14 foot centre console wiring schematic/design?

[Coednaked]

I have a 14'6" welded aluminum boat with a 25 HP 2 stroke Johnson electric start with power trim/tilt. I am currently re-doing the boat - for the most part, but it's going back the way it was only much nicer, but with one crucial addition - an electric trolling motor.

What I want help with is a few recommendations for specific products to power the accessories I will list, as well as start the main, Johnson, motor and troll with the electric motor (probably a Minn Kota 40 or 55 pounds 12 V thrust).

First off I am going to have the following accessories on the boat that will require battery power:

1) Front Navigation lights (red/green)
2) Rear Navigation light (white)
3) Fish finder
4) Bilge Pump
5) Console light

I also need to:
1) Power the trolling motor
2) Start the main motor

And obviously my motor has an alternator so it can do some charging.
I do plan on hopefully designing something in so I can pull the batteries at the end of the day and fully charge them, but I'd also like some charging from the alternator as well to keep the batteries somewhat charged throughout the day. I plan on running a dual battery system as well.

So I've done some reading - I've heard of ACR's, and Isolaters, as well as a few other types of accessories. I also have a Blue Sea distribution box which I kept from when I tore all the old wiring out.

I'd like to design the system, and it's apparently better, so that the accessories are run off of one and the other battery is mainly a starting battery although my concern is which battery should power the trolling motor?

Anyways, if any of you guys can recommend a system and a few products to achieve charging both batteries, but letting them discharge on their own, and recommend which batteries to use for what, etc. Also battery recommendations are of course appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: 14 foot centre console wiring schematic/design?

1) Your 25 HP Johnson has an alternator that is barely capable of keeping the starting battery charged much less the trolling motor battery as well. So forget doing any charging. You would have to run wide open for days to add any appreciable charge to both batteries.

2) Your accessories draw very little current. Run them off a marine starting battery (marine starting or dual purpose). Even if you run that battery down you can still rope start the engine.

3) Buy the largest deep cycle (not dual purpose) battery you can afford and have room for. That battery will power the trolling motor.

4) On a 14.5 ft tin boat you don't really need a 55# troller. Thrust requires current. Big motors = big current. Your choice of Power Drive or a MotorGuide with maximizer or digital circuitry is a good choice as they are more battery friendly than the cheaper motors.

If you have shore power (110 AC) available, install a dual bank on-board charger and plug in at the dock or at home. No need to remove the batteries to charge them.

 

[Coednaked]

Re: 14 foot centre console wiring schematic/design?

Hey Silvertip - thanks for the reply.

Maybe I should clarify a little more. I wasn't planning on my main motor providing the bulk of the charging. Just a little in between charging for the batteries throughout the day to keep things from going dead, etc.

My boat will generally be a trailered boat its life - not left on a lake or moored of any sort. So with a trolling motor I gotta get used to charging the batterie(s) periodically.

Here's a question for you - what about buying 2 of the exact same brand/model high quality dual purpose batteries with large capacity and running them in parallel and having sort of an "orgy" of power for everything for both starting, the trolling motor, and the accessories and at the end of the day just making sure they're charged, etc.? The Minn Kota motor I will get will have the Maximizer technology to significantly reduce the drain plus a battery indicator. If I'm not just running the motor for the day but staying at a cabin for a few days then I'll bring the charger along, etc.. Everything I've heard is that with my weight of the boat, the 55 would be better than the 40 but I'm sure the 40 will probably be the motor I end up getting.

EDIT: what about using 2 deep cycle batteries in parallel as opposed to the dual purpose versions? 2 decent sized deep cycles should have enough juice to do starting duties, plus they would be much better for the accessories and simplifying things. Thoughts?