Boosting a boat

[Ptownkid]

Anyone know how many amps one should look for in boosting power if one would like to purchase charger/booster for their saltare?

[csuggs]

I don't know, but I had to start mine one time at the dock with a portable booster. It was just an every-day Black-n-Decker (I think) that a guy had with him - worked just fine on my 351.

[haugy]

Who else came in thinking this was going to be about adding a blower to the motor? :D

Boosting as in battery charger? Boosting as increasing overall amperage from the Alternator?

[dshaff24]

Ive always wanted to turbo a boat..lol I was excited for a minute

[Ptownkid]

Boosting as in starting a boat that does not have enough battery charge to start...

[haugy]

Ah. We rednecks call that "jumping it off".

If you are wanting a regular charger/jump starter that you plug in at the house. That's easy. Get one with a 2 amp maintainer (trickle) setting, a 10-15 slow charge, and I prefer a 100amp start selection.

That's enough to start any motor at any temperature, unless you're running a >700ci Diesel that's overheated. That will get you a good trickle setting, and a nice overnight charge setting, and a jump start setting.

EDIT: For the record, a 100amp is very high for standard motors, but I have to jump off bobcats, big trucks, large diesels, etc. A 50 amp might be plenty for a normal user.

[Okie Boarder]

When I saw the title I thought of this...

http://citricice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Gone-in-60-Seconds.jpg

haugy..."jump it off", huh? Interesting. We've always just said jump, like "Can you give my car a jump?"

[Ptownkid]

Yup, jump or boost is the common terminology here.

[wotan2525]

I've boosted mine off a pretty small boost box. It doesn't really take these engines too much to kick over. They're not high compression and as long as your starter is in good shape they are usually very high-torque.

After the summer where it seemed like I was always dead or needing a jump I upgraded everything. Now (knock on wood) I should never have to worry about needing a jump. 3 batteries, 160amp alternator, 0-gauge wiring, on-board 3-bank charger and isolater.

[haugy]

3 batteries, 160amp alternator, 0-gauge wiring, on-board 3-bank charger and isolater.

I like your style. :D That's how I like to do things. Where did you get your alternator?

[Ptownkid]

I'm going to go to two batteries once funds allow...but at the moment my Salt needs so many things...the most important being plugs, wires, strut bushings, maybe a strut, new pitots, carb rebuild, and some minor glassing work inside where the strut attaches. PO was not nice to her.

[csuggs]

. . . . wouldn't mind getting "jumped" on the boat :roll:

[wotan2525]

I like your style. :D That's how I like to do things. Where did you get your alternator?

db. love those guys!

[haugy]

db. love those guys!

DB? Dave & Busters? Dork and bimbos? Donkey Balls? :D :D

Good thing I'm good at the google search. www.dbelectrical.com ????

[wotan2525]

DB? Dave & Busters? Dork and bimbos? Donkey Balls? :D :D

Good thing I'm good at the google search. www.dbelectrical.com ????

Sorry... yes.... db electrical. I thought everyone this forum knew of them by now. I know I'm not the only satisfied customer.

[Ptownkid]

DB? Dave & Busters? Dork and bimbos? Donkey Balls? :D :D

Good thing I'm good at the google search. www.dbelectrical.com ????

You can't be a redneck if you know how to navigate the internets like that...

[sybrmike]

Call it what you want, just be sure to do it properly - I about died laughing watching two sorority girls melt the insulation off the cables when they reversed them (funny now cause no one was hurt).

Ptown - PO's are notorious for screwing things up good. But guess if they treated 'em right we wouldn't be having so much fun... Sounds like all good work/upgrades, but new strut? They can be straightened if it's just bent.

Sidejack - Hey Wot, do you have a schematic of your wiring? Did you upgrade the wire gauge from that 160A alt on the engine harness & did you run a feed directly to the isolator? Sorry lots of ?'s - hope to start tackling some wiring this long weekend.

[mapleleaf]

I'm going to go to two batteries once funds allow...but at the moment my Salt needs so many things...the most important being plugs, wires, strut bushings, maybe a strut, new pitots, carb rebuild, and some minor glassing work inside where the strut attaches. PO was not nice to her.

Best thing I could'a done last summer was add my second batt. on a BEP VSR. Its been no lack of power since.....

[tg0824SSVGG]

Where "I" come from, boosting is STEALING!! JumPing is what you ask about. Just sayin'

[wotan2525]

Sidejack - Hey Wot, do you have a schematic of your wiring? Did you upgrade the wire gauge from that 160A alt on the engine harness & did you run a feed directly to the isolator? Sorry lots of ?'s - hope to start tackling some wiring this long weekend.

It's always a head-scratcher when I hook up the batteries (which I did tonight.)

My setup doesn't look all clean and tidy with perfectly straight bus bars and miles of matched 0-gauge connectors. I've got wires going everywhere and none of them are terminated the same way and no bus bars and black/blue/red/grey wires going every which way.

Luckily, I had the foresight (learned the hardway) to tape/wire-tie/mark every connection as it's taken off the battery in the fall. This makes it a LOT easier to put everything back together. I still don't really know how I ever hooked everything up correctly the first time, but I did it without writing anything down and just moving slowly step by step through the BlueSea instructions.

Recently, someone on the moomba boards documented the wiring for this system VERY well. The last diagram in this thread is exactly how I hooked mine up. (Pat on the back, pat on the back!)

http://moomba.com/msgboard/showthread.php?t=14636

[sybrmike]

Thanks for the link - very helpful. My system will be a little different, but that's a great reference starting point. Glad you were able to figure it all out for you system.

[jet]

Boosting is stealing!! And jumping is a jump-start! lol. I was thinking who has the balls to ask on here how to steal a boat?? lol

[Ptownkid]

I do, muah hah hah haaaaaaaa.

[DAFF]

Usually I simpily use a booster pack from Canadian Tire. Have it on the boat for those times when the battery goes dead. I like the simple ones without the gadgets and fancy circut boards. They also make it nice and easy for trailer wiring diagnostics.

As for boosting I was thinking of a lift kit on a trailer !!! Fliped my axle a few years ago for my jeep. The tounge of the trailer would run inline with the bumper with no drop hitch.

[Blackntan90]

Yeah.. I thought this was going to be about stealing, or lifting, or making off with, but it's O.K. I use a 'Jump&carry pro 1600' that I got years ago, the ad for it showed a big rig parked on top of one- sold me. I fit it into the 'basement' ski locker of the 'ol Mariah- fits like a glove. But like Cyber said, please hook it up correctly! I have seen batteries explode in people's faces firsthand- not cool!