I am a new boat owner. I purchased a 1980 Sea Ray 20' Cuddy Cabin with an inboard Mercruiser engine as a starter boat. I am having problems starting it. A little background, the elderly man I bought it from had let it sit with little to no use for a couple of years. I took it out about a month ago and I had a little trouble getting it started, but it did start and I ran it for several hours. the next day I took it out again with no real problems starting it. 2 weeks later I tried to take it out, but could not get it going. It sounded the way a car sounds with a dying battery; a slow churn, then it was dead. I pulled the two deep cycle batteries and took them to a battery shop where they charged them for two days. The guy at the shop said they were good. He also checked the alternator and said it was also good. I put them in and took the boat out and, with just a little effort, got it started. <br /><br />Today I went out and tried to start it and it once again had that slow churn thing, then nothing. I checked the batteries and the negative cable was so hot I could not touch it. <br />Any thoughts???
