Today, my slope training really paid off. I wanted to change the starting battery for the tug. I wrote down the specs from the battery there, and went to Costco to get a new one. There they were at Costco. The monster 8D battery. Same as I had on the Dutch Master.
I had to lift the 100+ pound battery into the car, then from the car to the collapsible pull cart, which I towed to the boat. The battery came out with ease, except I let the terminals touch after they were off the battery, which I didn’t realize would short things out since the wiring also goes to links with the house batteries. The FM radio went out briefly during the sparks, but came back on. Hopefully, no damage done.
I got the old battery with the case it was in up from the engine room to the helm floor so I could swap the old for the new. I looked at my new 8 D battery, and thought- that looks a tad bigger than the one I’m taking out. Sure enough, it was. So it wouldn’t fit in the specially made battery box.
I took measurements of the footprint available where the battery box was. I called Napa, who had a box, and determined from their measurements that a new box for the new 8D battery should still fit in foot print.
I got to Napa, and saw the box they had waiting for me. I did not think it was gonna work, because the top was wide to accommodate the battery wires, and it would not fit in the footprint because the engine hoses were there.
I asked the clerk if he had any other 8D batteries I could look at, and he took me back to the battery room. Just as he pointed to the 8D battery choices, I looked on the floor and saw the battery that was the same size as the one I was taking out of the boat. He said “Oh, you mean the 4D batteries?”. 4D battery? Never heard of it. But that’s what I had and what I needed! They are a tad narrower and (I think) shorter in length that the 8D.
So, now I needed to buy this 4D battery that weighed close to 100 lbs, take it back to the boat, install it. Then return the 4D used battery to Napa for the core charge. Then return the 8D battery to Costco, who luckily said they would take it back. Lots of moving around 100 lbs of deadweight. My back was feeling it by the end of the day.
The new battery was installed in about 15 minutes. I started the engine, and the alternator looked to be working so hopefully I didn’t fry it when the terminals crossed earlier.
So, I took an hour job and made it last all day. Just like we did on slope. I was trained for this…