Battery Recommendation Needed

I finally replaced the cheapy battery that came with my boat 8 years ago.    It still worked, but I thought it might go without warning.    Bought a Blaines 7 year warranty group 65, hopefully is my last one.

I think OptJim is right, proper charging maintenance is the key.

Hi GottaSki, I appreciate your feedback regarding deep-cycle batteries. I probably should've defined deep-cycle batteries better- Group size 31 and smaller, lead-acid batteries either in flooded or AGM form, which is what can be found in nearly every powerboat on the water under 25 feet. That doesn't mean someone might not use a gel battery or massive 8Ds like shierh, but they are outliers and certainly nowhere near the rule. Hollywood citing specifications for his '88 SN of 380CCA & 115AH speaks to that point. Most folks here won't even go to a Group 27 or 31 battery size and will probably stick with the smaller Group 65 range (I wish group sizes made sense as they relate to the actual size of the battery).

Batteries like our YellowTops and BlueTops (with light-gray cases) are considered dual-purpose batteries, offering the capability to serve as either a starting battery or a deep-cycle house battery. Even our little YellowTop battery for the Prius offers 450CCA in a 26-lb container, although it falls well short in terms of the reserve capacity requirements Hollywood listed. That Group 51-sized battery is a popular choice amongst drag racers, who need just enough cranking amps to get their engine started. The top fuel hydro we sponsor uses three of them in it's 36-volt system to start an engine that needs way more cranking amps than anything someone could ever cram underneath a Nautique's engine cover.

When we see labored cranking or slow cranking speed in marine applications (or street applications) on a battery that is relatively-new, the reason is almost always low voltage due to lack of maintenance. It's no secret that for Optima and many other brands and manufacturers who offer “marine” batteries, the only difference between those batteries and their automotive counterparts is typically a set of threaded terminals and a shorter warranty period. The shorter warranty is the result of a known history of improper battery maintenance.

While the ideal scenario for storage (including in-season) is to have a battery connected to a quality battery maintenance device, the best most folks will manage is to disconnect the battery when a boat goes into storage and many won't even do that. Whenever any battery (again, talking about lead-acid here) is discharged below 12.4 volts and is left sitting in that state, sulfation will begin to form in the plates, which diminishes both capacity and lifespan. That's why some brands and manufacturers have exclusionary language in their warranties relating to low voltage conditions and improper maintenance.

I was really surprised when Edwin Evers, one of our sponsored tournament anglers, offered to share some of what I considered were his trade secrets regarding battery maintenance. While his advice is more specific to tournament anglers who are fishing tournaments, it does make sense for skiers as well. If a battery is going to fail because of a manufacturing defect, regardless of brand, it will probably happen within the first month of use, if not the first week. Beyond that time frame, battery lifespan is largely connected to how a battery is used and maintained.

Steve, you are correct that I would consider myself a skier, although just because I have barefooted before, I don't really consider myself one. I did own a '97 Sport Nautique and I've been in a bit of a drought for a while, although I almost pulled the trigger on a SN out in Nevada last summer and I'm still open to the right boat in the right location at the right price if my family's schedule aligns.

MrMcD, I can't comment on how other products are assembled other than to say that some flat-plate manufacturers still insert plates into cases by hand. Our cells are mechanically-inserted under pressure and with very precise tolerances. There is also a difference between “wet” products where plates are suspended in an electrolyte solution and “dry” products, where the glass matting in between plates holds the electrolyte.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries

On my 78 Nautique I was using the largest lead acid battery I could squeeze into the box and they kept going out. I was at an Automotive Trade show and discussed this with the Exide Rep, they made batteries. He said my problem was very common. The larger batteries squeeze larger plates into the case and they end up close together. In my old flat bottom 78 Nautique the pounding ( I was young then ) would cause the plates to move and since they were close together they would start shorting out.
I went to two small batteries, I don't remember the group size but two fit into the stock 78 Nautique battery box mounted sideways.. Each was rated between 400 and 500 AMPs and those batteries were still in the boat when I sold it. 6 or seven years later.
The cost of the two was less than the cost of one large 800 Amp back then
I wired them in tandem and it worked out very well.   It would be easy to wire in an isolator so you could save one for starting power, some isolators now have a cut off switch that kicks in to save enough starting power.
The large Amp boosters run in the big stereo's draw a huge amount of amps.
Then amp in my Yukon Denali with a Bose system would drain my 800 amp battery in about 2 hours of music use.

even better!

OptimaJim wrote: There's a lot of false information posted here, so I'll do my best to address what I can. In terms of deep-cycle batteries, the types of deep-cycle batteries used on trolling motors by most anglers won't be harmed in any way by a starter or vice-versa.

Welcome Jim, good to have you here.

I respect that this is your livelihood and don't doubt your overall proficincy, However on this single point I must vehemently disagree because of witnessing repetitive evidence to the contrary over decades.

My observation is DeepC batteries eat v8 starting sytems, especially conventional ones without gear reduction starters. Maybe year 1 will get by, but eventually will cause problems with labored cranking, low voltage under draw, high amps due to slow armature rpm, low I timesV power, overheated cabling, slow crank speeds, and chattering or welded solenoids.

