Do you Trickle Charge your battery at the beginning of the season

[Thajeffski]

Re: Do you Trickle Charge your battery at the beginning of the season

I never do anything to any of my batteries. They have never need to be replaced yet.

I'm just too lazy. Boat started up just fine this spring. I'm running two batteries with the blue sea system ACR..... I guess I lied, I did switch the selector to "off" in the fall.

 

[Summer Fun]

Re: Do you Trickle Charge your battery at the beginning of the season

I'm going on 4yrs with Wally's World batts at $38 each with a 6yr warranty.
I charged them up at winter layup and when I splashed her she started right up.

 

[redone4x4]

Re: Do you Trickle Charge your battery at the beginning of the season

because im taking out the boat tommorw and havent started it up yet or if I should see if she starts right up. If not jump it.

Whats your views????

Really? you havent checked but your taking the boat out? how did that go? did it start up or did you have to get a jetski to stop and jump start it? part of being prepared, if you ask me. Start it up at home at least once before you take it out man. never leave home with question in mind, IMO.

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: Do you Trickle Charge your battery at the beginning of the season

Good grief any auto parts store will load test it for free, you put it in without checking it? And for the rest of the boat, I hope your maintenance schedule is not "prayer" based also.

 

[ENSIGN]

Re: Do you Trickle Charge your battery at the beginning of the season

You should of thought of this last fall

 

[Thajeffski]

Re: Do you Trickle Charge your battery at the beginning of the season

I def start my boat up once in the spring while it's at home....... before putting it in the slip....seems like common sense.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Do you Trickle Charge your battery at the beginning of the season

I usually just disconnect the battery and then toss it on a charger in the spring. No electricity where the boat gets stored and I don't want a battery sitting in my shop on a charger all winter.

I say usually because this year I took it out of storage, then did some maintenance - replaced the impeller and the drive lube. Fired it up in the driveway on the muffs, no issues. (But never did put it on the charger to make sure it was fully charged)

Went to put it in the lake for the first time last sunday and wouldn't you know it wouldn't start. Idling on the muffs must have sucked the battery down just enough.

Luckily when we take the boat off the trailer we just pull it around the dock with a rope out of the way of the launch and tie up until I get the truck parked - so at least we were out of the way. The downside to this method is that the truck is already parked before I find out if the boat is going to start (hasn't really ever been an issue) Normally I have a booster box in the boat, but being first of the season I had forgotten to put it in the boat.

Just as I'm planning on running back up to the truck and pulling the boat out, someone my wife knows drops their fishing boat in the water and they have jumper cables. So it ended well.

I guess my lesson in all this is either make sure the stupid battery gets a good charge before the first run of the season or at least make sure the booster box is in the boat or the truck.