I hung on as long as possible before turning in and then enjoyed the best nightâs sleep that I can remember for a long time â over 12 hours! Itâs almost worth getting exhausted for the pleasure of such a wonderful untroubled sleep !
For those of you that read the Hejira blogs for light relief and human insight, I suggest you log off now and await my next missive â this is going to be technical !
It may be Manana in Spanish but there is clearly an Italian equivalent â Domani !
Having arranged with Alessandro for his electrical specialist to visit âbefore 12â, I went to chase them up at 12.45 before their lunch. He came after lunch armed with the same equipment I had used myself and we did a rudimentary âdrop testâ using the bow thruster as a heavy load. This pulled the batteries down from 12.5v (after a quick charge) to 11.5v where they stayed. This all but confirmed that the batteries are âshotâ and he went away for some gear to finally confirm this saying âback in five minutesâ. Two hours later, with no sign of him, I sketched the battery dimensions showing terminal positions and specification and returned to their office leaving a message for the missing Alessandro to ring me. He had said that if replacements are ordered today, they will be delivered tomorrow and I can fit them and be on my way so itâs most important to get them ordered. Handling these monsters is really a two man job so I expect more frustration in due course.
It seems that the Mastervolt panel showing 85% capacity is very misleading if the batteries are compromised. It calculates power used and computes it against the programmed capacity assuming that the batteries are still delivering that capacity. So 85% showed 15% used which ordinarily, with good batteries would have been fine but the capacity of the batteries were well down on their original capacity so despite this âchipperâ reading, they were actually âon their kneesâ.
Unfortunately, I just have to wait, not go anywhere and try to make sure something happens today. If the âspecialistâ doesnât return I am prepared to just order the things (I am now 99.9% sure they need to be replaced) if it means I can get going again tomorrow â mind you, I still have to find the elusive Alessandro !
Nick. Iâm not convinced the batteries are shot either, but cannot think what has caused this. Suggest you disconnect your solar panels for a while as well as anything else other than essentials to see how your batterie keep up. Having said that youâve done a drop test! Are you happy to spend ÂŁ3K for another 4years? Thereâs something else Iâm sure. Best. T
Thanks for your comments Trefor.
This reply addresses the points made by John Goodall previously and whgich I had also covered in my reply to David Bradley.
There has clearly been something going on for the batteries to have failed so early in their career and I will be taking advice.
My suspicion is that I have left the charger on 24/7 which is actually recommended but I think my problem may lie in that I have also left the photo voltaic panels connected as well. They pump in up to 3.8A on a sunny day and the battery charger will have had no knowledge of this. It could very well be that this has continually overcharged the batteries and progressively ‘cooked’ them. I will now only switch in the pv panels when sailing or at anchor.
Expensive lesson if this is all it was.
Keep following – I hope the blogs will become more upbeat in future !
Nick
Nick
AGM batteries just 4 years old. I thought they lasted like forever! Unbelievable! Istana has an old Chieftain Tank AGM battery installed forward to drive the b/thruster and windlass. It’s as old as the tanks and still working.
Last year I installed 3# 12v 150AH Leoch Powabloc Tubular Gel Leisure batteries @ ÂŁ225 each. Expected life 10 years.
These are the US batteries installed in golf buggies and fork lifts: designed to be abused! I have yet to try it, but the manufacturers say they can be effectively drawn down 80% with little voltage drop.
I’m still amazed by your news. Just 4 years????!!!!
John
Does the bow thruster and windlass still run off the domestic bank ?
Yes they both come off the domestic batteries.
I am thinking this has been deteriorating for some time and only exposed this year with extended (not really!) sailing as last year, in the Med was mostly motoring. I am thinking that running the the battery charger 24/7 is OK as recommended but I have lft the pv panels also topping up…. I will be phoning the Mastervolt man tomorrow. Needs a rethink on my charging discipline.
Hi Nick,
4 years doesn’t seem very long for your batteries. Is something in your charge/discharge routine causing them to fail early? Does the Mastervolt charger know which type of battery they are? I believe there is a different profile for AGM.
I have been using my lead/acid batteries for over 4 years without issues and they had done many years on the boat already. My Mastervolt charger is for lead/acids.
Great to hear from you David !
I will check the ‘dip switches’ to see if they are aligned with AGM but thinking this would not make a huge difference…..
I think it may be that I have left the charger on 24/7 which they say you should do but I have also had the pv panels pumping in as well.
Not pleased with the cost – 3,300 Euros for the 3 batteries but at least it will mean I will be on my way !