V21 Second Battery Location
 

For those of you with V21's, if you have 2 batteries, where is the 2nd one located. The boat I just got has one located in the compartment behind the starboard rear hatch. I would like to add a second. Thanks.

I added a second in the cuddy area.

1 behind each rear hatch in mine but I did have to move my oil tank up so the battery would fit on the port side.

mod7x, Are you saying that you put the oil tank on top of the battery?

With the 200hp VRO Mercury engine I had my second one in the cuddy cabin, (There's a space under the floorboard that it fits in). But now that I've converted it to the 175hp Evinrude that's been converted to premix I'm thinking about using the space behind the port side rear hatch and moving the 2nd battery there.

I have a V20 which had two batteries in the starboard compartment back by the transom. I moved them to the centerline fish box between the two front seats. I like the ride MUCH better. Moving the weight forward was a good thing - at least for me..

I completely agree with you that having the weight at the centerline is preferred over all other locations. Like you, that's where I have my batteries on my V20. Unfortunately, in a V21, that's not a option unless you are willing to cut open your floor. Unlike the V20's, the V21 does not have that center line fishbox. In fact it has no opening large enough to fit a battery through in the floor. So, placing the battery up in the cuddy cabin, while good (weight distribution wise), is not all that good for the hull ...because all those extra pounds of batteries pounding on the hull with every wave that is hopped over is not good.... So moving them to the rear away from the pounding is limited to the two rear transom compartments... one on each side of the engine.

Sorry to derail this from v21. On a v20 cuddy, has anyone cut and put them on the port & starboard side in the cuddy? So in the photo below (not my boat but same idea) I was thinking of cutting them in to the right and left the step down area? Has anyone done this and could you take a few pics? Thanks and sorry for the derailment!!

D,

Why not leave your second battery where it is and use the rear space where the oil tank was for storing lighter weight items? Do you think that the battery and hull are taking that much of a beating up in the cabin to warrant the rearward shift in weight?

Yes, I made a bracket for the tank and moved it up as high as I could, and used a remote fill kit from mercury, kinda looks like a fuel fill cap, I have my trolling motor battery's up front under the cuddy floor. I would take a pic but the boat is in storage about 40 miles from my house for the winter.