Battery question

[mraz72]

So I've had the boat out two times this year, and yesterday was the first time I threw anchor and listened to music for maybe 1.5 hours and went to start the engines, dead. I sat there for probably 30 minutes and the solar panels charged enough to get started.

Questions:

1. My dealer stored my boat with my batteries installed, meaning they didn't charge the batteries and left them outdoors during the winter. I should have asked before I gave them the boat, but I didn't. They said they is their normal procedure, which I found odd. Do I potentially need new batteries?

2. Do you guys monitor the battery while sitting at achor? When I went to start the boat the voltage was 11.8 or something similar, when it finally started the voltage read 12.1.

 

[WetWillie]

Did you try to parallel the batteries before sitting and charging up...? We tend to start the boat after sitting at anchor for 45-1hr w/music going and let run for a few min. anytime I see the voltage get near 12-12.1

Sure not battery tending over winter will shorten battery life but not in a season. If you were to completely drain the batteries and then recharge it would shorten cell life dramatically... Just try to get into the habit of letting them run a few minutes after sitting before long periods of time elapse...

 

[Ilmmct]

Same thing happened to me and I immediately went to a two battery tender to prolong battery life and insure there was an adequate charge for my boating days.

I don’t really monitor voltage while out playing on the boat, but with a two battery setup, I never leave the switch in the “BOTH” position, since there is a risk your audio/GPS etc. might drain both batteries at sea. I use the switch to isolate draw to only one battery reserving the idle battery to start the boat at the end of the day. And if need be, move the switch to BOTH have more juice for starting the engines.

 

[mraz72]

good point on the battery switches, I just leave them all on, maybe I'll just leave house on while listening to music and turn off the starter switch? I forget if that is the actual names of the switches.

i also have a battery tender, I'll start using that as well.

 

[subysti]

Well being in Rochester the batteries should have been removed and put on a tender for the winter. That dealer is wrong. Even in warm weather being stored for months they will lose charge. When your listening to music or whatever on anchor your starting battery shouldn't be affected at all if the switches are correct. That's the reason for 2 batteries. Make sure you only have the house and starting battery switches on with the 3rd combine switch off. That isolates your starting battery. Also make sure your house battery for the stereo s a deep cycle and snot a starting battery. Most dealers put in 2 starting batteries. A batteries below 12 volts is dead, even at 11.9 it's still considered dead for starting. A deep cycle can go much lower and be recharged over and over.

 

[Gym]

@Michael Rasmussen. If I had someone store my boat I wouldn't want them removing the batteries. Way too easy for someone to walk off with them. Also if they stored 30 boats they could have 40 to 60 batteries to store & maintain.

Get yourself a decent charger, pull the batteries in the fall and keep them on a maintenance charge. The plus side of this is living in the NE like me you never know when you're going to have a dead car battery after one of our infamous blizzards. Another tip: pick up a portable jump box. Keep it in the boat in the summer and your truck in the winter. I have used mine 4 or 5 times to help others on the water and another dozen people on the road.