Charger.

[ResQ]

So I just picked up a Battery Tender Plus and am wondering if it is common practice (or if anything is wrong with) to keep the battery in the boat and charge instead of taking the battery out. It is a PITA to take it out as I have done for years, and thought this could be a great solution but cannot find anything on this. It is an aluminum 16 foot boat. The battery is on aluminum but sits on a plastic tray (not a battery box). It would be cool to just leave it in the boat hooked up to charge.

[Gringo Pescador]

You can leave it in the boat, just make sure it doesn't get rained on. I've got one on the boat and another on my Harley, I never take the batteries out.

[ncwflounderer]

I would think it is fine to leave battery n boat. If i were you i would disconnect the battery from the boat to protect all your electronics. also, i would disconnect and remove battery charger from boat when i went fishing.

[ResQ]

I dont keep any electronics in the boat. I leave the power cord hooked up, but other than that it is just the motor hooked up to the battery. Would I have to disconnect the motor?

[Amx]

no

[Gringo Pescador]

ncwflounderer is right, if you have electronics (fish finder, gps, etc.), it is probably a good idea to unhook the battery before putting it on the charger, mine has a dual battery setup with a switch that goes Bat1, Bat2, Bat1&2 or OFF. I switch it to off before putting it on the tender.

If you are just hooked to the motor then there should be no problem. The last tender I bought (Costco, $30) had the gator clamps as well as another coord that you can just bolt to the terminals and then you just have to plug/unplug the tender.

[oneshot]

Mine has sat on my boat, in my garage all winter and about 60% of that time on a battery tender..
I'm hoping to see if the battery is good still this sunday, and the tires still roll, and the boat doesn't leak, etc etc... haven't been out on it since November..

[hewesfisher]

I have a NOCO 3-bank on board charger that is always (as in 24/7) plugged in when the boat is not in the water and I don't disconnect anything. Then again, my electronics are all on separate circuit breakers I manually turn off before I shut the motor down.

[ResQ]

Yea, I physically remove the fish finder from the boat to keep it in my safe, but leave the wires hooked up to the battery. So it is just the power wire (not hooked up to anything) and the motor. I think I will just disconnect it to be on the safe side. Thats easy peasy. I was mainly concerned with having a "hot"boat from the electricity.

[Amx]

No 'hotter' than if it was just the battery still hooked up, won't hurt a thing to leave all the electronics hooked up and turned off of course.