HGM
New Member
I read on the mercruiser site that they recommend to remove the batteries, store warm and keep them charged.
Do you leave your batteries in over the winter?
- Thread starter HGM
- Start date
Go Aweigh2452
Active Member
- Aug 8, 2007
- 1,163
- Boat Info
- its in my signature
- Engines
- 6.2 Horizon MPI w/guardian system
I keep mine on the charger in the boat 24/7. If you have a good charger, you'll be fine. Just check the water level. I have never had to add water to mine so far and they are 3 years old...
Yeah because I use them, and the boat, during the winter
Converse48
Well-Known Member
Yes
- Oct 4, 2006
- 2,344
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- 2006 300DA Sundancer
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- 350 Mags / Bravo III
I leave mine in, they are fully charged with the water topped off prior to layup, and the cables disconnected.
Tonka Boater
Well-Known Member
Ditto
Bodkin Creek George
Member
I keep all four of them in the boat and on charge. Replace my batteries every 3yrs. regardless of their condition. I have never had a battery issue in all my years of boating by following this practice. Last winter we had a very unusual high tide for the Chesapeake Bay and since I keep my boat on a lift at the house I pull the transom plug. The water came up so high that it entered the boat thru the transom plug hole and thank God I had the batteries in as the bilge pump was able to keep up with the water until I could over ride the auto stop on the lift and raise the boat higher.
George
George
J.Wilt
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- Jan 29, 2010
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- 420 Sundancer 2005
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Highfield 310 , 20hp Suzuki
I leave mine in. The boat is in heated storage and backed right up to a 110 outlet, I will just plug it in once and awhile to charge them up.:grin:
Henry Boyd
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- Apr 24, 2007
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Whether it is your car, or boat, the safest practice is to remove the negative cable first. That way the positive can be removed without risk of accidentally grounding the tool you are using and shorting the battery (and welding the wrench to the car, or burning your hands).
Ditto on the disconnect and leave on the boat.
Henry
chumbley
New Member
I leave mine in, connected, and on shore power. Just like I do in the summer. I venture down to the boat and start everything up and bring it up to temperature periodically during the less-optimal boating months. About the only thing I do different in the winter is turn off the ice maker.
JohnEGraham
Active Member
Got my new big blue top 34 optima "Gel cells" I think i will just leave them as they sit. The boats plugged in for another couple of weeks while i do some up-grading and winterization then bring to marina and sit til spring 
Alex F
Well-Known Member
- Nov 14, 2006
- 9,166
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- 2005 420DB with AB 11 DLX Tender, Raymarine Electronics (2x12" MFDs) with Vesper AIS
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I always take mine out and charge them about 2-3 times during the winter. If I leave them in there's no way to charge them (if the neg. or pos. is disconnected). The way to prolong the life of a battery is to keep it charged. So, my advice is if you don't have access to 110v to keep them charged then take them out.
Alex, if you take them out how do you lower the hatch ? manually? i leave mine I dont know how to close the hatch except pull the pins on the arms, and i hear it's very heavy????
Alex F
Well-Known Member
- Nov 14, 2006
- 9,166
- Boat Info
- 2005 420DB with AB 11 DLX Tender, Raymarine Electronics (2x12" MFDs) with Vesper AIS
- Engines
- Cummins 450Cs, 9KW Onan Generator, 40HP Yamaha for tender.
Joe,
SR supplies sigarette lighter adapter that you plug in to a the one at the helm. The positive and negative goes to a battery (the last one to come out). This provides juice to the 12DC side of the house and when you press hatch down/up buttons it works as if you had house batteries in the boat.
If you're missing the plug adapter I'm sure it's only $20 or so at the MM or WM.
SR supplies sigarette lighter adapter that you plug in to a the one at the helm. The positive and negative goes to a battery (the last one to come out). This provides juice to the 12DC side of the house and when you press hatch down/up buttons it works as if you had house batteries in the boat.
If you're missing the plug adapter I'm sure it's only $20 or so at the MM or WM.
LetsRock
New Member
- Dec 16, 2009
- 405
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- 1990 Sea Ray 220DA
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- Mercruiser 5.7 liter, 265HP, Garmin 541s
Mine come out and are on the trickle charger all winter.
Henry Boyd
Well-Known Member
- Apr 24, 2007
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- ‘09 Sabre 38 Hardtop Express “Serenity”
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Look, Here is here we have t apply some common sense.
1. Fully charged batteries ill not loose enough charge in six months to make any appreciable difference.
2. Battery life is a function of discharge to charge cycles (a six month discharge is ONE cycle)
Now let us consider the unrelated stuff:
1. moving the batteries to a warm location means;
lifting an 80 pound acid container(s) out of your bilge
putting them in your car
carrying them home
carrying them to your basement
and in the spring
back again.
Long story short there is more risk to you and your batteries by hauling them out of your boat than leaving them alone.
Henry
1. Fully charged batteries ill not loose enough charge in six months to make any appreciable difference.
2. Battery life is a function of discharge to charge cycles (a six month discharge is ONE cycle)
Now let us consider the unrelated stuff:
1. moving the batteries to a warm location means;
lifting an 80 pound acid container(s) out of your bilge
putting them in your car
carrying them home
carrying them to your basement
and in the spring
back again.
Long story short there is more risk to you and your batteries by hauling them out of your boat than leaving them alone.
Henry
Last edited:
dirty dave
New Member
Old Habit pull batteries put them on trickle chargers, same with the motorcycle just my 2 cents lol.
