When you go out on your boat, you need to make sure that you are going to have enough power to go out as far as you want and to then make it safely back to shore. That means you need to ensure the battery on the boat is fully charged before you head out sailing. If it isn’t, you could end up in deep water - quite literally! Once your boat’s battery is fully charged, you’ll be able to enjoy some great fishing or sailing trips, and you won’t need to worry about rushing back to shore before the battery dies.

One of the best ways to make sure that your battery is fully charged and ready for your next sailing trip is to make sure that you have invested in the right kind of boat battery charger. Ideally, you need to find an efficient charger that charges the battery to its full power every time you plug it in. It’s also worth looking into chargers that will take the shortest amount of time to fully charge a battery.

If you’ve never had to buy a boat battery charger before, then you might be a bit confused when you see all of the different ones available to buy. After all, it can be difficult knowing which one is going to be the best value for money. Don’t worry, though; choosing the perfect charger for your boat battery doesn’t have to be too tricky. Here are some essential tips that you need to know when choosing a new one!

Considerations To Make When Choosing A Battery Charger

There are going to be a lot of different factors that you need to consider when you are looking for a new battery boat charger. Read on to find out more about how these could sway your final decision!

Types Of Boat Batteries

First of all, you need to think about the type of battery that you have on your boat at the minute. This will be one of the biggest factors that will lead to your decision as you need a specific kind of charger to charge a specific type of battery. You’ll probably have one of the following on your boat at the minute.

• Flooded Battery. These kinds of batteries are sometimes referred to as ‘wet cell’, so you might have heard both of these names. They’re generally one of the cheaper boat batteries so are fairly common, and you’ll be able to use a standard lead-acid charger. One of the main benefits of flooded batteries is that they can stand overcharging, so it won’t matter if you plug the charger in and forget about it. They do require a lot of maintenance, though, which is why some boat owners are put off from using them.
• Gell Cell. These kinds of boat batteries can be fairly expensive, but they require very little maintenance and are completely leak-proof. They will continue to work well in high temperatures however they can be sensitive to overcharging. If this is the kind of battery you have, then you will need to get a specific gell-cell battery charger.
• AGM. The AGM boat batteries are a slightly cheaper option and have the added bonus of being maintenance-free as well as leak and spill-proof. They also benefit from a long lifespan, although you will find they are sensitive to overcharging. You can buy specialist AGM chargers, but a microprocessor-controlled charger will also work with these batteries.
• Lithium. The most expensive boat battery option is lithium, although you do get a top-quality battery for your money. These are a lot lighter than the other batteries in this list and are perfect for electric engines. Plus, they have an exceptionally long lifespan.

Once you know the type of battery that is on your boat, this should help you narrow down your charger options. When you are looking at potential new boat battery chargers, just make sure that they are compatible with your battery.

The Size Of The Battery

You should also consider the size of your battery when purchasing a new boat battery charger. When we talk about size, though, we don’t mean the battery’s physical dimensions. We are mainly interested in the capacity of the battery - how much power it can hold.

This means that when you are looking at different battery chargers, you need to think about the minimum voltage that they will deliver. If you don’t get a charger with a high enough minimum voltage, then you will find it doesn’t recharge the battery quite as well as it should. Similarly, you shouldn’t buy a charger that has a voltage that is too high. If you do, then there will be an increased risk of the battery overheating and causing an electrical fire.

So, how exactly do you get the right size charger for your boat battery? In actual fact, it shouldn’t be that difficult to work out. For instance, if your boat has a 12-volt battery, then a 12-volt charger will work fine. If you want to think of it in amps, then a 50Ah capacity battery will require a 10-amp charger. Don’t worry if this sounds confusing, you can always get in touch with us and we will advise you on the type of charger that the size of your battery will need.

Environmental Conditions

If you decide to go for an onboard boat charger, then you will need to take into account some environmental factors when making your choice. No matter where you might be planning on sailing, you will need to find a charger that will be able to cope with high levels of humidity and moisture. If it doesn’t, then you could find that it doesn’t work very well or ends up failing completely.

Thankfully, many newer battery charger versions are now manufactured in a way that helps them operating in these adverse weather conditions. They are usually mounted in the engine’s compartment which can help to shield them from these difficult conditions as well, which can further increase their lifespan in these conditions. But you shouldn’t just depend on the location of the onboard battery charger to make sure that it lasts you a long time. Ideally, invest in one that is fully waterproof.

Purpose Of The Battery Charger

Depending on the type of boating you do, you might have a different purpose for your charger. Sure, every boat owner will want to keep their battery charged up fully, but how you are using your boat might dictate the type of charger that you end up going for. For instance, if you rarely use your boat, you should be OK to just charge it before each trip you make in it. If this is the case, then you will need a device that can quickly recharge the battery. For this purpose, you will need a powerful charger with a high current rate.

However, if you need to make sure that your boat is fully charged at all times, such as during the off-season, then it would be worth investing in a low current charger so that there is always a charge going to your boat.

Of course, you might have more than one boat that you use for different purposes. If that is the case, then you might want to look for one of the many chargers that are multi-purpose. You will also find that there are a few multiple bank chargers available as well. These are perfect if you ever need to charge more than one battery at the same time.

Manual Or Automatic Charger?

As previously mentioned, some batteries can be very sensitive to overcharging. If you do have one of these batteries then you should opt for an automatic charger. These can sense the internal current and voltage, and will automatically turn off the charger once the battery is full. However, if your boat battery isn’t one that is sensitive to overcharging, then you should be safe with a manual charging device. These will need to be monitored as they don’t turn off automatically - you will need to set the voltage and current yourself and will also need to turn off the charger manually once the battery is fully charged.

Even though you might not have given it much thought before, you can now see that purchasing the right kind of charger for your boat’s battery is going to be really important. Finding the right one will help you to make the most of your boat and will certainly encourage you to go out on more sailing trips!

Don’t worry if you still have any questions about boat battery chargers. Head over to our Contact Us page and you will be able to get in touch with one of our team for plenty of help and advice.