Winterizing - storing you battery in the boat

[Taxus812]

Re: Winterizing - storing you battery in the boat

Not doing so is just lazy

Its not being lazy. I have limited storage (no shed and a full garage that is under my living area). The manual reads like you remove them so you can maintain the charge while the boat is covered and stored.

The boat has the proper equipment installed for charging the battery while its covered (add on so not reflected in the manual). It is also in my yard so I can plug it in. Being left in the boat disconnected, from the circuit seemed a suitable place for them under those conditions.

(The alternative is a board under my deck)

If I was being lazy I would have just left them in, No charge and not asked any questions here.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Winterizing - storing you battery in the boat

absolutely remove (or completely disconnect) them if you aren't going to be using the boat for a couple months. I used to work in insurance, and you wouldn't believe the number of stored vehicles that would go up in flames because of a battery. yes, you might have disconnect battery switches, but that doesn't help if a mouse chews through the wiring and shorts it out. Like I said, that happens far more than you would ever believe!

Anyway, no chance of fire if there is no battery on board.

 

[etracer68]

Re: Winterizing - storing you battery in the boat

I store my boat, and Harley, at work inside a seactioned off room. It never gets below 50degF, Although I used to leave batteries in, and on a float charger. Last year the Fire Dept came through, to do a walk around, as they do twice a year for safety, and insurance reasons. I was told that any boat ,car or motor cycle, must have the fuel and batteries out, while in storage. Of course they didnt say anything about small engine stuff for lawn main. I never heard of it before, theres alot of places that store boats, and cars, that leave everything in, dont have isssues. So just to make them happy I remove batteries, and drain the fuel, on the boat, and tell them, the harley isnt in storage, and they leave it at that. I work in Menomonee Falls, Wi. I would think a fuel tank full of fumes, would be more of a danger. I do this to keep the owner happy, I wouldnt want to lose my heated storage benies.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Winterizing - storing you battery in the boat

Yea, I keep the batteries in the boat. . . It seems to work for the cars, and has worked out for the boat.

since I occasionally work on the boat over the winter, I have the opportunity to charge them up from time to time.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Winterizing - storing you battery in the boat

Well,geeze....dunno about your area,but regulation is that they have to be in a box around here. And besides,ya take the box out with the battery,no drips /spills in the boat.

I believe battery boxes are required everywhere. Every boat i ever owned had them bolted down with the cover strap so they wouldn't move. Handling the battery with one hand using the strap on the battery is manageable. But trying to pass it over the side to my helper holding the 2 box handles would not work too well.

I'm a great one for following the "book", whether it be the owner's manual for the car or the instruction manual that came with the house furnace. They all have PM schedules. Removing the battery is the conventional wisdom, and its what the "book" said when I got my first boat 45 years ago.

(I had a battery go bad 10 years ago - not froze, just a bad case. Cleaning out that acid from the box was quite a chore...and mess)

 

[jkust]

Re: Winterizing - storing you battery in the boat

I got lazy last year and my expensive Northland battery froze in my boat. Spring comes and it charges up just fine but I needed to decide do I buy another one or possibly open myself to getting stranded on the lake. I replaced it and was a $100+ lazy move. Might have worked for years to come but the sides were bulged out from freeze and thaw. I should have set up a smart battery maintainer.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Winterizing - storing you battery in the boat

I found this on the Interstate Battery Web site . . .

" . . . Use a battery charger to maintain charge levels and keep the battery in good condition. According to Kimbrough, a fully charged battery will not freeze until -76?F; however, a fully discharged battery could start to freeze at 32?F. . . . "

So, it looks like if your battery is not charged periodically over the winter, and you live & store your boat/battery(ies) in a cold climate, then your battery(ies) could freeze. For cold climate folks, looks like your choices are to make sure the battery is charged over the winter, or bring your battery into an area of above freezing temperatures.

 

[82rude]

Re: Winterizing - storing you battery in the boat

im on year 4 of my optima battery .it has not left the boat for 2 years and winter is long and cold.it also doesn't even know what a charger looks like.starts instantly.all the time ,every time.i also carry a portable booster in the boat in case there,s problems with my boat or others.so far so good.

 

[jkust]

Re: Winterizing - storing you battery in the boat

im on year 4 of my optima battery .it has not left the boat for 2 years and winter is long and cold.it also doesn't even know what a charger looks like.starts instantly.all the time ,every time.i also carry a portable booster in the boat in case there,s problems with my boat or others.so far so good.

That's impressive.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Winterizing - storing you battery in the boat

I leave it in the boat. I always have the battery fully charged before winterization. The last thing I do before putting the cover on is disconnect the battery cables. The temps get into the teens for a week or two, but it shouldn't affect anything on a charged battery especially since the boat is in an enclosed shop. Sure, I could pull the battery/battery box out of the boat easily, but I haven't had a reason to.

