How to choose your boat battery?

boat engines

The operation of an engine is conditioned by the state of its battery. The quality of it is even more important when it comes to boat batteries, because it guarantees your autonomy at sea. But, how to choose your boat battery?

Contents of the page

boat battery uses

A boat battery is used for two purposes which are the start-up and slow discharge still called service. The SEPTRIUM range from the Batteries Sélection website provides its customers with these two types of batteries.

The starter battery is manufactured for boat engine starting only. It is designed to produce a high amount of current for a short time before being quickly recharged by the motor.

As for the service battery, it is used to power all the electrical devices on board the boat. It can be used if the starter battery fails to start the engine.

There are also batteries designed specifically to allow both uses at the same time.

Choosing the engine battery for your boat

Starting the engine requires a large amount of quickly supplied energy. Indeed, for the boat to work, it is important that the cold current capacity as well as the marine current capacity are both high, even in the worst weather conditions.

To guide the choice of a boat motor battery, it is important to know the power of your electric motor. Depending on the engine you have, you will need a battery with a corresponding or greater minimum capacity. This information is usually available in your engine owner's manual.

The choice of the service battery

Several types of service batteries are available on the market.

The AGM lead battery : it supports vibrations and temperature changes. It provides a fairly strong current and is quick to recharge.

The gel lead battery : more efficient than the AGM lead battery, the Gel lead battery allows a deeper discharge. But it must be placed in a place where the temperatures are between 0 and 30 ° C, does not support too much vibration and must be regularly charged to 100%.

The carbon lead battery : ideal if you want to use the battery without fully charging it first or if you need a discharge of up to 100%. It is also recommended if you need time between when it discharges and when you recharge it. Under the same conditions of use, the Carbon lead battery offers more cycles and lasts longer than a Gel battery.

The Li-battery : it is less heavy and smaller than the others. It withstands 100% discharge and can be used with an incomplete charge. The Lithium battery is more efficient, wastes less energy and offers many more cycles than other batteries. However, it does not tolerate temperatures below 5°C.

To determine the capacity you will need, it is recommended to consult an expert, as this assessment is not an easy task.