What is the best way to secure m batteries?

[Gary Brockman]

After reviewing the projects and electrical system upgrade treads, I am still unclear of the best way to secure the four T-105's I have placed in the battery compartment in the aft section of the dinette area.  My first thought was to find plastic battery boxes that I could place each individual battery in but have not been able to find any on the internet that would be able to fit in the compartment. I did find a site that sold battery boxes that held two T-105's side by side, but they were around $100 each. 

So far, I have set my four batteries on a painted piece of 5/8" marine plywood on the bottom of the battery compartment and have left 1/2" clearance between each battery.  I can glue/screw 1" high wood dividers between and around each battery to form short boxes to keep them in place in relation to each other, but what is the best way to keep the batteries secure in these boxes?

Should I use nylon straps with plastic/nylon clips to secure each battery, or pair of batteries, to the base board? What have other people done?

Thanks,

- Gary -

[Craig Illman]

Gary - I put a thin piece of starboard across the bottom of the battery compartment. I have two narrow plywood strips across each pair of batteries and use the nylon straps to hold them down. It seems to work ok. It's not as elegant as other solutions I've seen.

Craig

[Stu Jackson]

I'm somewhat torn on this one, and it's a good question.  The "standard" battery hold downs that come with boats with the plastic foot loops and nylon webbing, are pretty flimsy.  We've blocked our batteries from sliding sideways with wooden blocks, but I sincerely doubt that those straps would hold anything in a real knockdown.

That said, I also doubt that based on where most of us sail, we'd ever experience one.

If we were doing serious offshore work, I'd seriously consider either changing battery types or doing a slam-bang job of securing the little critters.

This is not to say that big waves don't creep up on us sometimes, but I gotta admit that the worst stuff we've seen in the past 25 years are the wakes from the pilot boats inside the Bay.

[Fou Du Large]

Hello

I put  ½'' spacer between each battery.

And i spray isolation foam (good stuff) in a plastic bag all around the corners.
It is very tight.

If i have to remove a battery i just cut the foam in the bag.
The foam in the bag is not sticked to the batteries.

[Rick Johnson]

I used 1x2s to divide the battery compartment and then had nylon straps to hold down each battery (2 each side).

Did you know that battery acid eats nylon????  Now I need new straps...

Cheers,

Rick

[Ron Hill]

Gary : If you look in the Mainsheet Tech notes, you'll find an article by Hank Recla on installing and tying down 4 T105 batteries. 

[dave davis]

I also have four batteries that fit in the battery well. At the base of the well are two plastic strap holders that are used to hold down the plastic(nylon?) straps. What I did not realize when I installed the straps, that they had metal(magnetic) holders that the straps go thru. That was a lesson for me to see how the metal was chewed up with battery corrosion in a short year. Even though the metal clamps were not touching any of the terminals. I now bought new webbing with non magnetic clams.
To be installed soon.Good Luck'
Dave