I going on first hand information from a friend of mine. He installs custom sound systems and he has held national SPL titles in the past. He has tested and installed more batteries than anyone on this site. When he gets a new brand in the shop he will run tests on it and checks the standing voltage after 24 hours. Here's a pic of one of his customers vehicle, a Ford Explorer. This is the hatch back, 12" mid-ranges and tweeters, The back seat area contains the subs. He went with Optima batteries, then 18 wheeler batteries and then fixed it (load demand) with Odyssey batteries. When he tells me one is better than the other, I take his word on it.

Tim D wrote: Optima batteries were bought out by Johnson Controls and the quality dropped.

Really?????? JC acquired Optima in 2000. I bought an Optima in 2001 for my boat that is actually still working perfectly fine in my truck today. How many Odyssey's have you had that worked for 15 years?
Geez, I sound like Pete now....LOL.

Hello, I noticed your conversation involving our products and wanted to offer some assistance. Marine batteries in general tend to be identical to their automotive counterparts, except that they typically do offer threaded terminal connections and they typically offer shorter warranties. The only real reason for the shorter warranty on an identical battery is because most boaters tend to abuse their batteries, by not maintaining them properly when not in use, which will shorten the lifespan. If you're doing all the wiring, it doesn't matter what kind of termination your battery has, but the idea behind using two batteries is to make sure your boat starts when you need it, so make sure they are isolated from each other.

There's a lot of false information posted here, so I'll do my best to address what I can. In terms of deep-cycle batteries, the types of deep-cycle batteries used on trolling motors by most anglers won't be harmed in any way by a starter or vice-versa. All lead-acid batteries are made with real lead. Most use recycled lead, which won't perform as well or last as long as 99.99% pure virgin lead, which we use in all of our batteries.

Tim D's claims about quality issues with our batteries are false. Cranking amps is an irrelevant specification for what you want to do with an auxiliary battery. Most standard size automotive or marine batteries will have no trouble starting any engine in a Nautique and there's no need to over-buy in that regard. For your auxiliary battery, you'll want to look at reserve capacity and cycle life, which will tell you how long the battery will be able to deliver current with the engine off and how many times you'll be able to do that before your battery reaches the end of it's lifespan.

This is important, because some battery warranties end at the end of the battery's “normal” lifespan, as determined by the retailer, even if the warranty suggests there is a specific time frame in terms of years. Some will also void your warranty if you use the wrong charger, the wrong alternator or allow your battery to be discharged below a minimum voltage level, which can be a cut-off as high as 10 volts. We don't slip in exclusions like that in our warranty, but it's a good idea to read through the fine print of any battery warranty before you make a purchase, It's not uncommon for our sponsored tournament anglers to come off the water after a day of fishing with their batteries discharged well into the single-digits. If you run your stereo loud enough and long enough and you'll do the same.

Some things you will want to consider are the wiring and alternator you are using. If you are using the stock alternator from 1983, Correct Craft probably selected it thinking the electrical demands would be relatively-minimal and limited to maintaining a single battery near a full state of charge. In terms of the battery, most alternators are designed to maintain batteries that are near a full state of charge, not recharging deeply-discharged batteries.

Asking an alternator to maintain one battery, while also recovering a second deeply-discharged battery may be more than most alternators can handle over time, especially if you aren't running the engine long enough to give the alternator enough time to recover the deeply-discharged battery. As a result, you may want to consider upgrading your alternator and definitely keeping your batteries maintained off the water with a quality battery maintenance device. You'll also want to be sure you are using robust wiring to connect everything together and have solid grounds.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries

Get an Odyssey battery. They are made with real lead, not lead alloy like the rest. And last up to 10 years. I have two in my boat. They are something like 1200 cranking amps each. They are heavy, and they can rebound in 30 minutes where other batteries take 10 hours. Just google and check them out.   Optima batteries were bought out by Johnson Controls and the quality dropped.

http://www.odysseybattery.com/design_advantages.aspx

cmacbuck69 wrote: I just want to be able to beach her up on the creek

Chris,
I didn't say anything when you mentioned this the first time but, there is a "the rest of the story"!!

Get off my lawn and turn down that darn music you daggum whippersnappers! I just want to be able to beach her up on the creek and relax to the smooth grooves of Engelbert Humperdinck and not have to get up to turn the boat on!

Don your set up is what I'm trying to accomplish and it may also help me upgrade my music selection! Pictures of your set up this weekend would be very cool!

quinner wrote: There are dual purpose batteries available like the Optima Blue Top, I have a fairly large amp draw and use a single Blue Top as I did not want the extra weight of a 2nd battery. Works fine, usually get about 4yrs out of one.

Quinner is spot on. And if one's radio is powerful enough to truely warrant a 2nd battery, turn it down, nobody wants to hear that whipper snapper stuff.

Good thing there's that 2nd battery for the 6 watt load.

Sampson 182 wrote: and my LED's for a night cruise and have no worries of the batteries running dead. .

What's the wattage of the LED's?

Had 2 8d gells in my last boat, They weighted just shy of 400 lbs. , well little much for these boats unless you want ballast for wake boarding.    

Start battery is all you need.   Im going to be doing battery soon, my under deck dimensions changed so im going to have to go low profile. Not building a box but the compartment will be sealed and should qualify as a box.