Winter Batteries

Chancedevlin

1st winter and I am storing my boat outside in Michigan and was wondering if I should leave the batteries (4) in or take them out?  If I take them out how do I close the engine hatch after?

reneechris14

I'm in Ct and I take mine out store in the basement and put them on a charger once a month. If you take a pair of jumper cables and touch the post in the battery switch box the hatch will go down. Then in the spring reverse the post(+  -) hatch will go up.

MarkB

Best is to put them inside on trickle charge, but I know of many who just disconnect the batteries and leave them in the boat. Probably will need to replace the batteries sooner though.

Spyderweb

Bought a 2007 Bayliner 285 new and had it winterized by dealer, shrink wrapped and left outside.  I was concerned about leaving batteries in boat, stored in northern NY.  Dealer said that's how they prep all boats, not a problem.  I got 9 years of service out of those batteries.  I now no longer worry about storing batteries in boat.

Liberty44140

I leave them in with the negatives disconnected. I disconnect in late October and then reconnect in early feb, from there I charge most weekends while working on the boat.

Lake_Bum

I give mine a full charge, turn off the perko switch and leave em in the boat all winter.  Never had an issue with any of my boats doing it that way. 

Willhound

I've been pulling mine, a good excuse to clean them up, grease the posts and give them a load test before installing in the spring. Although I guess I could do all that at the boat too.

Stodge

@Chancedevlin Hey neighbor.  Where do you keep your boat?

Ian

I leave mine in all connected but switched off when stored. Prior boat mechanic disconnected, either way there seemed to be no ill effects. All 3 are dated 2012 and the house battery has just got open circuit so given they are 6 years old now, new ones coming in spring.

Liberty44140

We store indoors and the owner requires us to sign off that we will either disconnect the batteries ourself or we will pay them to do it. Really should disconnect if you are indoors, too many gas fumes and spark risks to just turn off the switch 

aero3113

I pull them and leave them on trickle charge in the basement. My cousin leaves them in and plugs the boat in to charge them a couple of times through the winter.

skennelly

@Liberty44140 - I agree with the indoors comment.  I pull the batteries and keep them in my garage ( detached ) up on a work bench off the concrete and charge them once a month or so.

F1100

100% take them out, keep them inside. Top the cells up with distilled water, and trickle charge each one every 2 months using a modern charger. You will get years or service out of them.

MarkB

Lake_Bum said:

I give mine a full charge, turn off the perko switch and leave em in the boat all winter.  Never had an issue with any of my boats doing it that way. 

You should disconnect them though ... ground can definitely leak past that switch.

Chancedevlin

Stodge said:

@Chancedevlin Hey neighbor.  Where do you keep your boat?

I keep it at MacRay. U?

Chancedevlin

Thanks for all the advice guys

Stodge

Chancedevlin said:

Stodge said:

@Chancedevlin Hey neighbor.  Where do you keep your boat?

I keep it at MacRay. U?

I live on a canal now, but used to keep her at MacRay.  I still winter store there.

J3ff

I leave mine in, but the place I store at also allows you to plug into their power all winter, so I plug in and leave the charger on all winter long..  

Willhound

Should also check your insurance policy. Unless you're in a run all year area and are insured as such, your policy will have a "lay up period" clause and some of these require batteries to be disconnected and/or removed completely during lay up period. Otherwise, no pay if it burns or a battery leaks. 

Willhound

J3ff said:

I leave mine in, but the place I store at also allows you to plug into their power all winter, so I plug in and leave the charger on all winter long..  

Is the storage area staffed or checked regularly? As per my post above.....

J3ff

Willhound said:

J3ff said:

I leave mine in, but the place I store at also allows you to plug into their power all winter, so I plug in and leave the charger on all winter long..  

Is the storage area staffed or checked regularly? As per my post above.....

Yeah power is on from 8am to 5pm... and employees are present all winter long, it's a family owned shop