www.iFourWinns.com

I replaced my house battery a year ago, but I'm past due to replace my cranking batteries. Its been 3 years since we bought the boat and I don't know when the previous owner replaced them last. The boat cranks just fine though...

Should the windlass be powered by the house battery or the cranking batteries? I need to verify, but unless my starboard engine is running my windlass has little/no power. I'm assuming it is running off the starboard cranking battery but requires the alternator? The problem is; when I use the windlass the rest of my electronics become starved for current. My marine radio starts flipping and ticking, my depth sounder starts beeping, and my chart plotter will blink on and off.

I haven't tested my cranking batteries yet, but is this a sure tale sign I'm past due for new cranking batteries? Do you think the windlass should be running off the house battery? Aren't all the electronics (chart plotter, radio, etc...) running from the house battery? I thought cranking batteries were for cranking?

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2002 Vista 298
Video of boating from The Florida Keys, to Miami, to Bimini/Bahamas

Narcosis, I do not know which battery powers the windlass but I do know that when I run mine I have no drain of power to any other system.

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Stacy & Isora in Annapolis, MD
2005 Vista 298

On our 298 those were the signs of aging batteries. After I replaced the batteries I've not seen that happen again. Even so, I always have the engines running when lowering or raising the anchor.

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1999 Four Winns Vista 298, 5.0 VP DP
Goosepond Marina
Lake Guntersville
Scottsboro, Alabama