Thanks a lot to everyone who replied with suggestions. I troubleshot the
radio, & a few other areas & never found a significant draw. Took the boat
out today, ran great all day. Played the radio while we were stopped for a
swim, & engine still cranked right up. One of those mysteries, I guess!

The ammeter still only reads 10.5V while running, even at speed. I'm
guessing the meter is bad. Any suggestions on how to get to it? There are
no obvious screws on the dash or underneath the console in which to remove
in order to get to the instrument cluster. See make & model of boat below.

Thanks,
Mike


"Christine" wrote in message
nk.net...
Vessel: 1999 Maxum 1900SR
Engine: 4.3l Mercruiser w/Alpha I drive
Issue: Battery is being drained by ____(something).

Details: Installed a new 550 CCA Marine Battery about 3 weeks ago. Ran
great when first installed. Boat sat for 2 weeks, tried to start -
"click".
Nothing. Was able to jumpstart from the truck, ran it for about 15 min
top
charge. Voltmeter on the boat dashboard reads 10.5 volts. Hand-held
voltmeter at battery reads 13.98; test at alternater reads the same.
Took
battery back to dealer & had tested. Battery OK, fully charged.

So, I think the alternator is OK. No visible frayed wires & such. My gut
tells me that the voltmeter in the dash is suspect since it reads
differently than the hand-helds.

Any sugggestions as to what could be draining the battery or anything else
typically to look for?

Thanks,
Mike