Running without a Battery Switch

bradford

bradford

God
If I decide to rig my skiff without a battery switch am I commiting some kind of huge sin in the boating world? I can see the need if running two batteries, or a bunch of house loads, but my electrical is pretty simple. Gonna have a single 1000 mca starting battery mounted in the stern next to the 90 etec with a jack plate, Got a 3 switch panel for nav lights, bilge pump, and a chartplotter.
 
No, not really any reason you can't. BUT, if one of the items connected to your battery is left on (like a radio or chartplotter of whatever), and you're gone for a long time (like over the winter).. you could return to find your battery is completely drained. A battery switch is more than just an on/off device. It's really an isolater. preventing your battery from running down and your electronics from getting fried.
 
no need for a dual battery switch, just run a single on/off switch. If youre limited to space, I've flush mounted them inside a group 27 battery box with a group 24 battery. Cut a 2X4 to keep the batteyr to one sideof the box and off the switch
 
bradford, one of the biggest reasons is your trim relays on your outboard. if the two way switch on the binnacle control were to go bad and give a constant up or down , possibly burn out a relay or trim motor before running battery down. was more of a problem when the trim switch was a seperate rocker swwitch on the dash.
that being said, i still haven't put an isolater switch on my v, so , what do i know...
 
bradford said:
If I decide to rig my skiff without a battery switch am I commiting some kind of huge sin in the boating world? I can see the need if running two batteries, or a bunch of house loads, but my electrical is pretty simple. Gonna have a single 1000 mca starting battery mounted in the stern next to the 90 etec with a jack plate, Got a 3 switch panel for nav lights, bilge pump, and a chartplotter.
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Isn't there a computer on etec motors?...aren't you gonna charge the battery from time to time?...like mentioned above, the switch acts as an isolator and for those two reasons, might be a good idea...:sex:
 
On the old V I had before I got cash i ran a single shut off just to shut power off when not in use for reasons above
The new to me V is only going to have one battery for this year as they are $100+ and i am short this year
 
I've been running for the past two seasons without a switch. My boat came with a single battery and switch but the PO made did a lot of questionable decisions when it came to wiring the boat. Over the past season and a half I cleaned up a lot of it and in the mean time I just left it without the switch and it has been fine, much to my surprise. I have a spare battery on board, not wired in, and a booster pack I carry. I do have a blue seas ACR that I plan on installing along with an on board charger, but time was tight this season and I'd rather be fishing than working on the boat.
 
phatdaddy said:
bradford, one of the biggest reasons is your trim relays on your outboard. if the two way switch on the binnacle control were to go bad and give a constant up or down , possibly burn out a relay or trim motor before running battery down. was more of a problem when the trim switch was a seperate rocker swwitch on the dash.
that being said, i still haven't put an isolater switch on my v, so , what do i know...
Click to expand...

This exact thing happened to me a couple of years ago. Trim switch stuck on my bowrider. Somehow I missed it. By the time I got back to the boat, I had a dead battery and a burned out trim pump.

Care to guess how much the new pump was? $890 from a Volvo-Penta dealer (just found the invoice). That's the part only, without labor.

Guess what? I installed a battery switch - cheap insurance. And a second battery later.
 
spareparts said:
no need for a dual battery switch, just run a single on/off switch. If youre limited to space, I've flush mounted them inside a group 27 battery box with a group 24 battery. Cut a 2X4 to keep the batteyr to one sideof the box and off the switch
Click to expand...

Already got the 2x4 in the group 27 box with a group 24 battery plus the electrical for the jack plate.

Think I'm gonna run without a switch. I never turn off the ones in the v. If I had 2 batteries like the v I would have one. I never charge the batteries, just run the engine at least once a week. A few other boats I've had in the past didn't have battery switches either. Trying to simplify the rigging as much as possible, less b.s. is better
 
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thousands of watercraft run fine without a battery switch and if you want you can wire it so the power trim and electronics only works with the ignition switch in accy or on... my boats that do have them, I pretty much never turn em off.... That said, I like to have em so I at least have the option of killing power without pulling batt cables.
 
