When you check your battery before heading out on the water, how far do you take it? Just check that the voltage is above 12v?
Fire it up before I leave the yard make sure it pees cause dirt dobers stay busy around my place… Then roll out. 4 batteries on my boat and I keep a dual pro charger attached to them 24/7 so I don’t sweat it to much if ones dead I have 3 back ups…
2007 Scout 221 150 Yamaha 4 stroke
Hook it up to the hose and light her up before you leave the house. If she spins strong and starts easily, you’re good to go. I like to let mine warm up some. That way she lights right off when she hits the water. But, my old girl is no spring chicken anymore. She likes to take a few minutes to come up to temperature before settles into a nice idle.
17’ Henry O Hornet
26’ Palmer Scott
Me too Palmer, I always run these old Johnson’s and Rudes till they’re warm and since I only live 1/8 mile to the landing when I touch the starter they fire off and people say man that thing starts easy for a 14 and 30 year old motor. I just smile.
You can’t catch fish on a dry line
I keep my boat to a storage lot without access to water or power. I’d like to figure out a quick test I can perform before I haul it all the way to the ramp. Do you guys think a voltage test is enough?
I had a 5 year old battery die a few weeks ago. Started her up fine. Tried again 5 minutes later and the battery was completely dead. Still read 12 volts on a tester!hooked it up to the charger, and the charger wouldn’t even acknowledge it was connected. Bring a backup if your worried.
Or a paddle
I’ve had a battery read good voltage, but not even budge my motor when I got to the ramp. I have three on the boat now and charge them all the days before going.
BG
You could get one of the solar chargers and hook to your battery. That way at least you know it won’t be drained down unless the battery is just no good any more. Plus a battery will last much longer if its maintained when not in use.
'06 Mckee Craft
184 Marathon
DF140 Suzuki
Batteries can read 12volts all day but if there are no amps to do the work it is worthless.
Only way to really check a battery is to do a load test.
In general, batteries are lasting longer these days than they did 20 years ago, but they also don’t give much warning before they die either.
Here is my personal rules for batteries on my boat:
- Replace one of the batteries whenever I change a water pump…That’s every other year. (always replace the oldest battery)
- Always buy Marine Cranking batteries for cranking the big motor. No "Dual Purpose Batteries"No automotive batteries
- Always have 2 batteries on board that you have confidence in.
- Connect a charger to the batteries the night before a trip.
You can do everything right or “by the book” and still one day you may have a problem and can’t start the motor.
I had a Trojan Marine Cranking battery develop an “open” within 6 months of purchase. The other battery worked like it was supposed and saved the day, but who would have foreseen that?
I guess all you can do is try to stack the odds in your favor with something like batteries.
What RDW said is spot on about voltage. Voltage testers don’t indicate load. They will tell you if a cell is bad - but they wont always tell you if there is a problem with stored amps.
I have a dual battery setup with no ability to trickle charge. I store the boat in the off position & before going offshore I will try and start the boat with both batteries, and I will put anther heavy load like the trim tilt at the same time. Then I will charge one battery for 1 hour while running, then switch to the other, monitoring the volt meter from time to time will give an indication that you are charging. Never put them in or charge them in “both” or “all” unless you are making a last ditch effort to start the boat. If you have a weak battery and put them in “all”, you will only be able to charge to the limits of the weak battery. The weak battery will pull current from the good battery until they are equal.
When I am inshore fishing or staying on the river, I will run on one battery for a week or so, ensuring a full charge. Then I will switch to the other and do the same.
You can easily carry a hot shot charger in the console for emergencies…
thanks, all. this is really great info. really appreciate it!