2016 170 Montauk Sump Drain and Battery Charging

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JimPB
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2016 170 Montauk Sump Drain and Battery Charging

Postby JimPB » Tue May 24, 2022 12:50 pm

Q1: If rain is anticipated for an extended period of time or a storm is anticipated, should the drain of the sump be unplugged on a 2016 170 MONTAUK?

Q2: If I leave the drain plug in place, would connecting the battery charger to an outlet at the dock (so that the bilge pump doesn't drain batteries) be a good idea?

Q3: who has the definitive answer to Q1 and Q2?

My brother-in-law's answer is remove the drain plug (under the conditions specified in Q1).

I know painfully little about boats but am learning quickly. My first boat was a 14-foot tinny with a tiller. I am the new owner of a 2016 170 MONTAUK with a Mercury 90-HP engine. The boat has two batteries; engine cranking and house loads. There is a ChargePro battery charger in the console. The fuel tank is a 22-gallon on deck tank.


Thank you in advance
Jim

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Phil T
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Re:2016 170 Montauk Sump Drain and Battery Charging

Postby Phil T » Tue May 24, 2022 3:05 pm

Yes to pulling the plug.
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jimh
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Re: 2016 170 Montauk 170 Sump Drain and Battery Charging

Postby jimh » Tue May 24, 2022 4:51 pm

JimPB wrote:Q2: If I leave the drain plug in place, would connecting the battery charger to an outlet at the dock (so that the bilge pump doesn't drain batteries) be a good idea?
Yes, assuming you keep the sump drain plugged. Be sure the dock 120-VAC outlet is a ground fault interrupter protected outlet and also complies with any local electrical codes covering electrical power on a dock.

Be sure the battery charger has a FLOAT voltage setting that will be appropriate for the battery chemistry in your boat batteries. Chronic over-charging of a battery, particularly a sealed lead-acid battery, can damage a battery. The battery charger can also be damaged if it is not well-designed and sits for days trying to push a charge into a fully charged battery.

A good mooring cover will eliminate most of the rain from getting into the cockpit. It will also protect the gel coat, wood, and vinyl from sunlight.

JimPB
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Re: 2016 170 Montauk Sump Drain and Battery Charging

Postby JimPB » Thu May 26, 2022 3:33 pm

Thanks Phil. Thanks Jimh. I believe charger and battery setup is done correctly. My other brother-in-law floated the idea of attaching a little LED lamp near the battery that is visible from the dock so [the LED lamp would indicate something undefined and make that status so it ] could be seen.

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Re: 2016 170 Montauk Sump Drain and Battery Charging

Postby jimh » Thu May 26, 2022 4:11 pm

Regarding your brother-in-law and advice: unless your brother-in-law was Richard Feynman (or Dick Fisher), you should be cautious about taking advice from him.

JimPB
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Re: 2016 170 Montauk Sump Drain and Battery Charging

Postby JimPB » Fri May 27, 2022 5:46 pm

That's why I am asking here. :)

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Phil T
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Re: 2016 170 Montauk 170 Sump Drain and Battery Charging

Postby Phil T » Fri May 27, 2022 6:18 pm

If you can see the boat from shore, you should be able to tell if there is a problem by observing the waterline on the aft quarter. Given time you'll know what is normal and what is not.

Adding complex things to "alert" you is not wise.

Often the best advice is the easiest thing.

If the boat will be unattended for more than 3 days, just pull the plug.
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jimh
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Re: 2016 170 Montauk Sump Drain and Battery Charging

Postby jimh » Sat May 28, 2022 4:35 pm

ANECDOTE:

Very soon after I got my first Boston Whaler boat in c.1997, I trailered it to northern Michigan, and launched it on Elk Lake. We were staying at a funky little motel with about eight rooms on the lake that had a several small docks that its tenants could use. I left the 1976 SPORT 15 at the dock. That night there was very heavy and prolonged rainfall. I had left the cockpit sump drain plugged.

The next morning I went out with some worry to see how the new Boston Whaler boat was doing after all the rain. Of course, being an open boat, there was a lot of water in the cockpit. I didn't have a bucket with me. Hmm, I though, maybe I can just unplug the cockpit sump drain. I carefully got in the boat, avoiding causing any list to the side, slowly approached the transom while watching how much freeboard was left, and I pulled the cockpit sump drain. In a few moments the boat cockpit was free of all water. Wow, I thought, what a cool design in these Boston Whaler boats.

In the next slip there was a 17-foot runabout with a sterndrive. The top of the transom of the boat was only an inch above the waterline, the skeg of the sterndrive was stuck in the lake bottom, and the entire boat was flooded. Hmm, I thought, glad I had bought a Boston Whaler. We went boating all day. The owner of the other boat was probably calling his insurance agent.

IRONY: We were back in that area a few years ago. That little motel was gone. In its place was a four-storey private condo development with private docks on the lake. Access to the water is getting harder all the time.