Placement Of 2nd Battery For Bow Mount Motor

[Ryannnnnnnn]

Hey!

I'm getting a thruster plate put onto my Horizon easy fisher 435 (has 40hp yammy 2 stroke on back), so that I can mount a minn kota on the front.

What I can't work out is where I should put the 2nd battery!

Without the minn kota on, the boat gets up on the plane real easy so am worried about disturbing that. Here's the placement of the weight on the boat, once the minn kota is on without the 2nd battery.

Front left
Electric motor

Front Center
Anchor

Front right
Wife

Rear left
Fuel tank (20 or 30 litre - can't recall!)

Rear center
Outboard

Rear right
Driver + seat
Current battery

Ideally the 2nd battery would just go with the existing battery with the driver, but am worried about the uneven weight distribution towards starboard side and rear. At least it would be kind of out of the way as that space is already unusable.

Would it be a good idea to place some kind of plate in the front hatch in the centre that a battery box could mount on - Or would it be too rough up the front for a battery?

 

Pics of front & back attached. Would appreciate any feedback.

 

[Doyley]

My electric battery is in the front hatch.  The weight of it and the electric is like having a small adult sitting up the front.  Don’t notice the weight on the water, only when moving the boat at home.  I also have a 25lt tank close to the front.  The battery has coped a bashing through moreton bay and offshore mooloolaba numerous times and is still going strong 3 yrs later. 

[Ryannnnnnnn]

Thanks Doyley for the feedback.

 

Just thinking, as my outboard is a pull start 2 stroke and doesn't require power to start - could I get away with just getting a bigger battery with more juice to power the motor, sounder, bilge and lights? Or is that a bad idea?

[Doyley]

Yeah if you aren’t relying on it to start the outboard, one battery would be fine.  What battery do u have now? 

[Nog]

You could replace your starter/house battery with a big deep cycle down the back. Just make sure you use heavy gauge wire (minimum 6AWG) up to the leccie as it draws lots of amps at full tilt.