Larry had me read a line that says:

Sealed batteries: Those trying to minimize maintenance should be warned
that sealed lead-acid batteries cost about three times as much as
equivalent capacity flooded batteries and last about one-half as long.
No surprise there. I still consider it a good trade off. If I was heading
off around the world and concerned that I might not have the cash or source
for new batteries, I would use wet cells. Two new AGM's even every couple
of years is just a blip in the cost of boat ownership so I'm willing to pay
it not to have liquid acid on my boat.

Actually, I expect to get years out of these batteries with my shallow
discharge cycles. 15 hp engine, no refrigeration, just lights.

I can't leave mine on continuous float. Here's my question in more sucinct
form:

I can go up to the boat and plug in the charger about once a month. If I
hang around freezing or sit in a coffee shop for a few hours while the green
LED's blink, am I going to add any significant life to the batteries
compared to just plugging them in until they trip to float? I know I'm
going to add some finite amount but it isn't worth it if it's just tinkering
around the margins.

For that matter, now that I've confirmed that they aren't leaking into the
electrical system somewhere, I could probably just leave them till spring.
If they last 5 years instead of 6, I wouldn't be too upset. 1/5 of the cost
of two new ones is about the cost of the gas and sandwiches to go up to the
boatyard every month for five years.


Larry

--
Roger Long