Exactly correct. There's an unused compartment in your hull, just behind the hatchway into your cuddy cabin. Cut your deck and install a hatch big enough to get your batteries through and you'll be good to go.

Just curious...could you cut the access hole in the cabin?

Like if you were standing in the cabin well facing toward the transom, cut into the wall at your feet?

Or is there something structural between there and the void?

Dual Console not Cuddy Cabin
 

Thanks for all who have weighed in on this project.

I know that most of the forum owns center consoles and cuddy cabins, but my boat is a dual console. The bow is an open area with a compartment in the deck for the anchor and another compartment with drains to the sea. The bow area is about the same size as the cockpit, placing the windscreen at about amidships. At the most forward part of the bow area in front of the anchor well is a hatched compartment on the forward bulkhead that I am considering for dual battery installation. Like I said in a previous post, the other options are the compartments at the base of the helm or passenger seats.

I'm going to try to attach a pictures that show interior layout and the bow compartment that I'm considering to clear up any confusion.

This link shows the most forward compartment I'm considering. The one with a tinted clear hatch that appears black in this photo. My grand daughter's knee is on the anchor compartment:

http://s944.photobucket.com/user/slowduc/media/630_zps44944fc6.jpg.html

This photo shows the helm station. At deck level immediately below the engine instruments is a hatched space suitable in size for a dual battery installation:

http://s944.photobucket.com/user/slowduc/media/631_zps34e0901b.jpg.html


Although at an angle, this photo shows the relatively equal size of the bow and cockpit areas as well as the area beneath the helm that could house the batteries:

http://s944.photobucket.com/user/slowduc/media/639_zpse316a87f.jpg.html

On another note, my preliminary research into long battery cable runs has led me to several wire size calculators. Has anyone used these? The variables required are generally the, acceptable voltage loss (3-10%), total circuit length and current in amps. I assume that the current requirement should be the output of the alternator (45 amps in my case) and not the battery cranking amps. Am I on the right track here?

Thanks Again, Slow

A Few More Thoughts?
 

First I just re-learned how to drop a pic into a post:

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/a...pse316a87f.jpg

And from the pic above the two locations I am considering to move the batteries forward are below the helm behind the starboard cooler and in the bow compartment below the forward cleat.

Is it possible to cushion the battery mounts to limit the pounding they receive farther forward in the boat?

Thanks, Slow

Randle, there is a bulkhead under the cuddy door between two stringers just aft of the cuddy step down/storage well in the forward liner.

rmb, there is a bulkhead just aft of well in the cabin. bout a 1/2" to 1" gap between the panels. at least on a '86 cuddy.

slow, i think the amp draw is the total load. plus when figuring distance, its from engine to batteries & back.

edit: good answer, fast fingered Bradford

Slowduk, a pic of your deck might help.

Better Pics
 

I'll get better pictures this weekend as the boat is stored out of water at the Naval Air Station Pensacola.

In the mean time here are the pics I do have:

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps5ba40c47.jpg

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps9ff77254.jpg

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/a...psc8e047da.jpg

This is a picture of the compartment on the passenger side amidships.

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps82725307.jpg

Hope that helps in the meantime, Slow

Sorry for asking that question about Cuddys Slowduk...I didn't mean to confuse the subject.

Thanks for the replies about my question guys...figured there was something there.

Back to your question Slowduk, I would think the batteries would be happier with option 1...seems like they would take a pounding way up front.

Good looking crew you got goin there BTW.

I completely agree. Option one is the preferred area.

Since you have a different deck layout than most of us (dual consoles, no step down) I'll fight my way out thru the snow to my boat tomorrow and measure back from the bow to where my deck hatch is. I'm fairly certain that even though the decks may be different, the underside where the bulkheads and stringers are is pretty much the same on all of the V's. That measurement should tell you where to make your cut for the battery placement.

Even though you could figure out exactly what gauge wire to to run from the engine to the batteries, don't over-think it. Most car battery applications use 4 gauge wire for their leads, and truthfully you could probably use that with zero problems. But just to be safe, use 1/0 AWG copper wire and you'll be fine. It's rated for 300 amps at up to 19 feet, which is roughly twice the distance than you'll be going. For your primary wires they will do the job nicely, and then, for your secondary wire feed to your panel for your electronics I'd use 4 gauge, and from there I'd use whatever came with the equipment. Yes, you can safely use a smaller gauge primary wire, but since the larger the wire the less the resistance, using 1/0 is probably overkill but you won't get into trouble using it. Oh, and if you can find it, use marine rated tinned pure copper wire. More overkill, but well worth the few extra bucks years from now.