Battery Security
Batteries are heavy for their size and tend to stay where you put them, except on a boat. Boats move in every direction known to man and batteries must be secure or they will break free and fail you when you need them most.
Most boats have a certain location for the batteries, and many have tie down straps secured to the deck to keep them in their place. Since I have an affection for old boats, I have had those straps and deck mounts corrode away. To repair them, I use a battery box with the bottom of the box secured to the deck. The strap that comes with the battery box is then secured around the box with the battery inside. Not only does this hold the battery in place, it also gives some protection to the connections from the salt air and water.
Connections
I found out this summer that having a completely charged battery with what appears to be clean connections does not always mean they will do the job.
While out fishing, my trolling motor suddenly stopped working. I tried a few things while on the water, then gave up until I had the boat back on land. The first thing I did was put the charger on the batteries until both were fully charged. Still nothing. Then I checked all the connections and found them clean with no signs of corrosion. Next, using a volt-olm meter, I followed the path from the battery to the motor and had 12 volts at all junctions.
Finding nothing externally wrong, I carried the trolling motor to a repairman in Dover. He put the motor on a test bench and declared it to be in fine working order. Back home I connected the motor up, but it still didn’t work.
The next trip to Dover included the boat and the still-stubborn motor. The expert mechanic and I spent four hours and several new parts trying to fix the darned contraption. Finally, as a last resort, we cleaned the battery posts and connector cables, even though they looked completely fine. Hooked everything back up and low and behold, the motor worked. The total for the job with parts and labor was $268. That included a discount because I helped him with the work. I thought that was fantastic, because I usually have to pay a higher rate to the mechanic when I help with the job.
Back home again, I cleaned those cable and battery terminals until they shined like new. I did the same to my starting battery. Then I coated them with electric grease before I tightened everything down. No more battery problems for the remainder of the summer.
Having been an electronics technician in the Navy and owning boats for most of my life, I am not unfamiliar with the delicate nature of marine electrical systems. I have seen a bit of corrosion on a fuse cause an internment failure of a SONAR. That took quite a few years off my life, not to mention the cussing and swearing that caused the neighbor ladies to grab their children off the street.
They say an old dog can’t learn new tricks, but this episode taught me that even the cleanest looking connector needs to be cleaned again.
by Eric Burnley
Tuesday, February 23, 2016 - 12:00
Powerboats need a battery to start and to run the many electronic devices onboard. Some have electric trolling motors that require even more battery power. My little 16-foot side console Starcraft has three batteries, and large boats require additional battery power.
Those of us who live in Bay Country don’t operate our boats during the winter, so they sit idle for five to six months of the year. Batteries don’t like to sit around doing nothing, and they let you know this come spring when they don’t have the power to do their job. Just checking the electrolyte and leaving the batteries in the boat is not enough. I take mine out, check the electrolyte level, give them a full charge, and then maintain the charge all winter. If the liquid level is on the low side, I fill it up using distilled water.
The floor in my garage is concrete, so I place an old piece of carpet under the batteries. Back in the day, we never stored batteries directly on concrete. I have been told that is no longer necessary, but old habits die hard. (I also never eat oysters in any month without an R, and I never cook a dead crab.)
Battery Security
Batteries are heavy for their size and tend to stay where you put them, except on a boat. Boats move in every direction known to man and batteries must be secure or they will break free and fail you when you need them most.
Most boats have a certain location for the batteries, and many have tie down straps secured to the deck to keep them in their place. Since I have an affection for old boats, I have had those straps and deck mounts corrode away. To repair them, I use a battery box with the bottom of the box secured to the deck. The strap that comes with the battery box is then secured around the box with the battery inside. Not only does this hold the battery in place, it also gives some protection to the connections from the salt air and water.
Connections
I found out this summer that having a completely charged battery with what appears to be clean connections does not always mean they will do the job.
While out fishing, my trolling motor suddenly stopped working. I tried a few things while on the water, then gave up until I had the boat back on land. The first thing I did was put the charger on the batteries until both were fully charged. Still nothing. Then I checked all the connections and found them clean with no signs of corrosion. Next, using a volt-olm meter, I followed the path from the battery to the motor and had 12 volts at all junctions.
Finding nothing externally wrong, I carried the trolling motor to a repairman in Dover. He put the motor on a test bench and declared it to be in fine working order. Back home I connected the motor up, but it still didn’t work.
The next trip to Dover included the boat and the still-stubborn motor. The expert mechanic and I spent four hours and several new parts trying to fix the darned contraption. Finally, as a last resort, we cleaned the battery posts and connector cables, even though they looked completely fine. Hooked everything back up and low and behold, the motor worked. The total for the job with parts and labor was $268. That included a discount because I helped him with the work. I thought that was fantastic, because I usually have to pay a higher rate to the mechanic when I help with the job.
Back home again, I cleaned those cable and battery terminals until they shined like new. I did the same to my starting battery. Then I coated them with electric grease before I tightened everything down. No more battery problems for the remainder of the summer.
Having been an electronics technician in the Navy and owning boats for most of my life, I am not unfamiliar with the delicate nature of marine electrical systems. I have seen a bit of corrosion on a fuse cause an internment failure of a SONAR. That took quite a few years off my life, not to mention the cussing and swearing that caused the neighbor ladies to grab their children off the street.
They say an old dog can’t learn new tricks, but this episode taught me that even the cleanest looking connector needs to be cleaned again.
by Eric Burnley
Battery Security
Batteries are heavy for their size and tend to stay where you put them, except on a boat. Boats move in every direction known to man and batteries must be secure or they will break free and fail you when you need them most.
Most boats have a certain location for the batteries, and many have tie down straps secured to the deck to keep them in their place. Since I have an affection for old boats, I have had those straps and deck mounts corrode away. To repair them, I use a battery box with the bottom of the box secured to the deck. The strap that comes with the battery box is then secured around the box with the battery inside. Not only does this hold the battery in place, it also gives some protection to the connections from the salt air and water.
Connections
I found out this summer that having a completely charged battery with what appears to be clean connections does not always mean they will do the job.
While out fishing, my trolling motor suddenly stopped working. I tried a few things while on the water, then gave up until I had the boat back on land. The first thing I did was put the charger on the batteries until both were fully charged. Still nothing. Then I checked all the connections and found them clean with no signs of corrosion. Next, using a volt-olm meter, I followed the path from the battery to the motor and had 12 volts at all junctions.
Finding nothing externally wrong, I carried the trolling motor to a repairman in Dover. He put the motor on a test bench and declared it to be in fine working order. Back home I connected the motor up, but it still didn’t work.
The next trip to Dover included the boat and the still-stubborn motor. The expert mechanic and I spent four hours and several new parts trying to fix the darned contraption. Finally, as a last resort, we cleaned the battery posts and connector cables, even though they looked completely fine. Hooked everything back up and low and behold, the motor worked. The total for the job with parts and labor was $268. That included a discount because I helped him with the work. I thought that was fantastic, because I usually have to pay a higher rate to the mechanic when I help with the job.
Back home again, I cleaned those cable and battery terminals until they shined like new. I did the same to my starting battery. Then I coated them with electric grease before I tightened everything down. No more battery problems for the remainder of the summer.
Having been an electronics technician in the Navy and owning boats for most of my life, I am not unfamiliar with the delicate nature of marine electrical systems. I have seen a bit of corrosion on a fuse cause an internment failure of a SONAR. That took quite a few years off my life, not to mention the cussing and swearing that caused the neighbor ladies to grab their children off the street.
They say an old dog can’t learn new tricks, but this episode taught me that even the cleanest looking connector needs to be cleaned again.
by Eric Burnley