Funny Story About Replacing Boat Batteries

[JLR]

Well, this is a funny (read foolish) story about replacing boat batteries and will hopefully serve as a word to the wise. About one month ago, I helped my local mechanic pull all of the 8 8v195 batteries in my 56 MY and replace them with new 8v195's. If I recall the spec sheet correctly, each battery weighed 160 pounds times 8 going out (1,280 pounds) plus the same weight going back in. So, I assisted in moving over one ton of batteries up and down stairs, off the boat and down the dock. Although I still consider myself young at 52 and relatively fit, I found out yesterday that I paid the price for my insistence that I oversee this project. As I am typing this email, I have three herniated discs in my back that will hopefully respond to epidural injections rather than surgery. Word to the wise, know your limits and let the younger set do the heavy lifting.

[drburke]

Ouch! Hope they get you feeling better soon.

DAN

[Traveler 45C]

I do hope you get feeling better and the shots work.

More word to the wise....take the pain killers as directed and be very, very carefull with them...been there and never want to be on that road again.

Good Luck.

[whaler23]

I'm 42 now and a year ago replaced one yes, 1, 8D by myself, took me a few hours and I felt like crap for the next week, fortunately Advil did the trick, no more of that for me either.

[krush]

Even us young punks hurt our backs lifting that crap in and out. I try to be real careful even though I have the advantage of healing quicker....don't want it to catch up with me when i'm more "mature". LOL

[Brian Degulis]

I certainly hope it doesn't come to surgery. But if it does look into very carefully there is a new cutting edge procedure that is not invasive and has excellent results. It involes filly the ruptured disc with some sort of liqid compound that solidifies into a rubber like substance (yeah I know 5200) anyway take a close look before you commit to anything.

Good Luck
Brian

[Bob Bradley]

Yea, 52 can suck. I know that well.

Another battery story...I was replacing 4 8D batteries in my 43C. They go below the cockpit sole, thru a hatch just outside the salon entrance. I managed to wrestle out the old batteries, and, standing down in the hold and facing aft, slid the new batteries off the deck and into a sort of controlled fall down into the bilge. I held onto them, and let them pull me down so that they did not slam into the bottom.

That worked fine on the two aft batteries. As they touched bottom, my head wound up about 4" above the cockpit sole. That measurement became significant a few minutes later.

I turned to face forward and repeat the process on the two forward batteries. Upon sliding the first one into the hold, and following it down with my head as before, I discovered that the step into the salon is about 6" high. I also discovered a cut on the bridge of my nose and a black eye.

[SKYCHENEY]

Ouch! Those individual cells of the Rolls/Surrettes are looking better with every post in this thread. Compared to back surgery, they're looking cheaper too.

[Bob Bradley]

My new approach is to invite younger stronger guys fishing.

[Maynard Rupp]

Even us young punks hurt our backs lifting that crap in and out. I try to be real careful even though I have the advantage of healing quicker....don't want it to catch up with me when i'm more "mature". LOL

Oh God Krush....Please, please don't ever think of maturing. There are plenty of us "mature" folks on this site. We need a little young spunk and you have that asignment.