Many of you already know that a couple years back I added 2 more deep storage batteries up front for my Minn Kota Terrova i-pilot.
Wired them in series parallel to end up with 2X the time out.
I use the 8hp Honda kicker for 1/2-2/3 of the work and supplement it with the Terrova.
The ipilot's autopilot feature makes trolling for eyes sweet.
Works well.
Except for the added weight up front.
The Lund is a 1650 Rebel XL
The 2 original batteries weighed about 200 lbs.
I added 2 more.
Now got 400 pounds of batteries up there, along with 2 large onboard chargers for them.
The end result is the bow rides a little low in the water.
Both off and also on plane.
So while cruising along in anything more than 1-1.5' chop we get splashed.
One windscreen on the starboard side.
Open on the port side.
So my son Jeff gets really wet sometimes.
And then he swears at me a lot.
A larger boat, say a 1775, or even an 1850 would help a lot.
More length, but also more width.
As would a full windshield.
But I'm only keeping this rig for 3-4 more years and then will sell when we move south for retirement.
So to upgrade the boat to a larger one will only cost $$
Would sometimes like a slightly larger rig, but this boat is so easy to trailer and is VERY fuel efficient.
I really like this boat. A lot.
So upgrading just doesn't really make practical sense.
No matter what Jeff says. lol
Anyway, last weekend I spent Sunday taking measurements and planning the move of the 2 extra batteries and also the 2nd on-board charger dedicated to those 2 batteries rearward. The kicker and the main battery are both on the port side in the stern. So it made sense to put these 2 batteries on the starboard side, behind my fat a$$. There's a storage hatch back there that will work perfectly. But it was also perfect for the trolling gear, pee can, fish rag, cannon balls, first aid kit, etc. All the stuff you want handy while back there trolling.
I decided that you can't always have everything. So I will move the fishing stuff up front.
Got it all laid out and pulled the 2 batteries.
Started to pull the battery trays but they were fighting me.
Looks like I won't be able to get them out in one piece to be able to reuse them.
But battery trays are cheap. Less than $10 on Amazon.
I also located the 2 long battery cables I had made up for the old Mini-Mac Attack. I made these when I moved the battery and fuel cell up front in that small fishing boat a few years back. Glad I saved them. And they fit perfectly! Not too long and not too short. Was really happy because leads like this can run a bit of coin to have made up.
I ordered 2 large bulkhead fittings for the wire pass-through's. I borrowed a large 2-7/16" holesaw from my company's shop for the install work on these bulkheads.
My buddy runs an electrical control/panel shop and he's bringing some large butt connectors and a full assortment of shrink tubing and the heat gun to the lake this weekend. As everything I ever do to my boats, I'm doing this job the right way.
Saturday looks like 2+ foot waves and Sunday looks like 1' or less at the present time. So this allows us to finish things on this battery relocation project on Saturday so we can get out fishing on Sunday.
I'm hoping this weight redistribution makes for a somewhat drier ride in the rougher water.
Maybe Jeff will then have to find something else to give me crappola about.