Can a Marine Battery be out of level when stored in the boat and used?

mjbuck

Cadet
Joined
Apr 13, 2015
Messages
22
My boat accommodates three batteries. I need to add a 4th one to handle my new 24v trolling motor. Two of my batteries are up front and the third at the rear of the boat. The two in the front will be used for the 24v system. I know I can also run 12v electronics off of this set up (24v), but I risk the chance of interference and of running one battery down faster than the other in the 24v set up doing it that way. So, I have an extra compartment immediately adjacent to the two-battery compartment and I want to set up a 12v battery there to handle numerous 12 v electronic items at the front of the boat. This compartment is vented in two places. I want to avoid having to run wires all the way back to the back battery compartment. The back battery handles the power for my main 115 hp and 9.9 hp motors at the back. In addition, there are some other items connected to that battery and I don't want to add anymore. The problem is with this compartment I want to use for the 4th battery, the floor of it is slightly angled up because of the bow of the boat and not flat even as the other battery compartments are. My 4th battery will sit crossways in that compartment and be at a slight angle because of the angled floor. Across the narrow part of the battery, one side sits 1/8 to 3/16 of an inch out of level. I was going to level it out, but the compartment door barely closes without contacting the battery. If I use shims to level the battery tray and battery, it hits the door when it shuts. I know I took the long way around to ask this question, so bear with me, but is this slight difference of 1/8 to 3/16 of an inch going to affect battery performance?
 

rallyart

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Jun 7, 2008
Messages
1,175
Batteries don't have to be exactly level. Just think of how much change there is in your boat while resting or running. What you must avoid is having the battery tilted enough so that the electrolyte acid will leak. Imagine that you park your car on a hill. The battery is not very level.
 

oldjeep

Admiral
Joined
May 17, 2010
Messages
6,455
If you are concerned, get a battery like an optima that can be mounted on it's side.
 

H20Rat

Vice Admiral
Joined
Mar 8, 2009
Messages
5,199
Not a problem... I'm not sure my boat battery is ever level! Being a 18ft with a 4.3 mercruiser, the boat is a little tail heavy and floats a little nose up. It is parked on a hill, and I raise the nose jack all the way to make sure water drains out. (so probably a 20 degree angle for 98% of the time)
 

Watermann

Starmada Splash of the Year 2014
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Jan 12, 2013
Messages
13,747
It's best to store the battery inside a battery box that costs next to nothing and will protect the boat from a cheap battery that most of seem to gravitate too.
 

H20Rat

Vice Admiral
Joined
Mar 8, 2009
Messages
5,199
It's best to store the battery inside a battery box that costs next to nothing and will protect the boat from a cheap battery that most of seem to gravitate too.

The cheap batteries generally equal or outlast the more expensive ones in my opinion. They are almost all made by Johnson Controls anyway.
 

Watermann

Starmada Splash of the Year 2014
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Jan 12, 2013
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13,747
The cheap batteries generally equal or outlast the more expensive ones in my opinion. They are almost all made by Johnson Controls anyway.

Yeah I was referring to wet cell batteries as being cheap as opposed to spendy gel cell Optimas.
 

Watermann

Starmada Splash of the Year 2014
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Jan 12, 2013
Messages
13,747
Optimas are not gel cell, they are a spiral cell AGM battery.

Hey let me fix that sentence with a 2 letter word for you and all the Google-izing anal types so there's no confusion in the OP's mind about a battery leaking in his boat when angled on an grade. :rolleyes:

Yeah I was referring to wet cell batteries as being cheap as opposed to spendy gel cell or Optimas.
 
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