Occasionally I'll put the charger on it during the winter just to top it off, but I don't find it necessary.

 

[jkust]

Re: Winterizing - storing you battery in the boat

I leave it in the boat. I always have the battery fully charged before winterization. The last thing I do before putting the cover on is disconnect the battery cables. The temps get into the teens for a week or two, but it shouldn't affect anything on a charged battery especially since the boat is in an enclosed shop. Sure, I could pull the battery/battery box out of the boat easily, but I haven't had a reason to.

Occasionally I'll put the charger on it during the winter just to top it off, but I don't find it necessary.

So what killed me was that I forgot to switch the battery to off. Wouldn't be a big deal but since I also had removed the faceplate from the stereo to store inside, there is a little LED that blinks under the faceplate if it is removed. What a stupid feature.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Winterizing - storing you battery in the boat

So what killed me was that I forgot to switch the battery to off. Wouldn't be a big deal but since I also had removed the faceplate from the stereo to store inside, there is a little LED that blinks under the faceplate if it is removed. What a stupid feature.

Lol, well it's likely a built-in alarm to the stereo which has the theft-deterrent LED, so take that for what it's worth.

 

[jkust]

Re: Winterizing - storing you battery in the boat

Lol, well it's likely a built-in alarm to the stereo which has the theft-deterrent LED, so take that for what it's worth.

Just silly logic. The face plate is removed...who would want the unit anyway? I didn't use the stereo one single time all summer but bought a battery because of it.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Winterizing - storing you battery in the boat

Funny story....

I KNOW if the boat battery froze I would be in trouble, so I'm careful about that. But, a few years ago I had a dead lead acid battery and rather than throw it out I decided to mine the lead for sinkers. I drained the acid and filled it up with water. Left it in the field behind my house to freeze and crack so I could get the lead. That sucker never had the case crack!!!

 

[JimS123]

Re: Winterizing - storing you battery in the boat

im on year 4 of my optima battery .it has not left the boat for 2 years and winter is long and cold.it also doesn't even know what a charger looks like.starts instantly.all the time ,every time.i also carry a portable booster in the boat in case there,s problems with my boat or others.so far so good.

That's not a lead acid battery, so no chance to freeze anyway. That battery will easily last you for 10 years or more if you keep it charged, but let that sucker go below 12 volts and it'll be toast. After about 6 years it will start to lose a little when not in use, so better keep an eye on it.

 

[moosehead]

Re: Winterizing - storing you battery in the boat

There is valid enough reasoning to pull and store a battery, namely: fire danger, prolonged battery life, avoiding getting stranded on the water, acidic mess, ease.

If one has the luxury of an accessible, heated garage, with proper power setup, then the above might be countered.

IME the new Optimas aren't nearly as well made or bulletproof as the originals - treat them well. I've also fried an Optima by not using their house made, expensive chargers.

 

[90stingray]

Re: Winterizing - storing you battery in the boat

Well here goes... my current boat has had the battery installed and hooked up all winter for the last 2 winters. I think about it all winter, because I know its not ideal. But come spring, the drive trims right up! The previous boat I removed the battery and brought it home. It is just a pain to remove after lowering the drive and recover the boat. I even forgot to bring the battery one year when I was getting the boat out of storage. Then comes the hassle of jumper cables. Its sure easier to leave it installed and since I have nothing that drains the battery during the winter, it works.
I think this year I will at least disconnect the battery.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Winterizing - storing you battery in the boat

If one has the luxury of an accessible, heated garage, with proper power setup, then the above might be countered.

Having it in a heated facility is all the more reason to at least disconnect the terminals! A heated/powered building is going to be substantially more expensive, and might be connected to a dwelling. Not something you want a fire caused by a random short burning down.

 

[moosehead]

Re: Winterizing - storing you battery in the boat

Having it in a heated facility is all the more reason to at least disconnect the terminals! A heated/powered building is going to be substantially more expensive, and might be connected to a dwelling. Not something you want a fire caused by a random short burning down.

Good point. Plus I suppose a warmer space would be more attractive to rodents in winter.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Winterizing - storing you battery in the boat

Dunno why everyone is so worried about acid in a battery box... had a one boil over and had maybe a few cups in the box... Turned the garden hose on.... rinsed the bat as I pulled it out of the box and set it aside... then filled the box w water and let it overflow into the bilge and out the drain... dumped the box into the bilge and flushed w water for a few minutes... I think folks have watched too many batman movies where people and various items liquify in seconds in a vat of magic acid..... sure, left to work on metal over time it can take a toll but it doesn't melt a boat away in the time it takes to dilute and flush away