Marine battery blog

These articles exist so county and town pages do not have to repeat the same battery lesson. Read the one that matches the boat, then see where we come to you or what we do at the dock.

Showing 10 of 50 articles. Page 3 of 5.

• A visit from us

  Sulfation and batteries that sit discharged

  Lead-acid that sits at a low state of charge sulfates. Resting voltage after a true rest is a clue from a published BCI table, not a homemade cutoff.

• Cables, trays, and safety

  Marine battery cables and terminals

  Lugs, clamps, and cable size are the current path. Federal boat rules require terminal hardware that does not rely on spring tension.

• Cables, trays, and safety

  Battery trays and hold-downs

  Federal boat rules limit how far an installed battery may move. The tray and clamp are part of a legal, safe install — not decoration.

• Cables, trays, and safety

  Dual-battery switches

  A battery switch or isolator keeps a dead house pack from flattening the starter. BOTH is a position, not a lifestyle.

• Trolling-motor batteries

  Series vs parallel trolling banks

  Series adds voltage. Parallel adds capacity at the same voltage. Mixing them wrong, or tapping a series string, unbalances the pack.

• Trolling-motor batteries

  Cables on trolling-motor banks

  Long cable runs to the bow drop voltage. Undersize wire makes a healthy series bank feel like a dying motor.

• A visit from us

  Jump-starting a boat safely

  Flooded batteries release odorless, flammable hydrogen while they charge. Jumping in a closed well is an ignition risk. Vent first.

• A visit from us

  Testing a marine battery

  Rested open-circuit voltage is a state-of-charge clue after a true rest. Load behavior and age decide whether the pack is done.

• Guide

  Pontoon boat battery setups

  Pontoon batteries hide under furniture. Starting, stereo, and trolling are different jobs, and a cover on a Florida lift cooks the boxes.

• Guide

  Center-console starting batteries

  Center-console wells are tight, hot, and wet. AGM starting batteries and real hold-downs are common; group size still follows the tray.

Also see common battery lines and typical setups by boat.