Over the years, I've been pretty remiss in taking proper care of my
batteries.

They're always deep in the hold someplace; I NEVER have distilled water on
hand, and there are always other things that are easier and more fun to do
than check the water level and re-fill the batteries.

Yesterday, I discovered that the former owner of my latest toy ( a 16 ft.
Carolina Skiff) not only buried the battery belong a deck, he also hadn't
added water to the cells in a long time. I also realized that re-filling it
in place was going to be a chore.

For once, ( since the level was so low) I went to the store and bought some
distilled water. I also picked up a baby bottle, ( mostly because I couldn't
find a funnel in a grocery store). I cut a 1/4 inch opening in the end off
of the nipple and now have a handy way to direct the water stream right into
the cell openings.

Just thought I'd share.
RichG
http://groups.msn.com/CarolinaSkiffOwners

S

"RG" wrote in message
. ..
Over the years, I've been pretty remiss in taking proper care of my
batteries.

They're always deep in the hold someplace; I NEVER have distilled water on
hand, and there are always other things that are easier and more fun to do
than check the water level and re-fill the batteries.

Yesterday, I discovered that the former owner of my latest toy ( a 16 ft.
Carolina Skiff) not only buried the battery belong a deck, he also hadn't
added water to the cells in a long time. I also realized that re-filling
it
in place was going to be a chore.

For once, ( since the level was so low) I went to the store and bought
some
distilled water. I also picked up a baby bottle, ( mostly because I
couldn't
find a funnel in a grocery store). I cut a 1/4 inch opening in the end off
of the nipple and now have a handy way to direct the water stream right
into
the cell openings.

Just thought I'd share.
RichG
http://groups.msn.com/CarolinaSkiffOwners

On Mon, 22 Dec 2003 20:18:28 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:

S

"RG" wrote in message
...
Over the years, I've been pretty remiss in taking proper care of my
batteries.

They're always deep in the hold someplace; I NEVER have distilled water on
hand, and there are always other things that are easier and more fun to do
than check the water level and re-fill the batteries.

Yesterday, I discovered that the former owner of my latest toy ( a 16 ft.
Carolina Skiff) not only buried the battery belong a deck, he also hadn't
added water to the cells in a long time. I also realized that re-filling
it
in place was going to be a chore.

For once, ( since the level was so low) I went to the store and bought
some
distilled water. I also picked up a baby bottle, ( mostly because I
couldn't
find a funnel in a grocery store). I cut a 1/4 inch opening in the end off
of the nipple and now have a handy way to direct the water stream right
into
the cell openings.

Just thought I'd share.
RichG
http://groups.msn.com/CarolinaSkiffOwners



Turkey basters work pretty well also.
John
On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD

"Turkey basters work pretty well also."

Best I've found are hypodermic syringes, large ones.

"JohnH" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 22 Dec 2003 20:18:28 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:

S

"RG" wrote in message
...
Over the years, I've been pretty remiss in taking proper care of my
batteries.

They're always deep in the hold someplace; I NEVER have distilled water
on
hand, and there are always other things that are easier and more fun to
do
than check the water level and re-fill the batteries.

Yesterday, I discovered that the former owner of my latest toy ( a 16 ft.
Carolina Skiff) not only buried the battery belong a deck, he also hadn't
added water to the cells in a long time. I also realized that re-filling
it
in place was going to be a chore.

For once, ( since the level was so low) I went to the store and bought
some
distilled water. I also picked up a baby bottle, ( mostly because I
couldn't
find a funnel in a grocery store). I cut a 1/4 inch opening in the end
off
of the nipple and now have a handy way to direct the water stream right
into
the cell openings.

Just thought I'd share.
RichG
http://groups.msn.com/CarolinaSkiffOwners



Turkey basters work pretty well also.
John
On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD

Another idea I heard recently was to get a one gallon garden sprayer and
fill it with distilled water. Cut the tip so it provides a stream instead of
a spray.

"Eric H" wrote in message
news:bzNFb.46$gi4.31@fe01...
"Turkey basters work pretty well also."

Best I've found are hypodermic syringes, large ones.

"JohnH" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 22 Dec 2003 20:18:28 GMT, "Doug Kanter"

wrote:

S

"RG" wrote in message
...
Over the years, I've been pretty remiss in taking proper care of my
batteries.

