Batteries and Chargers
​
​
​
​
​
Batteries: The system employs four lead acid batteries, which are located under the floor in the saloon. Three batteries are to power domestic needs, the fourth is dedicated to starting the engine. The Batteries are located under the floor in the saloon.
​
Charging the Batteries
Charging via the solar panel: The leisure batteries are charged by the two solar panels on the gantry above the Bimini. The flexible solar panel charges the engine battery.
​
Charging with shore power: The battery chargers run off 240v shore power. 2 CTEK M100's chargers were purchased in 2020. They're mounted on the bulkhead near the chart table, adjacent to the drinks cupboard. It is vital (so as not to blow internal fuses) to ensure correct 240v polarity. These chargers will charge and recondition batteries, significantly prolonging their lives. They're also designed tocharge, recondition and maintain AGM batteries should we ever purchase them. The chargers have a 5 year guarantee and were purchased from Amazon.
​
CTEK Battery Charger Guide:
CTEK M100 User Manual:
CTEK Website:
Polarity Testers: To avoid accidental reverse polarity, switch off the 240v-supply to the chargers as you leave any berth and check polarity before switching on again. Several pontoons in the area we sail in have reverse polarity. The polarity checker plug should show three lights if the polarity is correct for the boat. If three lights aren't showing, get the reverse polarity lead from the cockpit locker and insert between the 240V lead and the socket under the transom bridge.
