www.iFourWinns.com

So I have always removed batteries for winter storage and keep them on a maintenance charger at home. My 258 is new to me which has a electric lift hatch. How do I close the hatch without a battery installed? Do I manually lift the hatch and block off while I remove them?
Man is that hatch heavy to manually lift.

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--2002 3880 Regal Flybridge | Twin Merc 8.1HO **Seven**
--2003 AB 13 VST Console Inflatable | Tohatsu 40hp TLDI **Phish'n ski**
--310 Mercury Inflatable | 1982 9.9 Johnson

Around here we plug the boat shore power in, turn the battery charger on (which makes 12v), turn your ship system breaker on (or just the battery switch to 1 if you don't have a ships system breaker back there) and then close the hatch down. No need to lift that heavy hatch!

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Bryan Mutter

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You could install a 12v socket by the battery switch that connects to one of the battery's terminals. Take your batteries out with the cover up and connect the male end of the plug to the battery. Than plug it into the socket to lower it. Than the same in the spring.

I use AGM batteries and leave than in all winter. In the spring, there start the engine right up. AGMs only loose about 1% a month and are good down to -50. No need to float them.

This is probably a better route. I won't have shore power when it is on land. I have a couple 12 volt sockets from factory I could use. I would have thought I would need a battery to complete the circuit. I will give it a try in a couple weeks.
I don't mind lifting the hatch, just don't want it falling on me when I am in there...

Thanks for the ideas!

_________________
--2002 3880 Regal Flybridge | Twin Merc 8.1HO **Seven**
--2003 AB 13 VST Console Inflatable | Tohatsu 40hp TLDI **Phish'n ski**
--310 Mercury Inflatable | 1982 9.9 Johnson

The charger is not made to do that and the small the charger, the more that should not be done. Most charges will not put out pure D.C. power, so some devices might not like it. Turn on the cabin lights (none LEDs) with just the charger. The more the load, the more your lights will flicker. The flickering is the AC riding on the DC power.

Don't use the ones on the boat, you could back feed the whole ships system. They may work, but I would install a new one and connect it to the battery terminals. And only use it for that only! To take it a step farther, you could use a 20 to 30 amp fuse on the socket side.

Okay, maybe I will just put a temporary socket in to shut the hatch then remove in spring. I can probably slip a wire through somewhere. I don't want to ruin the systems.
Thanks for the heads up.

_________________
--2002 3880 Regal Flybridge | Twin Merc 8.1HO **Seven**
--2003 AB 13 VST Console Inflatable | Tohatsu 40hp TLDI **Phish'n ski**
--310 Mercury Inflatable | 1982 9.9 Johnson

So the boat has been hauled out.
I went on Saturday to grab the batteries and I was able to lift the hatch by hand and prop it up with a couple 2x4's wasn't too bad. I think since I emptied the trunk it was a little lighter. I brought everything to wire up a remote battery if I couldn't lift the hatch. Well got all set and I look down and the batteries are gone. The mechanics already took them out after they winterized it and they were waiting for me in the garage.. HA!!!

_________________
--2002 3880 Regal Flybridge | Twin Merc 8.1HO **Seven**
--2003 AB 13 VST Console Inflatable | Tohatsu 40hp TLDI **Phish'n ski**
--310 Mercury Inflatable | 1982 9.9 Johnson