They're always deep in the hold someplace; I NEVER have distilled water
on
hand, and there are always other things that are easier and more fun to
do
than check the water level and re-fill the batteries.

Yesterday, I discovered that the former owner of my latest toy ( a 16
ft.
Carolina Skiff) not only buried the battery belong a deck, he also
hadn't
added water to the cells in a long time. I also realized that
re-filling
it
in place was going to be a chore.

For once, ( since the level was so low) I went to the store and bought
some
distilled water. I also picked up a baby bottle, ( mostly because I
couldn't
find a funnel in a grocery store). I cut a 1/4 inch opening in the end
off
of the nipple and now have a handy way to direct the water stream right
into
the cell openings.

Just thought I'd share.
RichG
http://groups.msn.com/CarolinaSkiffOwners



Turkey basters work pretty well also.
John
On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD

Another alternative would be to replace the obsolete and technologically
inferior flooded cell battery with an AGM type battery and never have to so
much as look at it for years. In addition to removing battery maintenance
from your life, you also enjoy faster recharges, negligible self-discharge,
and no gassing. I've been on this program for two and a half years now and
it's been one of the best things I ever did for me and my boat. An example:

http://www.lifelinebatteries.com/marinebattery.asp

As a starting battery they seem pretty good, but at twice the
price for half the capacity, I don't see them as practical for
trolling or house batteries. Perhaps if and when they can
increase capacity, they will be a lot more practical.

-JimL


RG wrote:
Another alternative would be to replace the obsolete and technologically
inferior flooded cell battery with an AGM type battery and never have to so
much as look at it for years. In addition to removing battery maintenance
from your life, you also enjoy faster recharges, negligible self-discharge,
and no gassing. I've been on this program for two and a half years now and
it's been one of the best things I ever did for me and my boat. An example:

http://www.lifelinebatteries.com/marinebattery.asp

"JimL" wrote in message
...
As a starting battery they seem pretty good, but at twice the
price for half the capacity, I don't see them as practical for
trolling or house batteries. Perhaps if and when they can
increase capacity, they will be a lot more practical.


Twice the price for half the capacity is an incomplete if not deeply flawed
analysis. Let's use Group 27 (G27) 12V deep cycles as a size for the
purpose of a standard by which to measure price and capacity. Group 27's
are commonly used as house batteries on small cruisers, and usually double
as starting batteries as well. I realize that on larger boats 8D's or 6V
golf cart flooded cells wired in series are often used, but you've got to
start somewhere. Also, please don't confuse AGM's with Gel Cells. They are
two entirely different batteries, with Gel Cells being a highly inferior
choice.

There are many choices available in flooded cell G27 marine deep cycle
batteries. Two obvious ones can be found in the current Boat U.S. and West
Marine catalogs. The Boat U.S. house brand Seaworthy has two flooded cell
G27 models. They have a 100 amp hour (AH) capacity model that retails for
$89.99 and a 105 AH model that retails for $99.99. West Marine's SeaVolt
brand has a G27 model rated at 90 AH and sells for $99.99. I suspect you
could run down to Wal-Mart and buy similar batteries with perhaps similar
performance and save perhaps another $20-$30. However, if you are looking
for a high quality flooded cell battery, you might want to look at Trojan,
which has a 105 AH model which retails for $99 and a 115 AH model which
retails for $111. The Boat U.S. catalog also has a G27 model from Surrette,
a manufacturer of extremely high quality batteries also know as Rolls. That
model is rated at 100 AH and sells for $169.99.

I suspect you may be referring to Optima's Blue Top marine battery when you
refer to twice the price and half the capacity. Optima's group 34 marine
battery is rated at a pitiful 55 amp hours and sells for around $140. This
battery is the only one I know of that fits your "twice the price for half
the capacity" universal condemnation of AGM batteries. While I own two of
Optima's Red Tops as starting batteries in my diesel pickup and am quite
happy with them, I could never make any sense out of ever purchasing their
Blue Top as a marine deep cycle battery. Even though it is physically
smaller than a G27 and therefore not a truly fair comparison, it is still a
poor choice when doing a cost/capacity analysis.

