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Winter battery storage/care

csoule13

Member III
This is our first winter with the boat not at the dock hooked to shore power. The usual internet search shows some variation on what to do with the batteries over the winter. Unsure the type of batteries on the boat, but they were charged up when the boat was pulled.

We're in the mid-atlantic, so while it doesn't get New England cold here for long periods of time, we do have days like this Wednesday when it'll be down in the teens over night.

Thx as always!
 

GrandpaSteve

Sustaining Member
This is our first winter with the boat not at the dock hooked to shore power. The usual internet search shows some variation on what to do with the batteries over the winter. Unsure the type of batteries on the boat, but they were charged up when the boat was pulled.

We're in the mid-atlantic, so while it doesn't get New England cold here for long periods of time, we do have days like this Wednesday when it'll be down in the teens over night.

Thx as always!

I will tell you what I do with my lead acid batteries (she is on the hard in Rock Hall Md.):

I make sure the water is topped off, fully charge them, make sure the battery switch is off, and take the fuse out of the automatic bilge pump. I leave them on the boat. This is my fifth season doing it this way, the batteries were new in 2012, the year before I bought the boat. Opinions on this subject vary.

This article and my own experience give me confidence in my practice:

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/self_discharge

Also, my friends with big batteries (8A4D type) that weigh in at ~140 pounds never consider removing their batteries when winterizing.
 
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u079721

Contributing Partner
I too would recommend just fully charging the batteries and leaving them aboard during the winter. Nobody I knew in Michigan removed theirs for storage. Some folks would remove all the cables from their batteries, which couldn't hurt, but I left mine in place since I visited the boat during projects from time to time and wanted to be able to use the electrics if needed. I would, however, suggest you be sure the top surfaces of the batteries are completely clean and dry, with no spilled battery acid anywhere that can possibly promote self discharge between the poles.
 

redbeard1

Member II
We have two AGM that we leave in the boat over the Chicago winter. The batteries were new and we wanted to do the job right so we did a fair bit of research. Some tips below.

The batteries should be fully charged (100%) and then disconnected. We place masking tape around each cable, number each tape, take pictures of all the cables with numbered tape, and reconnect exactly as we disconnect

Many owners do not disconnect the batteries, but if your wiring is not fairly clean, corrosion or bad connections could slowly discharge your batteries over the long winter. Many boats have small leaks in current which are not noticed because the batteries are recharged daily at the slip. Over the winter, these leaks can empty a battery that has been left connected. While a fully charged AGM will not freeze until 95 below. A discharged AGM might freeze in the teens. If your battery freezes, you will likely need to replace it.

Also, AGMs in the cold discharge very slowly (about 1% a month). Other materials discharge more. An auto battery used by some for starting will discharge 3% or more each month. If we had these types of batteries, we would likely visit every few months to recharge to 100%. Our AGMs were still almost fully charged in the Spring.
 

csoule13

Member III
I should have known better - always start at Maine Cruising and proceed from there. Thanks Steve. And if you're ever in the Herrington Harbor area, drinks on me and my old man.

I will tell you what I do with my lead acid batteries (she is on the hard in Rock Hall Md.):

I make sure the water is topped off, fully charge them, make sure the battery switch is off, and take the fuse out of the automatic bilge pump. I leave them on the boat. This is my fifth season doing it this way, the batteries were new in 2012, the year before I bought the boat. Opinions on this subject vary.

This article and my own experience give me confidence in my practice:

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/self_discharge

Also, my friends with big batteries (8A4D type) that weigh in at ~140 pounds never consider removing their batteries when winterizing.
 

frick

Member III
5 Years of good life on my batteries

Here what I have learned about my Type 27 Batteries....

If I take them out of the Boat and store them indoor - They last about 5 seasons...

If I leave them on the boat for the winter and charge them up in the Spring... They Last about 5 seasons

If I leave them on the Boat and Trickle Charge them over the winter - They last about 5 seasons.

Rick
 

bgary

Advanced Beginner
Blogs Author
Here what I have learned about my Type 27 Batteries....

If you don't mind a minor thread-drift... what's the hint that they've gone as far as they're going to and it's time to replace them? Just not holding a charge, or something else?
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
If you don't mind a minor thread-drift... what's the hint that they've gone as far as they're going to and it's time to replace them? Just not holding a charge, or something else?

Some folks get more life out of their batteries than others. I thought that our last pair of Trojan GC 6 volt batteries were doing fine when they had a sudden (6 hour) voltage drop to 10.5 volts. They were fine until then, for 9 years.
I have met boaters that get many more years than do I.