I have a switch on my V for the above reasons plus I moor it at a marina every now & then, so I have it rigged to turn off everything but one bilge pump.

My runabout has no switch, keeping it simple, but it has very little wiring & is never moored.
 
15 years, no battery switch, running one grp 27 DP battery, in water all season.

I have had a dual battery switch in my garage for 13 years...someday....
 
Convenient for sandbar music listening when you can isolate the one battery that will carry you home. BUT
Necessary? No, especially on a skiff. It is a couple more copper connectors that can corrode behind the body of the switch itself and you won't know what is going on until your eat up with corrosion and something malfunctions. Sure it is easy to just turn off a switch as opposed to disconnecting a battery terminal. I wouldn't leave the battery connected for the reasons mentioned earlier, although I am guilty of doing it all the time.
Ironically, I left mine on BAT1 in the Wellcraft. Checked it today, both batteries are toast. Wouldn't even make a solenoid click/fuel gauge work when combined, I think it said 10 volts on the meter. I haven't used it since Memorial Day and don't have a maintenance charger because I never needed it before. I am just not using the boat much. My skiff has had more action with the new 4-stroke and the console makeover... Just easier all the way around to handle and operate. Oh well, anyone want a Center Console? $maybe not just yet..
 
RidgeRunner said:
Convenient for sandbar music listening when you can isolate the one battery that will carry you home. BUT
Necessary? No, especially on a skiff. It is a couple more copper connectors that can corrode behind the body of the switch itself and you won't know what is going on until your eat up with corrosion and something malfunctions. Sure it is easy to just turn off a switch as opposed to disconnecting a battery terminal. I wouldn't leave the battery connected for the reasons mentioned earlier, although I am guilty of doing it all the time.
Ironically, I left mine on BAT1 in the Wellcraft. Checked it today, both batteries are toast. Wouldn't even make a solenoid click/fuel gauge work when combined, I think it said 10 volts on the meter. I haven't used it since Memorial Day and don't have a maintenance charger because I never needed it before. I am just not using the boat much. My skiff has had more action with the new 4-stroke and the console makeover... Just easier all the way around to handle and operate. Oh well, anyone want a Center Console? $maybe not just yet..
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If you're not using it, I'll babysit her. Problem is I doubt I could handle it by myself anymore:cry:. It's all I can do with my skiff anymore.
 
Maybe that is a sign, we need to get our otherwise handicapped arses together. Maybe between the two of us we can find a happy medium and figure this thing out. Your obviously slated to be the brains of the operation , I'll be the ballast.. v1 :fam:
It has fuel,(God only knows if it will burn) I'll keep you posted.
 
RidgeRunner said:
Maybe that is a sign, we need to get our otherwise handicapped arses together. Maybe between the two of us we can find a happy medium and figure this thing out. Your obviously slated to be the brains of the operation , I'll be the ballast.. v1 :fam:
It has fuel,(God only knows if it will burn) I'll keep you posted.
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If I'm the brains, were screwed as I'm brainless if you ask my wife
 
Appreciate everyone's response, decided to run without one. Real close to finally being done, don't know if I'll do another full project/resto. Lot of money, but even more a lot of time. Rather be running them.
 
As of the moment I plan to run one Deka 800/1000 group 24m7 starting battery without a switch and an emergency portable battery starter aboard in case I need to start with a second source. I don't plan to put a switch on the battery but will probably disconnect one side of it when it's not in use. Keeping it as absolutely simple as I can...actually, found a very simple battery post switch that you just turn a knob on to disconnect the negative side and turn it back down again to make contact...easy to do when you leave the boat. Have one to try.
 
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I just got into this yesterday. Went from changing the switch to running to the depot for starboard. Tried to mount the switch from from behind and it didn;t look as good as a photo i saw. Added a knife sheath for up to 9' blade.
 

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