While Optima's are indeed AGM technology, and often the first battery one
might think of when thinking of AGM batteries, they are not the only choice.
And obviously not the correct choice for marine deep cycle batteries.
Another less than stellar choice might be West Marine's SeaVolt G27 AGM
model rated at 92 AH and selling for $199.99. Probably a pretty good
battery, but unnecessarily expensive. However, the Lifeline G27 model,
which is what I gave as an example in my prior post, is rated at 100 AH, and
can be bought for $150-$160. Price is at worst twice what you might pay for
a cheapo off the shelf battery at Wal-Mart, and at best no more than a top
of the line Surrette flooded cell. Rated capacity is in the same general
neighborhood as the flooded cells. Is the increased price worth it?
Obviously that is an individual decision. But consider what you get for
your investment: From a safety standpoint, noxious and explosive vapors are
eliminated, as are any potential acid spills. AGM's typically have a higher
number of charge cycles in their finite life than do even well maintained
flooded cell batteries. They will hold up much better to the abuse that can
be a part of a marine environment, including deep discharge and overcharge,
and vibration and shock damage. Due to much higher internal resistance,
AGM's can be recharged to full charge in much less time than a flooded cell
battery and will hold their voltage better when experiencing heavy amperage
draw. There is very little self-discharge of an AGM battery. The value of
a faster charge rate and low discharge rate can not be overemphasized in a
boating application. And finally, as an owner of AGM batteries, you are
blissfully free of the drudgery of battery maintenance. Cruising World
magazine did a comprehensive test of AGM, Gel Cell, and flooded cell G27
batteries back in 1997. Their conclusion was decidedly in favor of the
AGM's.

It's difficult to explain, but my experience has been that the AGM's perform
much better in real-world use that their capacity numbers indicate. I use
my boat almost every week year round and the batteries get worked pretty
hard. It's rare that it sits unattended for several weeks at a time, but
when it does, the onboard digital volt meter never reads less than 12.8 V
upon my return. This is with no charger input and negligible output (memory
for the stereo). More importantly, I have yet to be able to bring them down
to less than 11.5 volts even when aboard and away from civilization for
several days at a time. This is with running a 12V fridge, 400 watts RMS of
audio gear, electric head, water pump, lights, etc. The original OEM G27
flooded cell batteries never performed like that. Recharge time is
noticeably faster than with the flooded cells.

I replaced the three OEM G27 flooded cell batteries with the Lifeline models
about two and a half years ago. Given the work load they are put under, and
the extreme high heat they see in the summer, it's not surprising that the
cheapo OEM batteries (Interstates, as I recall) only lasted about 2 years.
The house bank had lost any ability to do its job over a weekend. If the
AGM's I bought two and a half years ago were to die tomorrow, I feel I would
have gotten my money's worth out of them, and would replace them with
exactly the same models. It would be a check I wouldn't hesitate to write.
But in fact, they perform better today than the OEM flooded cells did when
they were new, and I'm only half-way through the warranty period. They
inspire great confidence. And best of all, I haven't had to go anywhere
near them for the entire time they've been installed. I don't believe I'll
ever buy another flooded cell battery again in my lifetime. I realize this
sounds like a paid commercial for these batteries, but rest assured it is
not. Rather, it's simply a testimonial from a boating consumer who has
experienced uncommonly complete satisfaction with a product. I have found
them to be highly practical.

RG,

I suspect you may be referring to Optima's Blue Top marine
battery when you refer to twice the price and half the capacity.

You're right, the Optima's are what I was referring to and the only
AGM's I've seen locally when looking for a trolling motor battery. I
stand corrected and appreciate the 'education' as I was not aware
there were any AGM's that had those capacities.

-JimL

You're right, the Optima's are what I was referring to and the only
AGM's I've seen locally when looking for a trolling motor battery. I
stand corrected and appreciate the 'education' as I was not aware
there were any AGM's that had those capacities.


Happy to be of service, Jim. I've had such a great experience with these
batteries, it's difficult for me to understand why they are such a well-kept
secret among boaters. My batteries are in such a difficult place to
service, that had I known about the Lifeline AGM's when the boat was new, I
would have yanked the OEM flooded cells immediately, donated them to
somebody at the marina, and replaced them straight away with the Lifelines.
Can't believe I went through monthly contortions in the engine compartment
of my 29' Sea Ray to perform battery maintenance for two years before
getting AGM 'religion'. Never again.

Happy Holidays.