Correct battery for CP16

[federalist]

My CP16 has a cabin light and running lights for night sailing.  The previous owner had not used them in years and disposed of the battery and did not recall the type or size other than it was a 12 volt system.  Can anyone provide the correct specs for the original equipment battery?  Hutchins has a battery listed on the "Optional Equipment for Discontinued Models" list but do not include its specs other than "Marine Battery" for $115 plus shipping.  I can buy a deep cycle marine battery for less locally, but such a battery seems like overkill for the small draw it will see from a few lights.

[Bob23]

Fed:
   Buy a good marine deep cycle battery. Overkill, yes for your present needs but you may want to add electricity-eating items in the future like VHF radio, instruments, etc. Keep the battery charged somehow with a solar charger or by charging it at the dock or bringing it home periodically. A battery will loose some charge on it's own over a period of time so it should be kept up to charge. I use a small solar panel on my 1985 Compac 23 and have had no problems- at the end of the summer, the battery is still at 95%.

   Bob23

[Craig Weis]

I feel that their is no such thing as 'OVER KILL' when it comes to batteries.

The most cold cranking amps as possible and still fit the thing into a battery box that encloses the terminals 100% and if a few more dollars are not that important then a marine deep cycle is the way to go.

But learn the propper way to charge the battery to maximize it's life cycle. skip.

I have 1000 cca for my C-P 19. 

[mikew]

I just installed an electrical system in my '83 Cp-16 that did not have a factory system. I added nav lights, cabin light and depth sounder. The lights will only be used for an hour at most and the sounder draws about 1/10 Amp. So my power budget is small. I opted for a U-1 size battery. These have a 30 amp/hour rating and weight about 25 lbs. You can get these as a deep cycle or a cheaper starting battery. To save money I  got a U-1 size lawn tractor battery- which are like a standard auto battery.
My reasoning is light weight, cheap and with my light power loads will
only bring the voltage down to 11volts before recharging.  Caution : You can't discharge these to zero without shortening their life but I don't intend to, only discharging to 10-11volts.
Another similar source other small boat sailors use are these "Battery Booster packs " sold for cars. These have a 11-18 amp hour lead acid battery and cigar lighter socket. They also come with a charger. You could wire your main battery wire with a cigar plug and have a portable power source. ( Watch those battery clamps, or remove them)  But if you need the capacity, a group 24 or 27 deep cycle battery is best.

Mike     

[federalist]

Thanks, all for the advice.