a while yet .

[Sculpin]

On a brighter note I did get the new battery box formed up today.



These are the weld on cleats (yes I am a good Canadian boy)



I know, I know, I might need some more weld on there

Hopefully have the box all welded up and installed tomorrow evening.

[goatram]

John
Did you see my thread on the Pilothouse? it is now on page four of this sub forum. here is the supports on my swimm step that are now covered. your cracks need to have a doubler on the inside and some more bracing. I copied a couple of pictures from that thread but two of them are to large to repost need to go to the thread to view all of them

[Sculpin]

Wow I never checked that out before goatram! Your a heck of alot more ambitious than I. That was an amazing rebuild you did to your seahawk.

I like that bent tube under the platform. Thanks for the photos. I am going to back gouge out the welds and crack and re-weld them. I will add some braces like in your picture. I think it will work.

[Sculpin]

Well the box is coming along nicely and the boat is all cut out ready for installation. Hopefully have it in on the weekend.






It is basically a double door cabinet with some covered shelves above it. The shelves are just for tossing stuff in like flashers etc. The shelf is dropping about an inch towards the back with drain holes in the back wall for run off if water gets in there. I have to dream up a new removable cleaning/filleting table for the top of the cabinet. I like some of those ones Miller Marine builds and some of the links JW has posted up. Just need a quick and simple way to take it off and on from the top of the cabinet but be secure while on. The cabinet top is just flat right now.

[Sculpin]

Yes that is a full 3" pipe going around my boat in the picture above! I have never seen that before I bought this boat. Most boats have a half pipe or extrusion. This pipe goes from transom to bow. Pretty beefy .

I was actually thinking about cutting it in half for the area where the cabinet is going but said screw it. Ed built it tuff let's keep it tuff. I will knotch around the pipe.

[Sculpin]

The more I think about that shelf space above the more I think some drawers would be cooler..........

[JETTYWOLF]

I'm gonna enjoy this "progression".

Keep that camera handy!

If you made the cabinet, I'm sure you can make your own fish table

[goatram]

John You are not deleting the Pipe with the fish cleaning V are you? It was located on the stern with a box for the small lunch cooler. Need to see some more pictures of that. it looked handy. Since you are having withdrawal's finish the project and save the rest for Oct./Nov. time frame when the fish slow down and it is cold and wet out. Except this year that has been cold and wet right up to now.

[Sculpin]

John You are not deleting the Pipe with the fish cleaning V are you? It was located on the stern with a box for the small lunch cooler. Need to see some more pictures of that. it looked handy. Since you are having withdrawal's finish the project and save the rest for Oct./Nov. time frame when the fish slow down and it is cold and wet out. Except this year that has been cold and wet right up to now.

I am going to do something different for a cleaning table goatram. Just haven't figured it out yet. I have to do something else for the bait cooler as well.

Here is a shot of the one we whipped up a couple of years ago. Pretty snotty out there that day!

[Sculpin]

Well the cabinet is ready for mounting. I should have it mounted in a couple of hours.









I'll post up some more once it is tacked in place.

[goatram]

Very Nice! I am jealous of your ability.

Dave now you know who to bug to make your cleaning table with drawers

[Sculpin]

Very Nice! I am jealous of your ability.

Dave now you know who to bug to make your cleaning table with drawers

Thanks goatram but don't be too jealous as I had alot of help from Craig my senior fabricator. I'll pass on the kind words to him.

[Sculpin]

The test fit. Needed some trimming here and there but it went in










It does have a fault already...........it sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the boat!