"Jim Woodard" wrote in message
...

My question is: Is it necessary for me to charge the battery or will
running it up and down the lake for an hour or two be enough to charge
it to sit? I only use it once or twice a week normally.


If the battery has enough power to start the boat then running it for an
hour will sufficiently recharge it for weekly use.

There is a significant chance, however, that when you back the boat into the
water and turn the key the starter motor will grind slowly for a few turns
and stop. Batteries "self discharge" over time, and many electronics
(including the electronic ignition) continues to draw small amounts of power
even when they are "off".

If you have provisions for hooking a hose up to the engine, start it up
while it is still on the trailer in your driveway. It is a whole lot easier
to resolve any problems now rather than waiting till you are at the launch
ramp. It wouldn't hurt to hook up a battery charger for few hours just to
hedge your bets.


Rod McInnis