'89 Santego, diesel, where are your batteries located?

[bobwhorn]

The boat was re-powered in '93 with 3116 Cat engines. The batteries are located at the front and outside of the engine compartment, right under the exhaust pipes. Starboard engine I would have to remove the huge exhaust pipe to get them out plus there is no way to check water level. Port engine batteries I may be able remove with the exhaust system in place, but again, no way to check water (electrolyte) level.
Anyone with a diesel Santero, where are the batteries located?

[ColRon]

bobwhorn, you have a rare bird, as diesels weren't even an option on the 89 3867 Santego. It wasn't an option until later years. as you noted it was repowered with the cat's, but it likely had either Crusader or MerCruiser's 454's originally, as those were the only two engine options in 89. I have an 89 3867 Santego and my batteries are located between the outside of the engines and the hull, on the port side of the port engine and the starboard side of the starboard engine. I have 3 batteries on each side and there is plenty of room there and they sit on a wooden platform on the outside the outside engine stringer. The Generator battery is located in the bilge underneath the generator which is located in the center of the engine bay between the engines.

[bobwhorn]

Heading to the boat today. I'll post some pictures. Batteries are totally inaccessible without removing big exhaust pipes.
Bob

[bud37]

Source of the post Heading to the boat today. I'll post some pictures. Batteries are totally inaccessible without removing big exhaust pipes.
Bob

Maybe consider a battery bank under the cockpit aft seat bench. I have seen them in there before.

[bobwhorn]

The thought right now is to build a Starboard tray big enough to hold two group 31 AGM batteries, one for each engine and mount it at the front of the starboard stringer. One of those doesn't quite have the cranking amps as two group 27 batteries, but should be enough here in sunny TX.
We come from sailboats and always had a big house bank (six deep discharge golf cart batteries) to run the fridge, freezer and lights and a big inverter for the microwave and coffee pot. I was thinking of using the space under that seat for that purpose. Future project.