MacGregorSailors.com

Can't quite seem to find an answer in my searching efforts...

Do you use the jump start battery like you would when jumping a car and hook it up directly to the start battery (only battery in my case) in the boat? Or do/can you somehow hook it to the engine directly for more efficient energy flow?

All I could find through my searching was RalphK's reference to plugging his into a 12v outlet and charging the boats battery from the jumper battery for 10 minutes.

Just figured this would be good info to know before I ever actually have to do it.

Thanks,
Jim

I had a tough time starting my motor when I put my boat in for the first time this year. Because I wasn't sure if it was the battery, wiring, or conncections in the switch, I crawled to the back and connected my power pack to the terminals mounted to the inside of the transom wall.

Blake Beam
Beam's Reach

i dont know how the battery acess is set up on the 26m,but on my x at the binnacle,on the left side as you face the wheel,the pannel unscrews.

once the battery terminals are acessable,i just clip a jumpstart battery pack on it and job done,its best to buy a quality battery pack,one thats priced in the mid range as these give you 900 amps initial starting current,unfortuneately these are no good for 3.5hp yammaha two strokes

distracting from the subject a tad,my son was kite surfing at gorleston on sunday,he gave up when the winds started to go over 30mph,they hit 40mph eventually,glad we did not go

I think the reason your 3.5 hp would not start was a weak starter....



Maybe you need to hit the weight room...



Jim

I think FrankC and several others carry them, - I let my only battery get so low once that even by hooking the starter battery from the marina (which they claimed was fully charged) directly to the terminals at the engine, I did not have enough voltage for the Merc electronic ignition to work. In hind sight the next time our fearless leaders send me something to stimulate, I might mount a make before break switch to a cig. lighter plug, use the power pack to start the engine and then switch over and let the alternator charge the dead battery rather than have the circuit loaded down with a dead battery.

You can hook directly to the battery like in a car. If your jumper is weak you can jump the motor directly by
1 tuning on the key
2 ground the jump box to the engine, (On clean steel as in a bolt)
3 touch the positive lead from your box to the hot lead on the starter. (usually discernable by the red rubber insulator boot)

A problem with this technique is that you can weld a few threads on the end of the stud making removing the bolt difficult in the future.

One other thing. If you turn the key, and the motor does not do anything but make a clicking noise, or nothing at all, before trying to jump start it, check your battery cables for crude There just may be corrosion stopping and electrical flow.

Ray

My son managed to flatten both the start and house batteries When I set the batteries up I made the start batteries cables long enough to be disconnected from the start battery and attached to a loan battery placed in front of the gangway sole. After starting the engine I then select the master selector SW to the house battery disconnect the battery leads from the loan battery and reconnect them to the boats start battery. This eliminates the need to carry Jumper cables

Jack Sparrow

I keep one of these on the boat.


Marine Jumpstart Elite

Ray

What Ray said ... me too. Honestly though, I've never had to use the jumper, except for it's air compressor.

My first step would be just jumping directly to either of the house batts, then turn the key. If that didn't work, it's pretty clear to trace the engine cables from transom up to the mid-hull batt-box. In my case it would be easiest to just connect the jumper where those cables appear at mid-hull, rather than hooking directly to the motor.

Anyhow, that's my story & I'm stickin' with it!