batteries while in storage

True North

True North

Member
Sep 11, 2012
165
Live: DeWitt, MI,West Michigan (Ludington)
Boat Info
2005 SR 260DA
350 MAG MPI
Bravo 3
Engines
(1) 350 MAG MPI w/Bravo III
1988 Sundancer 270
3 batteries
4-position battery switch (1, 2, both, OFF)

Boat is in heated storage, do I:

1) leave batteries hooked up with shore power and keep charger running full-time?
2) leave batteries hooked up without shore power or only intermittently?
3) remove batteries and store on trickle chargers at my house?
4) what position should the battery switch be in if I leave them in and powered by the onboard charger?

Thank you.
 
If it's a good quality, "smart" charger (onboard) - the best thing you can do for them is to leave them on charge all the time. Check the fluid a couple times during the off season. On a separate note... you're still winterizing things, right?
 
Lazy Daze said:
If it's a good quality, "smart" charger (onboard) - the best thing you can do for them is to leave them on charge all the time. Check the fluid a couple times during the off season. On a separate note... you're still winterizing things, right?
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Can you define winterizing things? This is my first year that I will winterize a boat so trying to see what needs to be done.

Thanks!
 
AU1N04 said:
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Can you define winterizing things? This is my first year that I will winterize a boat so trying to see what needs to be done.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Sure, although I don't want to get too far off track from North's original post. Generally speaking, anything that has had water going through it needs to winterized to avoid freezing and cracking. Fuel should be treated and filled. Engines should be fogged and oils & filters changed. Obviously this is just a quick list, but there are LOTS of posts about winterizing on this forum and nothing has really changed in years and years. If you do a search for this topic, you will have more info than you know what to do with!
 
Lazy Daze said:
Sure, although I don't want to get too far off track from North's original post. Generally speaking, anything that has had water going through it needs to winterized to avoid freezing and cracking. Fuel should be treated and filled. Engines should be fogged and oils & filters changed. Obviously this is just a quick list, but there are LOTS of posts about winterizing on this forum and nothing has really changed in years and years. If you do a search for this topic, you will have more info than you know what to do with!
Click to expand...

This helps. I just saw the Winterizing forum so I will have a little reading to do.
 
I would make one modification to Dennis' comment about leaving the batteries on the charger. If you are in a storage facility that does not allow an active AC connection to boats in storage (and many don't for fire safety and insurance reasons), the best solution in my opinion is to fully charge batteries and disconnect them. They will be fine for several months. Some will advocate removing the batteries and bringing them home. I feel that the risk of dropping one, or spilling acid on you (or your car) during the process of hauling home out of the boat and into your garage/basement is far greater than leaving them on the boat.

Henry
 
Henry is correct. A fully charged, disconnected battery will actually degrade internally at a slower rate when stored in cold conditions (never so cold that the battery freezes, however). As long as it is charged, and kept from freezing, leaving it on the boat shouldn't be an issue.

Dale
 
Good points above and I agree with them - I neglected to think about the "rules" of the storage facility). Personally, if I couldn't leave them on the boat, I'd bring them home and put them on my Battery Minder (do NOT use a cheapo trickle charger for the entire winter). But there's equally valid points to leaving them (disconnected) in the boat. Charging them fully is the key. FYI, you only need to remove the negative leads. Also, on the "freeze" part - a fully charged battery's freeze point is something like -90*F. Start with a fully charged battery and (although you're in a heated enviro so it's a moot point) and the battery will be good through the winter. As mentioned, cold temps do less to hurt (charged) batteries than heat (excessive) does. Even over the course of just a few months, the battery will not lose enough charge to have a worry about freezing.
 
Interesting points. This is my first year with the 330 so when I had the 260 it was fairly easy, 2 batteries and a pretty wide open bilge = I took them home and put on a tender. Now with 5 batteries and no room to move in the bilge I'd love to leave them in the boat. The boat is stored outside and I can't leave the boat plugged in. I do have power, however so should I plug in for a few hours a couple times a winter while I'm at the boat doing things? Would the be + or a -??
 
I have a modern, intelligent charger on my boat, and I do exactly that. A few times over the winter, I'll float the batteries for a day or so, just to keep them topped off.

Dale
 
I suppose that any charge is better than no charge. I'm not sure how cold batteries (Sous) factor into this - I wonder if there is a spec within the charger where it needs a certain amount of time (especially with a cold battery) to get to a point where it's worthwhile. But if it's only going to be a couple hours, a couple times over the winter... I don't really think it will make much difference - in theory, maybe, but probably not in reality. In other words, probably not worth the hassle to run the electrical cord and wind it back up again.
 
good replies. I do have access to keep my boat plugged in, but I was more questioning if I NEEDED to??? All three batteries are new this year, good quality starting and deep cycle batteries. One thing to note....those of you not living in the upper Midwest, and knowing we are supposed to get another "fun" winter.....we are talking more than a few months.....it's more like a half year! LOL. Put it this way, my boat is already laid up (busy schedule), and the weather won't be good enough to get back out next year until May at the earliest! That's 7+ months....almost makes you question if it's worth it!!! LOL
 
Do you 'need' to? No. But as I mentioned above, it's the 'best' thing you can do for a battery. Not that fully charging and removing cables is bad - bu tin comparison, keeping a charge on is best.
 
True North said:
good replies. I do have access to keep my boat plugged in, but I was more questioning if I NEEDED to??? All three batteries are new this year, good quality starting and deep cycle batteries. One thing to note....those of you not living in the upper Midwest, and knowing we are supposed to get another "fun" winter.....we are talking more than a few months.....it's more like a half year! LOL. Put it this way, my boat is already laid up (busy schedule), and the weather won't be good enough to get back out next year until May at the earliest! That's 7+ months....almost makes you question if it's worth it!!! LOL
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We're in New England, so a six month layup is the norm. Our winters are pretty cold, but I will admit the six weeks I spent on a work project in Milwaukee in the middle of the winter was about the coldest I've ever been.

Henry


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
I have always left the batteries on the boat. Make sure they are fully charged (check water levels before charging that last time) and disconnect the positive cables so there is no potential for any draw.

Don't take any shortcuts on winterizing all water sytems. Read the winterizing forum because there are lots of tips and ideas. There are a lot of things that need to be winterized properly and mistakes will cost you very big $$$.
 
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