Battery Suggestion

[Powellclipper]

Hi all! The battery for my Sea Ray 190 bowrider is caput. It was the battery that came with the boat. Here is my question. The boat only has one battery. I don't run any accessory electronics, just those that are stock with the boat. I know I probably don't need an AGM deep cycle, but should I go for a dual purpose deep cycle/starting or just strait to a starting battery?

 

[paulswagelock]

What size battery fits your current set up? What are the model and specs on the existing battery?

 

[dwna1a]

What battery came out of the boat? Then go from there. As mine passed away I changed them to Bluetops Optima.

 

[Lazy Daze]

What engine?

Were you happy with the current batteries performance? As noted above, what are the specs?

Be more specific... we don't know what "just those that are stock with the boat" means. What type of accessories (and how long) are you running without the engine running?

 

[Wanderer 290]

I have not had a “dual” purpose battery last longer than 36 mos., even with light use and perfectly maintained.

 

[Powellclipper]

Gents you all are correct in that I really didn't give any info... its a 4.3 mercruiser.

The battery that came out is a size 24 interstate marine deep cycle. Late 2013.
550 cold cranking amps.

The only accessories I run with the engine off on the water are the bilge pump and exhaust blower and only when needed. Every once in awhile ill hit the depth finder when I am drift fishing out of curiosity.

I do intend on getting the cb and radio unit working again, I think I probably have a wiring issue.

The only other info is that the previous owner (my mother in law) said the boat has an unidentified steady draw somewhere, and I have observed this the last three seasons. Once I know the motor is going to be off for more than 20-30 minutes. I hit a power shut off I installed.

 

[Bill Curtis]

Without electronics, big stereo blastin' while at anchor or any accessories, I would stick with a size 24 (or a 27 if it will fit in battery box) starting type battery. Optima would be my choice.

Would also try to find source of the power drain, just for good measure. With everything turned off for sure, pull fuses one at a time and put a test meter, reading volts, across both fuse clips. When you hit one fuse holder that shows voltage across the clips, that is you culprit.

 

[paulswagelock]

Marine starting group 24. Sams club has one with 1000 cca for under $100.

 

[Lazy Daze]

Fuel injected or carb'b? Either way, group 24 starting is more than enough. If carb'd, 800MCA is PLENTY - really, even 600 is fine. If fuel injected, go with 800MCA or 1000MCA. It never hurts to go bigger, but with that engine you don't need anything special - it's very happy with a basic battery.

 

[Powellclipper]

Thanks for the replies fellers... To answer a couple more of your questions: I like to be quiet on the boat. One reason being the stereo doesn't work and the other being that where I go, there are enough people blasting away that when I get to some solitude, no noise. Ill even take the dogs collar off if he's clanking around too much. It's carb'd. For some reason, I put 2001 in the title. It's a 99, I need to change that.

So... out of curiosity though-- kind of a philosophical question, with the battery being pulled a 2013 deep cycle, I had lots of cold starts on it.. along with some "I will hold this key until you bark because I am too far away from civilization not too" mornings, do I chalk up the longevity of the previous battery to quality, or the fact that deep cycles will do OK in the long run given they are charged frequently and taken care of properly. To my knowledge, and since I picked up the boat, the previous battery never even saw temperatures under 50 degrees.

I am leaning toward the starting battery, and I do plan on tracking down electrical problems, but I am curious to that because everything I read basically says not to use a deep cycle as a primary.

 

[Farmboy666]

Walmart Everstart dual purpose, If it last 3 yrs thats 30 a year. since you only have one battery buy a jumpbox just in case.

 

[IsaacMartin]

Dealing with a kaput battery can be a hassle. Now, for your Sea Ray 190 bowrider, here's my two cents. Since you're not rocking a bunch of fancy electronics and sticking to the stock boat gear, you might not need to splurge on an AGM deep cycle.A dual-purpose deep cycle/starting battery could be your best bet. It'll handle all your basic boat needs, like lights, radio, and other factory-installed stuff, while still having enough oomph to fire up the engine when you're ready to hit the waves.Also, it's a smart move to keep the info about the trolling motor battery in your mental toolkit.

 

[dmorris800]

Thanks for the replies fellers... To answer a couple more of your questions: I like to be quiet on the boat. One reason being the stereo doesn't work and the other being that where I go, there are enough people blasting away that when I get to some solitude, no noise. Ill even take the dogs collar off if he's clanking around too much. It's carb'd. For some reason, I put 2001 in the title. It's a 99, I need to change that.

So... out of curiosity though-- kind of a philosophical question, with the battery being pulled a 2013 deep cycle, I had lots of cold starts on it.. along with some "I will hold this key until you bark because I am too far away from civilization not too" mornings, do I chalk up the longevity of the previous battery to quality, or the fact that deep cycles will do OK in the long run given they are charged frequently and taken care of properly. To my knowledge, and since I picked up the boat, the previous battery never even saw temperatures under 50 degrees.

I am leaning toward the starting battery, and I do plan on tracking down electrical problems, but I am curious to that because everything I read basically says not to use a deep cycle as a primary.

Deep cycle have thicker plates that allow you to draw more over time but not quickly. Starter are more thin plates that allow a big draw for a short period like starting a motor.