C Dory Forum

fleetfinder

Hi folks, total newbie here-I just picked up a 1998 C-Dory 19′ Venture and I’m loving it so far, but I’m totally confused about the best way to set up the battery system for overnight anchoring. Do I go with a single deep-cycle cranking battery, or dual house/start batteries with a switch? I’ve read the manual but it doesn’t really spell out the wiring diagram clearly, and I’m worried about draining it dead on my first trip. Could someone walk me through the basics or share a simple sketch/photo of what works well on these boats? Thanks a ton!

seasprinter

Dual batteries all the way-house deep cycle + start battery, Perko switch (1-2-BOTH-OFF). Wire house for lights/fridge/electronics, isolator prevents draining the starter. Single deep cycle risks stranding you. Sketch:

Battery 1 (Start) --- Switch --- Engine
                    |
Battery 2 (House) --+--- Loads

Seen this on dozens of C-Dories; zero issues overnight. What’s your load-LEDs or power hogs?

aquavoyage

Yeah, on a 19′ C-Dory, a Group 24 AGM house battery handles 1-2 nights easy with LEDs, VHF, and a 30qt fridge (under 1.5A/hr draw). Size your alternator output too-stock 50A is fine.

BoatBlogger

Pro tip for C-Dories: Mount ’em in the stern locker with straps-those waves love to shift batteries mid-night. Add a $20 battery monitor; beats praying to the voltmeter gods. What’s your alternator charging at?

skippersaga

Stock alternator on ’98 Ventures (Yamaha/Honda) is _25A cruising-plenty for dual setup. Grab a Victron BMV-700 monitor; changed my life for $150. OP, fridge draw or LED-only? Pics of my Perko wiring if you PM!

sternstories

Hey guys, jumping in on the C-Dory battery chat-I’ve been running duals on my ’97 19 (sister to the OP’s ’98) for years now, but just rigged up a Renogy 20W flexible solar panel epoxied to the hardtop this summer and holy cow, it’s a game-changer for overnights! No more morning start worries even after running the fridge all night. Outputs ₁.2A in decent sun, perfect match for the house bank’s self-discharge.

Wired it straight to the house side via a cheap MPPT controller ($30 on Amazon)-keeps the start batt isolated. Total add-on cost under $100, and it’s zero-maintenance. OP, if you’re LED-only + small fridge, this’ll extend your runtime to 3+ days easy. Pulled 48Ah overnight last trip (fridge 0.8A, VHF/sterio/Fusion MS-RA70N sipping 0.3A).

Big gotcha on Ventures: Factory wiring often bypasses the house loads through the switch poorly-double-check your blue ignition wire isn’t feeding the panel directly, or you’ll parallel-draw the start batt. Snag of mine fixed with a $10 bus bar.

Who’s got solar on theirs? Sharing my panel mount pics if you want-DM me! What’s the OP’s outboard? Yamaha 115? That stock reg might need a diode upgrade for faster house charging.