Posts: 2753
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Hi OM- The extra trolling motor battery should work fine as a temporary replacement. Some "deep cycle" marine batteries are rated for both uses. You need to check which yours is. F.ex a dual use battery will have both the "cold cranking amps" (CCA) and the "Reserve Capacity" marked on them. Also if it's a "wetcell" meaning you can add distilled water to replenish the electrolyte losses- you should be OK. I would not use a "deep cycle only" battery as a permanent starting battery as it will likely not last as long as a "marine cranking" battery, especially for larger motors. However- In your case you may want too, i.e., just to get some payback on the investment (see note below)
BTW- While it may seem like a good idea to have extra batteries. Extra batteries sitting in your garage are aging at the same rate as the batteries in your boat. All lead-acid batteries have a finite life expectancy-even when sitting on a shelf (typically 3-5 years). Even if you periodically recharge them every 2-3 months they will probably be toast in ~3-5 years. So a word of advice - don't waste money buying extra batteries- buy them when you need them. Carry a set of jumper cables in the boat, you can always jumper the trolling motor battery to the starting battery in an emergency- Then buy a new starting battery.
Good Luck |
