Winter Battery Storage

[one4water]

I am sure this will get multiple right answers but.............................

Is it best to pull the batteries and keep them in the house for the winter, leave them in the boat disconnected, in the garage on a trickle charger or what?

My boat yard will disconnect and leave in the boat then charge in the spring, is that good enough? One is a year old an dthe other two years old.

I used to remove the jet ski batteries and trickle charge all winter in the basement which is temp controlled but these are three much bigger bateries and a real pain in the arse to get in and out of the boat.

[Thunder Capt.]

I am sure this will get multiple right answers but.............................

Is it best to pull the batteries and keep them in the house for the winter, leave them in the boat disconnected, in the garage on a trickle charger or what?

My boat yard will disconnect and leave in the boat then charge in the spring, is that good enough? One is a year old an dthe other two years old.

I used to remove the jet ski batteries and trickle charge all winter in the basement which is temp controlled but these are three much bigger bateries and a real pain in the arse to get in and out of the boat.

I remove the batteries from the boat. I don't like the idea of leaving them onboard for an extended time. Once a month I charge them for a couple of hours. Got 5 years out of the batteries' so this works for me. One time I let the marina store brand new batteries for the winter. Springtime came and the batteries wouldn't hold a charge.

[easyrider]

I agree with Thunder Capt...Battery life is shortened if left outside in the cold especially if they are not fully charged.. Pull them inside and charge them once a month for a few hours..

Edited October 3, 2009 by easyrider

[Lprizman]

I pull mine, put them in the basement on a wooden bench,,top off with water and set on a charge till the Heat mizer kicks snow mizers ass out of town.

[one4water]

Sounds like I am pulling them for the winter then. I have a trickle charger that I can rotate from battery to battery over the winter. Hopefully that will do the trick.

[jack14]

I pull mine, top them off with distilled water if needed, take them to a local auto repair and have them fully charged ( nice guy, does it for nothing), then store them in the garage on a float charger until spring. Float charger won't bring them all the way up but will maintain a full charge. Three seasons on Interstate marines with no problems so far.