[Alberg30] Battery draining, hull #

[Bob]

Matthew,

Starting an engine requires more power than just keeping it going. If 
you started it with a lousy battery and were running with the same 
battery that had started the engine, and the engine died, the chances 
are that the alternator was not charging the battery. If the alternator 
was working at all it could have kept the engine going even with a 
battery in very bad condition. If you did some battery switching after 
starting the engine it gets a little more complicated, but I still would 
bet on the alternator or something like a loose cable.

Testing the alternator after starting the engine is simply a matter of 
checking the the voltage at the (same) battery (without doing any 
battery switching). You need a dc voltmeter that  has a voltage range of 
something over 15 volts. Before starting the engine the voltmeter will 
read about 12.6 volts.After starting, the reading will be more than the 
voltage read before starting the engine. It could be as high as 14.1 
volts, and still be normal. If the voltage does not exceed the voltage 
read initially, then the alternator is not putting out. This could be 
caused by a bad regulator, slipping belt on the alternator, loose cable 
from the alternator. or bad alternator itself,

By the way, we keep Wind Call in Northport Harbor off the south dock at 
the Northport Yacht Club. We should get together.

Bob Johns, Wind Call, #397

PS: Our boat was built in 1969 so your number is somewhat less than 397. 
Look at the last digits of the serial number on the aluminum plate on 
the bridge deck.


On Friday, June 14, 2002, at 11:31  AM, Matthew Hay wrote:

> I purchased "Winsome" an Alberg 30 in Old Lyme Connecticut.  On the 
> maiden voyage from Old Lyme to Northport Long Island were I will be 
> keeping her. I (much to my dismay) was motoring the atomic four under 
> time constraints into the wind.  My batteries died at the mouth of 
> Newport harbor.  After pretty much a motor boat ride all the way from 
> Old Lyme, I thought the batteries would have been fully charged?  My 
> first guess of coarse was alternator, the lines too and from the alt., 
> or the fact the the batteries were very old and only starting batteries 
> not deep cycle. Any ideas on how I can verify the problem by testing 
> the aforementioned parts?  I am pretty knew to inboard engines and find 
> even trying to somehow test the alternator somewhat daunting. (perhaps 
> book recommendations)?  My second question is how to find out her hull 
> number, or any history I might find about the boat?  Winsome was born 
> in 1968 and her transom reads port washington NY.
> Thank you very much,
> Matthew Hay

 +---------------------------------------------------------------+
 |                This Old Boat by Don Casey                     |
 | http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0071579931/alberg30-20 |
 +---------------------------------------------------------------+


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