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Posts: 1270
| I have always taken my batteries out for over winter storage of my boat but I hear enough people who say that they keep them in over winter to make me wonder if taking them out is really neccessary.
Do you guys think it would be OK to leave them in and just plug in the on-board charger every once in a while over winter? |
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Posts: 2323
Location: Stevens Point, WI | I too use to bring my batteries in the house and store them in the basement, however, I've kept them in the boat the last couple of seasons and just plugged the charger a couple times over winter. They seem to be fine. Never had a problem doing this. |
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Posts: 406
Location: Stones throw away...finally!! | I also leave mine in the boat, but I leave the charger plugged in all winter, same as over the summer. Should I be unplugging them or is it ok to leave them on charge for the winter. I need to get new batteries in the spring anyway, but would be nice to know for future reference. |
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Posts: 3242
Location: Racine, Wi | I leave mine in the boat in the winter as well. Just make sure they are fully charged and plug the charger in throughout the winter. I usually fish a few times during the winter so this helps me to keep them charged anyway.
I'm not sure if you should keep the charger on them all winter unless you have a trickle charger. Once it's fully charged, you should be okay, then just a charge to ensure it's still fully charged once in a while should be okay.
DISCLAIMER: I have no idea what I'm talking about, so take that for what it's worth. LOL I'm sure a more highly knowledgable battery guy will pipe in here. |
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Posts: 10
Location: WI | I'd say it depends on where you live. If you're in northern states WI, MN, SD, ND, DA U.P., or Canada where it can get well below zero take them out. Southern areas with warmer temps it might not be as big of a deal.
Either way remember to always keep your battery fully charged. |
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Posts: 253
Location: On the water | I've leave my batteries in the boat all winter in a garage for the past 5 years and never had a problem. Make sure they are fully charged and your set. The batteries hold a charge better in the cold weather. |
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Posts: 5874
| If your batteries are at full charge, there is no reason to take them out. They will not freeze if they are fully charged. They will also not self discharge in the cold, like they will do if they are brought into your nice warm and cozy basement. If you have a newer motor that is direct injected, that may have some drain, so it is best to either keep the onboard charger plugged in, or disconnect the the cables from the positive post. My boat is kept in my garage, and I leave it plugged in all the time. |
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| I bought an AGM this spring for my starting battery. I knew this was going to stay in the boat. I have a two year old WallyWorld deep cycle in the bow. I WAS planning on removing it this fall for basement storage. Reading this changes everything. I may leaving the boat within range of the outlet to keep it plugged in over the winter. Why wont they discharge??? The deep cycle I'm not so concerned with as I may change it out anyway. ( and the Honda dealer asked why I would want to remove the motor from the boat. Pull the rope a few times to expell any water that might be in there and I am good to go. I use Stabil all the time. What WOULD the cold hurt inside an outboard? Aren't there seals that could crack??) Sorry, I ramble... |
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Posts: 130
Location: Chicago | Look into a float charger they are relatively cheap and they only supply enough charge for what the battery needs. The charger shuts down and then goes into a storage mode which only supplies charge if there is a need. The model I have states it is safe enough to leave on continuously. Works for me. Dave |
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