Interested in hearing what everyone’s battery management plan offshore is when anchored. I have always heard to never turn your engine offshore or if you have twins you can turn one off.
I know most of the newer outboards today they are quiet enough to keep running anchored up but what would be your plan if you do turn it off. Crack it every 10-15 minutes for a couple minutes to recharge? Or do you have your batteries set up where one is dedicated to starting and one dedicated to electronics/pumps/radio? Store a third one not hooked to anything?
I check my 2 batteries during my pre-trip walk-thru to make sure they are both good the evening before. I fire the motor on #1 that morning and run it for a few minutes. Then, switch over to #2 and make my run. I leave #1 alone the rest of the day knowing it should be hot if needed. Most of the time, it is turned off while anchored, but I take a few variables (weather, time of year, time of day, day of week) into account before turning it off. I’ve yet to have to swap over to my “hot” battery despite running my electronics and aerator. The next trip, I will use #1 as my main battery. That’s just me, though.
Try searching the topic as I think Phin had a lengthy post on here a few years ago and/or post in the offshore discussion.
I do it just like G2G. I also am hesitant to shut off a running engine offshore, unless there are 2 of them. Being 80 miles offshore and hearing “click” is disconcerting[:0]
I Keep a cranking rope in my onboard tool kit! Be sure to make sure the switch is in the on position It is no problem to crank large outboards with a rope If you don’t have a charged up battery, In my inboard I keep an extra charged battery in the bilge in addition to the batterys on the switch!
I had the same question you have now last summer and asked quite a few people for assistance and found that calling Blue Sea directly (tech department) was the best choice. As a result I bought their products but I can say without a doubt that the willingness to help of the Blue Sea guys was a huge reason I purchased their products.
Just installed 3 new batts and 2 X Blue Sea Mini Add A Battery Kits with ACR’s (I run twin outboards and hence the need for the 3rd batt). This setup allows for house to run off of one switch and cranking batts from the other completely separated but on the same charging circuit. It primarily keeps a bad battery from sucking the life out of a good battery - which is more often than not the primary reason multi battery setups have problems.
The ACR’s will isolate start and voltage, put a battery in standby and or combine automatically. I know most modern outboard motors have this built in but it is not even close to efficient while under a load and using multiple batteries. Also, it only works if the motors are running. These work as long as the batts are turned on.
Option to combine all batts on a single switch manually is there and ultimately it eliminates the needs to entirely isolate a battery (which by the way and I’m sure you know this, if you are running on a single battery you are only charging that battery while the other is isolated).
The cost is minimal for the kit but installing them correctly with new wiring and marine connectors adds up. I just rewired the entire boat this winter and watched the nickels and dimes roll out.
More than happy to answer any questions if that’s the route you choose and highly suggest you reach out to Blue Sea.
i leave mine running, its not worth the potential problem. with the newer outboard technology the burn is ridiculously low. i think mine reads .3 gallons per hour idling, so not even bothered by the extra 2 or 3 gallons at the end of the day.
Thanks everyone for their answers. Very helpful and informative.
G2G and Capt. Larry great advance there and a click click offshore is definitely an oh sh*t moment for sure.
boatpoor I always thought you had to eat your extra wheaties to pull start an outboard but thanks for the tip.
saerboy great tips there and good thinking on calling the tech. I’m going to check my setup out again and reach out to you if I have any questions. Thanks for the offer!
baracuda. I think that is probably the best route to go and the least to worry about.
Boat equipped Blue Seas Batt Mgt switch, which will electronically save the battery if voltage gets below 10.1 volts. One engine (Yami 300HP 4-stroke).
At the dock, start on battery 1 (not on bilge pump circut).
Ride out on Batt 1 & 2 (Both)
Anchor up on Batt 2 with electronics going & radio. Monitor voltage on Chartplotter screen, equipped with alarm voltage indicator. Engine is shut down
Start on Batt 2 if voltage is good. If low, switch to Batt 1, start engine.
Ride back or troll on Batt 1 & 2
Back at dock, Batts to OFF, with solar power charger clipped to Batt 1 for additional piece of mind.
The Blue Seas battery switch w/ electronic mgt is the ticket (as referenced above). Guest battery switch have gone the wayside.
60 mile trips, never had a problem. Walmart Ever-Start cranking batts, regularly checked with Load Test meter bought at Walmart. If load test indicates “hiccup”, pull 'em out & replace under walmart great batt warranty.
PLB equipped if the “worst” happens. Neighbor is USCG SAR Commander for Sector Delaware Bay. Radio Watch every 2 hours, Float Plan filed. Cellphone numbers at the ready. Handheld VHF with antenna adapter to 8’ VHF Antenna for “holy s***” communiciations.
Even had the Dolphin Helo fly over/hover one banner fishing day when I forgot the radio watch call. Helo pilots are regular invite for neighbor & mine summer clambakes…
Interstate batts suck, never use them again:dizzy_face:
Fishing the beaches, Bays & Ocean of Wildwood/Cape May, NJ
Soon a resident of Georgetown, SC
I Keep a cranking rope in my onboard tool kit! Be sure to make sure the switch is in the on position It is no problem to crank large outboards with a rope If you don’t have a charged up battery, In my inboard I keep an extra charged battery in the bilge in addition to the batterys on the switch!
Are you talking about a 4 stroke? Just removing the paneling to access the flywheel would be a chore in mine. Are you wrapping the rope around the teeth on the flywheel?
I don’t have a four stroke but my 2 stroke merc 225 has a rope slot in the fly wheel and have cranked it many times with no effort! Like I said be sure to have the switch in the run position!
Just a question…So, not that this applies to me as I do carry a fully charged standby as a back up. What if someone does have a completely drained battery and they pull start with a rope…WILL IT STILL RUN??? The reason for my question is, all the newer engines carry so much more software and computer stuff…will a completely drained battery run the motor effectively while still trying to regain enough power to produce output voltage for the electronics on the engine? just curious…Jim.
I have been warned that optimax engines will not pull start on a dead battery. Haven’t tried mine yet to see…
I installed a bep cluster on mine which has two voltage sensing relays and three switches. It isolates the start batteries from the house while still charging the house battery. Also has a combine function that will combine both starting batteries in an emergency.
The only problem I have had is when I lost an engine and the alternator on the running engine was not charging. Rather than risk swapping the alternators in building seas I carry a jumper wire so that I combined the house battery to the starting batteries just to get back to shore. My house battery is a group 31 agm and had plenty of juice to keep the engine going after it discharged the starting batteries.
