www.iFourWinns.com

Very true!

The charge will keep the battery warm and the water & acid will not seperate. Thats way a AGM is better, no charge is needed over the winter months.

If the battery is charged it survives just fine, if it is dead and sits in the cold for several months it will likely be junk. I never remove batteries, just shut off the switches or disconnect and I have some customers with batteries that are 6 or 7 years old with no issues.

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Brian Borchik
The Winds of Cold Springs Harbor Marina
Baldwinsville, NY

I do the same as above, I charge em after winterizing the boat a turn off the batt switch. If we get a mild period in the winter I open up the cover and charge em once or twice over the winter. Fine in the spring.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

My 2c, our marina disconnects the batteries (I hope) and leaves them in. I give them a boat with a fully charged battery. I use a Battery Tender at home. No access to the boat during winter, -40c is possible.

I used to put an old battery in and keep the good one at home but a couple of years ago the old one did not survive the winter. I leave the good one in now.

Greg

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2008 210SS 6.2L DTS Bravo 1 Now featuring MercMonitor w/SmartTow

For years I've left fully charged batteries over the winter with no ill effects. A dead battery will freeze and crack but a charged battery will not freeze. Since most of us drive our cars in the winter, it's pretty clear that cold doesn't destroy batteries.

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2008 V358 Two-tone Blue V/P Dual Prop 320 HP
Lake Winnipesaukee, NH

one year I did leave all three batteries in but they were on the autocharger, there was no problem in the spring at all.
But I now bring them into my basement and put them on my 4 bank battery auto charging station. On this boat they are very easy to take out so why chance it

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"Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes "

1996 238 Vista dlx "Casper's Toy Too"
2006 5.0GXI w/closed cooling, DP-sm 1.95 drive
Previous boat:
1998 Sundowner 205

There is a difference between starting and operating your car everyday and leaving batteries in a boat for 6-7 months in (sometimes) single digit temps in Canada.

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1996 205 Sundowner DLX
5.0FL Volvo SX Cobra
Tow Veh: 2012 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X

right, they are getting a full recharge often instead of sitting.... try letting your car sit from November till aprill in cold temps and see if it starts... if it does it will crank slow if at all

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"Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes "

1996 238 Vista dlx "Casper's Toy Too"
2006 5.0GXI w/closed cooling, DP-sm 1.95 drive
Previous boat:
1998 Sundowner 205

Cars have a draw on the battery...boats have a switch you can turn them off and the only thing connected is the bilge pump which shouldn't draw any power if your stored indoors.

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2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

I leave mine in all winter (NE Ohio). Many people don't realize that cold doesn’t affect the batteries as much as heat. Heat is the culprit in destroying batteries. We find that when trying to start a car in the winter and the battery is dead. A hot summer kills the battery, then when you need the cranking amps in the winter the battery can’t produce. Marine batteries are different than car batteries but heat, vibration, over charging are all part of what can add to pre mature dead batteries. Please see the web page http://marine-electronics.net/techartic ... /b_faq.htm for a good primer on batteries.

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Springer

1999 238 Vista

That link states that freezing and High temps are in the same catagory for cause of failure and it also states to store in a cold dry place but not below 32degrees....

I think I will stick with my basement that stays in the 50s all winter on my charging/maint station

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"Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes "

1996 238 Vista dlx "Casper's Toy Too"
2006 5.0GXI w/closed cooling, DP-sm 1.95 drive
Previous boat:
1998 Sundowner 205

Ontario resident as well... I've left mine in each year.. unheated barn.

In the spring when I pull it out, I throw on the battery charger. If it takes a charge, the battery is good, otherwise I replace it.

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2008 H180 3.0L Volvo/Penta