Your Battery Needs Love Too

Boat winterization is a popular topic around the water now a day. Everything from where people are getting theirs done, to how they can DIY their winterization and store their boats at home. One important piece of winterization that is sometimes forgotten is your boats battery. Batteries too need care and maintenance to provide long term service.

 

During the boating season, your battery care includes things like checking to make sure that all the connections are tight, clean and greased. It is also ensuring that the acid isn't boiling away. Now that the end of the boating season is in sight, what should you do with your battery for winter storage?

 

Hauling Your Boat

 

If you are hauling your boat out for the winter, which most of us are, there are a few tips to help preserve its life. The first being charge it up. Once you have the battery charged, remove the negative cable and let it sit for a few hours before checking its status. When you do check on it using a hydrometer, verify that each cell has a specific gravity of between 1.21 and 1.28. If you do not have a hydrometer, you can use a voltmeter. A fully charged battery will read 12.5 volts. Throughout the winter, make sure to check the battery power once a month to ensure that it is keeping its charge.

 

Storing Your Boat

 

If you are storing your boat in the water for the winter months, you will have a whole different list of tips. Keeping the battery and area dry is the first one. You will need to switch off all breakers except the one for the bilge pump. A lot can happen to a boat that is stored in the water when not in use. Because of that you will need to regularly check on your boat at least once a week, and even more in bad weather. Keeping your battery charged is an important priority. You can do so by plugging into shore power and using an installed charger or a regulated battery maintainer. Preforming an acid test should also be done. Do this by checking the electrolyte level of flooded batteries and top off with distilled water just enough to cover the plates.



Using these helpful tips will ensure that your batter will last through the off season making it easier for you to hit the water in the spring. For further information on battery storage, click here.