On Wed, 08 Dec 2004 17:11:09 -0500, JohnH
wrote:

After winterizing the boat, the marina folks told me I needed new
batteries. They had taken them out as I requested so I could bring
them home for charging over the winter.

These batteries, Best, are date stamped 'C7' which means they were
produced in March of 1997, coincidentally the year the boat was
manufactured.

Question is - Do I need to replace the batteries, which have worked
very well? Any brands better than Best?

Ah - the age old question - to replace or not to replace.

Take them to NAPA or an Auto Zone - better yet, a regular general
repair shop and have them tested under load. You don't need to charge
them for this. Any weak batteries or even marginal batteries will
show up quick on the residual/left over charge.

While they are a tad old, there is nothing that says they go bad after
a certain length of time. Time is not a batteries friend, but if they
have been properly maintained and not abused, they test good and you
can keep a healthy charge in them, then there is no reason to replace
them.

Now, having said that, keep in mind that as lead acid batteries get
older, the rate of depletion of zinc and acid increases - in short,
they may be good for another year, but they might not be good the year
after. Or if you have reason to run them down (like a lighting or
long cranking situation), they might not recover.

It's a trade off.

Personally, I replace mine every five years or so even if they test
good and hold a charge - personal preference.

As to manufacturer, I prefer Interstate batteries for the lead acid
batteries.

Later,

Tom