Pontoon Battery Question

[brianbo]

I'm new to having a pontoon boat and have some questions about batteries. The boat has a 35 hp Johnson outboard.

1) What kind of battery should I buy?...standard marine?

2) Can I leave the battery hooked up when the boat is not in use (it will sit for a couple of weeks at a time)

3) How often do I need to recharge the battery? What's the best way to do that (portable charger or take it in to a service station)

I'm assuming that without an alternator that the battery does not charge while the motor is running is that correct?

Thanks in advance for the help and advice. This is a great site!

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Pontoon Battery Question

Are you sure your motor does not have a charging system?

I'd get a marine starting battery. It should hold a charge easily for a couple weeks between uses.

 

[John_S]

Re: Pontoon Battery Question

The outboard probably has an unregulated charger. You should fully charge before letting it sit for two weeks. A portable or onboard charger is fine. If mooring, and battery is hard to get to, and weather exposure, the onboard is probably the way to go. After fully charged, two weeks is not a problem as long as you don't leave any loads on.