I have a solid state charger and check the water levels a couple times a year. They take a bit of distilled water about once a year.

I have heard for years that once you get beyond 5 or 6 years you are into the last of the life span on many wet-cell batteries.
 

redbeard1

Member II
If you don't mind a minor thread-drift... what's the hint that they've gone as far as they're going to and it's time to replace them? Just not holding a charge, or something else?

I've had good luck with this device.

https://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-B...qid=1513119617&sr=8-6&keywords=battery+tester

It is not too expensive and a great way to prevent being stranded in the cold (I purchased it to test cars but also use it for boat). You charge your battery to 100% and the device runs a load while measuring voltage drop. An indicator tells you if your battery is good, ok, or close to failure.

The device is similar to using a DDM to test your car battery while starting your car but saves you the need to research how much voltage drop to expect for a given size load and battery health.
 

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Bob Robertson

Member III
We've had our boat on Lake Superior since 88 and we've tried numerous ways of handling the batteries over the winter. Winter temperatures where we are can sometimes hit 20 below.
About 8 or 10 years ago we replaced our original battery charger with a XANTREX 40 amp Charger. It's made a huge improvement. At times when we're on the boat we leave the charger on for days without the batteries getting overcharged.

We haven't done it, but I'm guessing we could leave the new charger on all winter.
What we have done for years is to leave the batteries connected and the battery charger switch on. We run a power cord over near a 110V outlet and have friends that live close plug it in for a couple of days every month.

This year I'm planning to get a outdoor timer that can be set to turn on once a week for 4 hours.

Menard's has them for $19.98. It's called a Smart Electrician Outdoor 7-Day Heavy Duty Digital timer.

Happy Holidays,
Bob
 
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u079721

Contributing Partner
....This year I'm planning to get a outdoor timer that can be set to turn on once a week for 4 hours....Bob

I've seen at least one brand of battery charger that has this feature built in. The one I recall seeing had a function where it would wake up every 21 days and test the voltage, then go back to sleep if everything checked out. Sounds like a better solution than leaving a tickle charger on all winter. But the outdoor timer would do the trick too.
 

EGregerson

Member III
winter storage

Hi; if ur in Alexandria and the boat's in Herrington harbor; ur about an hour away. My experience with the boat being far away, and not able to check on it frequently, was water getting into the bilge; from wherever. One winter i left the battery hooked to the float switch. After a cold snap in the Northern Neck I found a block of ice in the bilge, a dead battery and the float switch frozen in ice in the up position. What i try to do now is remove the water intake seacock. If water does intrude, it'll flow out the opening and not fill the bilge. I keep the boat nearby now and check on it frequently, so i can't say this is fool proof. There was an E38 on the hard at the marina that had scuppers fail; rain water got in and it cost him his sole.
 
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csoule13

Member III
Hi; if ur in Alexandria and the boat's in Herrington harbor; ur about an hour away. My experience with the boat being far away, and not able to check on it frequently, was water getting into the bilge; from wherever. One winter i left the battery hooked to the float switch. After a cold snap in the Northern Neck I found a block of ice in the bilge, a dead battery and the float switch frozen in ice in the up position. What i try to do now is remove the water intake seacock. If water does intrude, it'll flow out the opening and not fill the bilge. I keep the boat nearby now and check on it frequently, so i can't say this is fool proof. There was an E38 on the hard at the marina that had scuppers fail; rain water got in and it cost him his sole.

A nice professionally made cover from ShipShape canvas takes care of most of this. Had it on last winter and works like a charm. Can't recommend them enough.
 

Tom Metzger

Sustaining Partner
Chemical reactions,in general, slow down as the temperature drops. This is also true of batteries so there is virtually no self discharge in the northern climes over the winter. Unfortunately, the same happens to the battery capacity - about drop 50% for each 10*C (18*F).

I leave my batteries on the boat, but I disconnect the negative leads and jumpers. It only takes a minute or so to drop the leads onto the studs and tighten two hex nuts in the spring. This way I don't have to worry about currents going through the battery monitor, radio memories, bilge pump, etc. Typically in the spring I find the voltage to be about 12.7V. Sometimes I check the boat mid-winter, sometimes not, it depends on how fast spring training in Tampa catches up to me. The boat is about 40 miles from the Canadian border. If I was a lot farther south I would check it more reliably and put on the charger for an hour or so if needed.

As pointed out above, I always make sure they are clean, fully charged, and the water is topped off.
 
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