- 1). Start up your engine the moment you notice the battery getting low on charge. This is the most common way to re-charge a marine battery when you are out on the water.
- 2). Crank on the generator if your boat is equipped with one. A gasoline-powered generator also has its own dedicated battery in order to be able to start when the battery bank on the boat goes dead. Turn on the generator to act like the engine in the ability to recharge batteries.
- 3). Connect your boat to shore power as soon as you get to the marina and switch on the battery charger.
- 4). Carry a portable battery charger to put a jump on your battery in an emergency. Run your engine after you get it started to charge the battery.
- 5). Switch to a single battery when anchored offshore for an extended period. If your boat is equipped with more than one battery and a switch that allows you to turn only one at a time on, use a single battery as the "house" battery to run stereos, refrigerators, lights and other electrical items, and leave one battery solely dedicated to starting the engine when needed.
- 6). Avoid under charging and over charging. Incomplete charging depletes the battery's ability to achieve a full charge. Over charging causes an extreme build up of energy that accelerates corrosion and damages plates in the battery cell.
- 7). Remove your batteries from the boat when you winterize and store them in a warm, dry place. Once a month apply a trickle charge to bring them up to power and keep them from depleting entirely.
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