Are my batteries dead?

[mcanderson]

My wife visited our boat for a week in Feb. When the engineers went to move my boat for antifouling and a polish the batteries were flat as my wife had left them on when she left the boat. A month had passed between her leaving and the engineers arriving to do the work. The yard put the batteries on a recharger and got them to take a charge.

I am heading down to our boat on Wednesday for a week and have been wondering if I will now need to buy two new batteries as an Easter present. Anyone want to have a guess?

 

[VicS]

My wife visited our boat for a week in Feb. When the engineers went to move my boat for antifouling and a polish the batteries were flat as my wife had left them on when she left the boat. A month had passed between her leaving and the engineers arriving to do the work. The yard put the batteries on a recharger and got them to take a charge.

I am heading down to our boat on Wednesday for a week and have been wondering if I will now need to buy two new batteries as an Easter present. Anyone want to have a guess?

They should withstand the odd deep discharge without being too badly affected....... can but charge them fully and see how they perform.


More to the point why did they go flat or were items of electrical gear also left switched on and operating, Perhaps you should check for what might have run them flat.

 

[Otter]

I partly depends on the rate of discharge. A couple of lights left on that slowly discharge them is better than leaving a 5amp fridge and half a dozen lights.

 

[mcanderson]

I have no idea what was left on, if anything. My wife left the boat relaxed, but with a stinking cold. She thought the guy who looks after our boat would turn the batteries off when he filled the water tanks and disconnected the shore power.

Oh well, worse things happen at sea.

 

[William_H]

Much depends on what you have in mind for easter. Also depends on how old the batteries are. The batteries may be OK or may be knackered. If they are knackered will that spoil your whole weekend? You might consider buying one new battery to take with you in case. If they are still good either add it to the existing bank or save it at home or replace the worst existing battery. Do divide the batteries and compare the performance of each both in engine start and life supplying a load. good luck olewill

 

[TQA]

The fact that they took a charge is good news.

Most likely they will still be serviceable, just a bit down on capacity.

 

[mcanderson]

Much depends on what you have in mind for easter. Also depends on how old the batteries are. The batteries may be OK or may be knackered. If they are knackered will that spoil your whole weekend? You might consider buying one new battery to take with you in case. If they are still good either add it to the existing bank or save it at home or replace the worst existing battery. Do divide the batteries and compare the performance of each both in engine start and life supplying a load. good luck olewill

Not much of an option for me this one as I live in Edinburgh, work in Oxfordshire and the boat is in the South of France. Luckily the local chandlers will sell me new batteries if needed, just what I wanted for Easter.

 

[sailorman]

Batterymagastore have branches in France & do deliver too

 

[mcanderson]

A result. Both batteries fine. Holding a charge nicely. More money to spend on cleaning products for my boat guy.

 

[Dockhead]

A result. Both batteries fine. Holding a charge nicely. More money to spend on cleaning products for my boat guy.

Equalize them well.

How well batts survive this also depends on how good the batteries are. I have done something like this twice to my present set of Trojans with no apparent ill effects at all. They are now four or five years old and going strong. But I did it only once with the previous set of Varta Hobby batts -- and they were ruined.