T&T: Wiring start bank

[Mark Richter]

<<House batteries are designed to use more of the available amp
hours without damaging them, but light plates are damaged by high
amperage loads. Start batteries have more robust plates and should be
used for ALL high amperage loads, like engine start, AS WELL AS
anchor winch and bow thruster.>>

Deep discharge batteries have the thicker, more robust plates, not start
batteries.  Start batteries have more, thinner plates to expose more surface
area for higher amperage starts.  Deep cycle batteries' only disadvantage is
that for a given weight of battery, they can produce fewer amps.  But your
house bank is probably 4-10 times the weight of your start battery, so it
can probably still outcrank the start bank by 3-8 times.  So why carry
around that extra start battery which gets cycled only about 1% of its
capacity each day?

The system wiring is also simplified by using the big house bank for
starting as well.  The engine connection (starter and alternator) will now
directly charge the big house bank without the need for cross-connecting
manual switches or battery combiners, which are just automated switches.

Mark Richter, m/v Winnie the Pooh, Ortona, FL