OEM battery hold downs are just angle aluminum?

[handfulz28]

I'm not sure what's worse, thinking Donzi would just screw down some angle and use those cheapy threaded hooks with a crossbar, or that the previous owner did this to cheap out. It's a 2001 22C and the starboard battery has the angle, but there's a port battery also and that one they use small steel angles screwed into the faux diamond plate and the threaded hooks with crossbar.

What exactly is the faux diamond plate made of? Is it strong enough to hold a battery with 4 through-bolts?

[Dr. David Fleming]

My 1999 22ZX duel batteries - two Stainless Marine holders which are made of stainless steel angle welded together into a frame. The lower frame is stainless sheet forming a half box construction. The top and bottom assemblies are held by two 3/8 stainless threaded rods with stainless nuts and washers. Both assemblies are screwed into the fiberglass engine room floor with four small stainless philips screws. Amazing that the four small screws would retain all the lead in the batteries and the stainless cages but thats the way they built it. Been staying put the last ten years.

Did see one boat with a plastic battery box that stayed put with the small screws but the nylon strap holding the batteries let go. One of those plastic snap clips just broke and the battery went on its side in the bilge.

The more weight you drag around the slower the boat goes.

[Carl C]

Mine are plastic and I've broken both tops.

[VetteLT193]

Mine are all stainless

[zelatore]

My '01 22C also had plastic and yes they broke running in rough water. Luckily I didn't loose a battery. Stainless Marine now.

[handfulz28]

Thanks all for chiming in. Now that I've spent over 20 hours in the last three days trying to button everything up, I can see what are probably the original holes on the starboard side. The port side was most likely added at some point after leaving the factory. This boat has been to Costa Rica and back with previous owner so who knows what kind of things were done down there...