8D Battery Removal

[Mac G]

Have GB42 with heavy 8D batteries.
Am curious what tricks and techniques others have used for getting these heavy batteries in and out of the boat.
Besides brute strength...
Anyone ever use the salon overhead hand rail to hoist batteries out of engine room?
Please advise

 

[Greg QS]

Brute strength.
Use ropes and a second person and dead lift up through the hatch. Not that bad when using 2 people. Don't forget protection on the floor .
Look on the bright side. Going in is easier. LOL

 

[Nick F]

Don't put them back in!

Use smaller G31s in parallel. Or 6V batteries in series.

 

[SteveK]

Young brute force or two older guys.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. MG. Yep. Young guys. Do NOT think overhead rail in saloon is a good idea. May or may not work but if it doesn't, now you have a rail to fix. Also agree with multiple smaller batteries. MUCH easier to move about. My $.02.

 

[porman]

I made an A frame out of 2X6s and lifted them out with my Lifesling pulley.

 

[SeaDogAK]

I used an 8’ 2 x 6 as a ramp. Tied a dock line through the battery rope handles, then slid the battery up the board, using the dock line to pull it up. My wife and I had two teenage boys as helpers. I was in the bilge with the other three pulling from above.

 

[EricH]

20 years ago I used brute force. I don’t have any of that now so I replaced the 8Ds with 65lb. 6v golf cart batteries.

 

[jgwinks]

I pulled mine out by myself at age 68 and not great health. There's a hatch over the battery box that I opened, then set up a step ladder as an A frame, lifted them out with a chain fall then put the hatch back in underneath. Used the same to get them up the stairs to the sun deck and over the side to my truck. Boat was on the hard at the time. I replaced them with golf cart batteries, I can lift those no problem.

 

[SteveK]

20 years ago I used brute force. I don’t have any of that now so I replaced the 8Ds with 65lb. 6v golf cart batteries.

And I replaced my wore out 65lb 6V batteries with 26lb 12v lithium. May have to add ballast to the boat.

 

[Sax]

Ladder and block and tackle makes this part easy

 

[Osprey69]

Would not attempt and I can still do stuff...probably because anything back related like that I use the best leverage of all. Cash to the marina employees who are very happy to get $100 bucks for 30-60 minutes work.

 

[paulpoz]

I used a block and tackle one time and a come along another. I also took a 2x4, span the length of the battery, put an eye hook in the middle and hold screws the battery handles. I was in a very awkward space and I had to rotate the battery

 

[kolive]

When we replaced ours with smaller batts, we bought the Batte4ies from Les Schwab and they came to the boat our boat, removed them and installed the new ones……

 

[bobandmilly]

Have GB42 with heavy 8D batteries.
Am curious what tricks and techniques others have used for getting these heavy batteries in and out of the boat.
Besides brute strength...
Anyone ever use the salon overhead hand rail to hoist batteries out of engine room?
Please advise

 

[bobandmilly]

Hire somebody with experience. Save your back and aggrivation.

 

[MichaelD]

when you replace, put in 2 paralled Group 41's, AGM. Much easier next time.

 

[SteveK]

not seen G41 suggested , mostly G31, is there a reason 41's are recommended.

 

[MichaelD]

Good point: in my case the 8D (single) was for Start. My Tech suggested those as good replacement, and so far they are great and much easier to maneuver. There might be better choices for House application.

 

[BobMc]

Once you figure out how to get them off the boat, never put them back. Get some golf cart batteries instead and you'll never regret it. We had 10 T-105s on Sanderling which gave us house, start, genset and windlass power. Keep a small battery to start the genset in an emergency. Simplifies everything.

 

[SteveK]

8D batteries should only be on boats that also add ballast in the bilge.

 

[83GB]

I have a 42 Classic. I switched to 4D batteries.... 2 people to lift them out of the engine room and into the salon. in the engine room, there is not enough room for two people. At almost 70 years old, I can man handle them into the battery boxes and back on the shelf...

 

[slowgoesit]

X2 on replacing them with Lithium! That's what WE did as well, right after I got rid of the old CQR . . . .

 

[Bacchus]

I have a plan to replace my 3 8D AGMs with 2- GP31s each... when needed...
The 8D AGMs (1- Start / Thruster & 2 House bank) are on their 10th season and still going strong!
I'm a strong proponent of AGMs in spite of many promoting LiFePo4 - If properly cared for AGMs can provide many more years of service than the Li Marketing hype states.
I am not anti Li where / when they make sense but they are not universally the best choice.

 

[tiltrider1]

Once you figure out how to get them off the boat, never put them back. Get some golf cart batteries instead and you'll never regret it. We had 10 T-105s on Sanderling which gave us house, start, genset and windlass power. Keep a small battery to start the genset in an emergency. Simplifies everything.

Golf cart batteries are now LFP batteries. I can no longer recommend FLA for house banks, they cost more than LFP, they have shorter lives, weight is much greater and they are more dangerous than LFP.

If you already have a FLA bank I can see replacing like for like for simplicity but if you are upgrading then it will likely cost you less to go with LFP.

 

[Bud]

I replaced my starting batteries with three M24 batteries hooked in parallel with copper flat stock.
Bud

 

[SeaGator]

Now is an excellent time to upgrade and make the switch to lithium batteries! Super light weight and so many more benefits. We are just about finished with our conversion. Used our existing Xantrex inverter charger (lithium compatible) and two LiTime 460Ah batteries along with LiTime DC to DC chargers.

 

[IWAB]

I got to my GB-42 Europa in early December, and knew something was up due to high Marina electric charge that month. Put the heat gun on one of the 3 - 8D AGM house bank, and immediately disconnected the bank. Were more than 9 year old so can’t complain. Bought 4 new Lifeline 8D AGM’s andt had the local boat yard remove and replace. Cost a boat unit in labor, but worth it. Lifted them to center of ER, and straight up the hatch with a line and big guys, and over the side.