Batteries wear out when the lead plates in them wear out or lose a lot
of mass. The fastest way to do this is to have an alternator or some
other charger that over charges them all the time. The perfect
situation is to have a charge that stops when your battery is
completely charged.

Of course nothing is perfect and your alternator can be made to charge
your battery fast which is good for short trips and stopping or a
slower charger for all day cruising. There is even a electical gadget
you can buy to regulate the charge your battery gets.

Next there is getting the right battery for the job. Deep cycle
batteries are for boats that run a lot of electronics when their
engines aren't running. And regular batteries are for high amperage
chores like starting your engine. If you have yacht you want at least
one of each.

If you just need a starting battery don't waste your money on a marine
battery. Most your money is paying for the word marine. Ask for a golf
cart battery, they are nearly as good at much better price.


On Wed, 08 Dec 2004 19:33:04 -0500, JohnH
wrote:

On Thu, 09 Dec 2004 00:09:13 GMT, "tony thomas"
wrote:

Some will say you should change them every so many years as preventive
maintenance since you don't want a dead battery when you are out on the
water.
Others will say replace when they go bad.
If I have multiple batteries I replace when bad. Very rare that both would
go out at the same time.
Batteries, if cared for properly, will last a long time.
I would wait until spring and see how they work. Go ahead and get them and
keep them charged over the winter. Go from there.

Sounds like a good idea to me. I sure wouldn't buy batteries now, just
to keep them charged all winter. But I may keep the old batteries on
the charger just to see what happens in the spring.

Thanks.

John H

On the 'PocoLoco' out of Deale, MD,
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

"Divide each difficulty into as many parts as is feasible and necessary to resolve it."
Rene Descartes