This is my first winter storage for my 2002 Beneteau 411 that I purchased at the beginning of this year. I would like to leave the batteries on the boat for the winter with periodically charging them for a few hours a month. Does anyone have any information or experience with storing the batteries a hard?
Battery store for the winter
- Thread starter natep
- Start date
Yep. Make sure the batteries are fully charged and have enough water.
Disconnect the batteries from everything. Go home and enjoy dreaming about next summer.
The self-discharge rate for batteries in the cold is very low. If the batteries are in decent shape they will winter over with no damage.
Disconnect the batteries from everything. Go home and enjoy dreaming about next summer.
The self-discharge rate for batteries in the cold is very low. If the batteries are in decent shape they will winter over with no damage.
+1 For years I used to remove them, take home and keep in my warm basement. I finally smartened up and now just fully charge, equalize if possible, and disconnect. The disconnect is important. Also be sure that the tops of the batteries are clean and dry.
I have left mine on board ( and connected) for the past 16 years. I plug the charger in once a month for a few hours. I just changed the batteries this year, the oldest of the 3 was 14 years old, the newest 9 years old. They are Costco marine batteries, just standard deep cell marine. And we are probably colder that your are.
The suggestion to disconnect is usually correct ... but as you live where water can freeze, leaving them connected to a bilge pump, particularly with a Beneteau, is good insurance.
If you do have a substantial leak in a cover of a Beneteau which has a shallow bilge, it can prevent a problem should lots of water get in. Conversely, if nothing leaks, no harm leaving the pump connected.
If you do have a substantial leak in a cover of a Beneteau which has a shallow bilge, it can prevent a problem should lots of water get in. Conversely, if nothing leaks, no harm leaving the pump connected.
I'd be careful with that. Our bilge pump sensor draws 11 mA, so that's manageable (about 8 aH per month). The problem is that if you don't completely isolate everything else the drains add up quickly. For example our courtesy light remote receiver and high water alarm are connected directly to battery and add another 30mA or so. Personally I'm in the camp of disconnecting everything. If you're worried about a leak and freezing water I'd carefully measure the draw before deciding to leave anything connected.
If water can enter the bilge, say through a leaky cover or a keel stepped mast that is left up over the winter then a good solution is to add a garboard drain plug. This will let any water that enters the bilge to drain out.
Just remember to put the plug back in come spring!
Just remember to put the plug back in come spring!
I suspect electronic sensing switches may be the exception on which to falsely judge the efficacy of disconnection pumps
I leave my batteries in my powerboat onboard, connected and have a solar trickle charger connected to each one. Is this better than just disconnecting and leaving them? These are not deep cycle and my thinking is that keeping them trickle charging with a 1 amp solar charger will maximize battery life.
Or if you have solar (and I can't imagine not having it in this century), just walk away. It will tend itself.
(If you are in Chesapeake Beach you should be sailing all year anyway)
(If you are in Chesapeake Beach you should be sailing all year anyway
)
The problem might be that if you have a leak and your bilge pump kick in, and after that the temperature goes below freezing, your pump might crack. A garboard drain might be a better option.
This link points to an article that backs up what the others have said about fully charging, then disconnecting for the winter.
https://marinehowto.com/winter-battery-storage-self-discharge-characteristics/
https://marinehowto.com/winter-battery-storage-self-discharge-characteristics/