Keeping Shore Power on all winter or not??

ippa2

ippa2

New Member
Jul 24, 2010
229
Buzzards Bay
Boat Info
1997 330 Sundancer
Engines
7.4 Mercs
OK I've read a ton on this forum about what to do with the batteries in the winter... leave in / take out... My mind is made up. I'm definitely leaving them on the boat for the winter.

Now the next question is do I fully charge them in the fall and disconnect them for the winter or do I leave my boat's charger turned on all winter with the batteries connected? I will have my shore power plugged in all winter long to run the West Marine air dryer dehumidifier, so all I'll have to do is hit the battery charger switch on my panel and I can run that all winter long, guaranteeing the batteries are 100% all winter.

My biggest concern is that the battery charger on my boat will not function correctly and will overcharge the batteries. Any advice for a new 330 owner?
 
I left my boat plugging in all winter, last year... I plan on changing two batteries next spring... I would be interested in knowing what the other members think. I plan on leaving the boat in the water...
 
I would disconnect the batteries after charging them on the theory that charge /discharge cycles shorten battery life and no cycles over the winter are better.

I'm also not sure how effective an electric dehumidifier is going to be once temperatures drop below 65 degrees on a consistent basis. My basement dehumidifier freezes solid once the air temp drops below about 65.

We take all of the removable cushions, carpets, paper and cloth items off the boat the boat and use a couple of buckets of the damp rid chemical stuff and have no problems. Besides providing protection from mold and mildew damage, is also an effective anti-squirrel method.

Henry
 
I am in my fifth season with Optima Blue Top Deep Cycle Series 31 AGM Batteries in my 2003 420DA.

I leave them in, with the charger on and battery switches off, all winter. Come the spring, I turn on the battery switches, open the seacocks, and those Optimas turn the Cummins C series over with no muss, no fuss.
 
We boat all winter so the extent of my winterizing is to blow out the fresh water system. In the past it's been a relatively simple event. This year, with the new boat it's going to be much more involved due to the larger number of faucets, tank size, etc.

I leave the boat plugged in but turn off battery switches and that has worked in the past.
 
You don't say if the boat is going to be in or out of the water. In the water, the batteries MUST be connected and shore power must be connected with charger/inverter on so that the bilge pumps will continue to operate in case of a leak.

If the boat is on the hard, it's your choice. Many marinas forbid shore power connections, so check your yard's policy. In my case, with the boat stored on shore for the winter, I leave everything connected and just plug in for 4-5 hours every couple of weeks to a month to keep the charge up. I use Damp Rid desicant to handle the moisture and never have mold/mildew/odor issues. Been doing it this way for 20+ years.
 
My boat will be on the hard, next to my garage in my yard. So no issues there.

I think I am going to top the batteries off with my West Marine 3 stage charger, then disconnect them and leave them be for the winter. I may hook them up to the charger in late January and top them off again.

As for the dehumidifer good point about it not working when its cold out. Although its more of an air dryer. It does not pull any moisture into a tray or anything like that. It circulates warm air throughout the cabin. I will certainly use the hanging damp rid packages regardless, but I've also seen people use trays of kitty litter to help absorb odors and dampness and that has worked very well. Maybe for early spring until the launching I'll plug the boat in and use the dehumidifier... Thanks for everyone's responses. This forum has been very helpful so far.
 
I leave them on the boat in a good state of charge disconnected...Test in the spring before launch, they always show at least 12.4 volts or better in the spring. Batteries will self discharge less in cold weather. A healthy, good state of charge battery will not freeze. I routinely replace the batteries after the 3rd or 4th season of use.
 
If you have the capability to keep shore power (garage power) connected all winter to your converter, then I have found it is best to do that. With the battery switches off, there will be little draw down, but the converter will keep them at full charge the whole time. That is the best state for your batteries to be in all winter. If you are concerned about the health of your converter, then this winter might be a good time to get it replaced with a new one.
 
Your 3 stage charger is designed to not over charge your batteries. Once the batteries are brought up to full charge, the final stage acts like a trickle charger to just maintain the voltage.

My boat stays in the water all year and gets used but sometimes it will sit for a month or 2 without use. I leave shorepower and the charger on all the time. I never turn off the battery switches as that stops the charger from charging the batts.

I have never had a problem and my wet cell marine batteries are on their 4th season.
 
NorCal - The typical factory installation for converters is to wire them directly to each battery bank, not thru your battery switch(es). Is your boat not set up that way?
 
Boat in water = Shore power connected.

Boat on land = Batteries in house; on charger once every six weeks. I bought my boat used five years ago; and have not yet changed batteries (usage pattern is also key: I never fully discharge my batteries when on the hook)
 
rabyers1 said:
NorCal - The typical factory installation for converters is to wire them directly to each battery bank, not thru your battery switch(es). Is your boat not set up that way?
Click to expand...

Nope. You turn off the switches....no charge. Remember, its coming up on 22 years old. Until last year I still had the original single stage battery charger in the boat. That sucker had to be cooking the crap out of the batteries.
 
Lets hold off on all of this winterizing BS talk for now. Its not even labor day yet...No need to put me into a deep depression!:smt089:smt089:smt089
 
I keep my charger connected even on land. I routinely check voltage to ensure batteries are not being cooked.
 
I have disconnected my batteries in the past when fully charged for the winter with no problems. I had the ability to plug into power last winter and left the charger on and I have had no issues. I also did a frequent check on the boat though to make sure things were ok.
 
Winter schminter.

For winter, I always do three things...
1 - Adjust thermostat on climate control in cabin to ~60 degrees
2 - Swap out "summer" beer for "winter" beer in the fridge
3 - Ensure sufficient supply of single malt in the liquor cabinet

You guys up north on the coast and great lakes have LOTS of advantages over us southern lake boaters, but figuring out what to do in the winter isn't one of them!
 
I use my boat all year round. Batteries and all equipment stay onboard. Get a good quality battery charger and you'll never have to worry about them.
 
So, if I want to take all three batteries out how do I do so and still operate the hatch??
 
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