V21 Second Battery Location

[jvitiel]

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..

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by jvitiel

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.

[Slightly_Twisted]

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!!

[jvitiel]

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?

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by jvitiel

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?

Mostly for balance. A lot of times I'm out alone and with one battery on the Starboard side and me in the drivers seat it produces a list to Starboard. I like to try and keep things trim without having to use my tabs, etc.

However... speaking logically about this... the forward part of the hull always takes the most beating, crashing from one wave to the next when running at speed. If you have a concentrated weight, like a battery, resting in that area, then it would seem to me that every time the hull comes down after lifting to go over a wave that weight will act like a hammer to that part of the fiberglass. Once or twice .. no problem... but multiply that by literally thousands of times in a season and you can start to see the potential to do some significant damage to both the battery and the fiberglass.. So rather than chance it I decided to move the battery back to where the pounding is lessened.

[jvitiel]

I see..

Totally agree about the balance. The whole reason I moved the batteries to the centerline was because of the list. I hated how much I needed to use the trim tabs to level it out and of course tabs do nothing when you are just drifting and fishing from the helm side.

I hadn't really considered how much worse the pounding would be up front but it makes total sense. I spend almost 100% of my running time at the helm so I don't have a sense of how much different the pounding is at the bow or the stern. Still, I installed a pneumatic seat for myself so I should have at least some sympathy for the hull and batteries.

I'm planning on adding a trolling motor eventually and am not thrilled about three more batteries no matter where they go. I guess I'll put them in the same fish box with the other two. Need a solar powered Ulterra...