TOPIC:

I have a small boat with a 15hp Mercury. I'd really like to fish when the weather permits during the winter. I have 2 trolling motors 1 front 1 rear. My batteries are my main concern. Will they get damaged by sitting out all winter? I have an on-board charger that is always on when it's parked but I don't want to have these 2 27 size batteries to be junk by spring. Any help?

Hello Tim.

I would rather Honda Cat give you his professional thoughts on this one. Frank from Calumet Marine is one of our sponsors and runs his own shop. He can set you straight.

I fish most of the winter and rely on my on board charger but, am always checking to make sure my charger is in fact operating. Just like anything else things happen most of the time when it is the worst time for it. Give Frank a call let him know your from the South End site.

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Tim - you will be 100% fine as long as you keep the charger on. Think of all of the cars out all winter

Yes I know Frank well as he was a part of SU while I was on the board. I'm sure he will reply once he sees the question. Thanks for your replies. Tim

hi Tim
hows retirement treating you ?

your battery Wiill be fine if kept charged they are good to about 50 deg below zero
a battery thats down 50% freezes at about 20 deg above zero
make sure battery leads are clean and tight and electrolyte is kept to the proper level or at least over the plates completely
storing fully charged batteries will have no ill effects on any battery that is kept fully charged
a battery can be totally disconnected and with out the aid of a charger it can loose up to one percent of its charge per day. soon be susceptible to freeze damage and chemical degradation
you don't have to leave charger on all the time and in some cases a charger can damage a battery if the charger does not have a fully regulated system /tuns itself off when the battery reaches its peak voltage there are also many different kind of battery these days always make sure your charger is the rite kind for the battery it is being used to charge AGM batteries for example require a special charger
hope to see you on the water tim stop by some time
really miss the su Indiana club meeting was a great way to get out of the house and see friends in the winter

Thanks Frank, it's always nice to hear your thoughts on these types of issues. I should be fine I have 1 of those on board charges that monitors the battery and only goes on when it senses it needs it. It's been great for me not having to remove them after each trip (like the old days) but enough for now heading to the deer woods for a few days trying to fill the freezer. And yeah it was nice to see all the guys in the winter at those meetings. ALSO retirement is great. Wish I could have done this years ago. The best thing is I can still go hard for a day or two then have 5 days to rest instead of work. LOL I do truly love it. Thanks Tim