Trickle charger/battery maintainer for winter storage

[steveinak]

I usually keep a battery maintainer plugged in all winter on my batteries, on the old boat both batteries were next to each other so i just connected the charger to one and the way the batteries were wired it kept both batteries charged all winter.
The new boat has batteries far apart from each other one on each side next to the engine so do i hook up the charger to one then leave the selector switch on "both" and the charger will keep both batteries charged up and snappy? or will that somehow effect the alternator/boat wiring and screw things up ??

 

[MDI45]

batteries

should be fine to leave the switch on both..as long as the both of them are in good shape...because if one is weaker then the other it will discharge into the weaker one...

 

[CEShawn]

Anyone ever think about adding a solar panel to charge the battery? For some reason I've debated about putting one on, also would figure on those blue bird days of winter it would help out too. I haven't even researched them yet but thinking I may.

I've been getting lazy lately, not even sure if this is good or not. I've been putting a timer on the outlet to my boat, so for about an hour or more a day it kicks on turns on a small heater in the cabin and charges the battery. I also have a 120v light in the overhead of the cabin, had it set for 5pm, so when I was in the driveway could see that it was on and off. It was always nice because when I did do my winter projects I'd just flip the timer on, go out an hour or two later and boat was nice and toasty to work on. Mainly I just sat out there and dreamed of fish though.

 

[Bpd92]

A while ago I found a guy on craigslist that had 2 solar panels identical to the ones used out on the bouys.... not sure where he got em... but... had them on a houseboat I owned and never had to worry about the batteries EVER. I would highly recommend it.