Re: Run with battery switch on "both"?
Prior to starting the engine, the operator would turn the battery switch to the BOTH position so that he or she had the full cranking power of the batteries. Once the engine started, the operator would leave the switch in the BOTH position while powering to the day's destination so that both batteries were charged. Once a sailboat began sailing sans engine, or a powerboat dropped the hook, the operator would (in theory) turn the battery switch to the 1 or 2 position, so that the other battery would be reserved for starting. When it was time to crank the engine again, the battery switch would be turned to BOTH, or possibly to the reserved battery, and the engine would be started. <br /><br />The problem, of course, is that this requires a lot of thought on the part of the operator, who is trying to relax in the first place. The inevitable result is that at some point, the boater accidentally leaves the battery switch in the BOTH position, resulting in two very dead batteries.
