My boat usually stays in the water over the winter months. While in the slip, I have shore power all winter. In the past, I used a small trickle charger to keep the batteries (2 new group 24 deep cycles) charged. This year I'm biting the bullet and my bank account and having the marina drop the mast and pull the boat so I can paint the bottom and do some rewiring on my masthead instruments and lights. It will be cheaper for me to leave the boat on the hard until next April than to pay the $250 charge for winter agitation. The rub is that I won't have any shore power so I was thinking about putting out a solar charger and leaving it hooked to the batteries all winter. Any problems with/recommendations (size of panle etc. ) for this plan?
solar charger
- Thread starter Bill C320 Papillon
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Battery Maintenance
Here are couple of suggestions (in my priority order): 1. Group 24's are fairly light so the "best" thing to do might be to remove them from the boat, take them home, and leave them on a trickle charger over the winter. 2. If you must leave them on the boat, make sure they are fully charged and then connect them to a minimum 5-watt solar panel. A panel this size may only be able to keep one battery charged at a time, but they are inexpensive (less than $70) so each time you visit the boat over the winter you should plan on switching the panel to the other battery. 3. Finally, if you have new batteries and they are fully charged and can hold a charge, leaving them in that state, but disconnected to anything, on the boat should be ok.
Here are couple of suggestions (in my priority order): 1. Group 24's are fairly light so the "best" thing to do might be to remove them from the boat, take them home, and leave them on a trickle charger over the winter. 2. If you must leave them on the boat, make sure they are fully charged and then connect them to a minimum 5-watt solar panel. A panel this size may only be able to keep one battery charged at a time, but they are inexpensive (less than $70) so each time you visit the boat over the winter you should plan on switching the panel to the other battery. 3. Finally, if you have new batteries and they are fully charged and can hold a charge, leaving them in that state, but disconnected to anything, on the boat should be ok.
Solar power
There are some little solar trickle chargers on ebay from time to time. Usually go for around 20 bucks each, and it would take two. I would have to agree with the previous post, and tell you to take them out and take them home. A little trickle charger costs around ten or fifteen bucks and would keep them up.
There are some little solar trickle chargers on ebay from time to time. Usually go for around 20 bucks each, and it would take two. I would have to agree with the previous post, and tell you to take them out and take them home. A little trickle charger costs around ten or fifteen bucks and would keep them up.
Use a generator
Buy or borrow a generator? 2-stroke generators with 12v battery charging facilities are next to nothing on ebay. If as you say, you are going to be working on your boat, have the generator run on the occasions you are there to keep batteries charged up. Are you using marina power for power tools to work on the boat? Simply plug a battery charger in at the same time. Batteries don't need to be continuously trickle-charged (in fact it is better if the trickle charger monitors and switches off when fully charged a-la Optimate brand - see link below). Constant unattended trickle charging over months can cause problems and shorten the life of a battery. I have a nice 4 stroke generator which powers drills, grinders etc etc, is very quiet, and charges 12v systems as well. Suitcase style. Cost GBP200. However, the 2 stroke generators are available for around GBP45.
Buy or borrow a generator? 2-stroke generators with 12v battery charging facilities are next to nothing on ebay. If as you say, you are going to be working on your boat, have the generator run on the occasions you are there to keep batteries charged up. Are you using marina power for power tools to work on the boat? Simply plug a battery charger in at the same time. Batteries don't need to be continuously trickle-charged (in fact it is better if the trickle charger monitors and switches off when fully charged a-la Optimate brand - see link below). Constant unattended trickle charging over months can cause problems and shorten the life of a battery. I have a nice 4 stroke generator which powers drills, grinders etc etc, is very quiet, and charges 12v systems as well. Suitcase style. Cost GBP200. However, the 2 stroke generators are available for around GBP45.
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