Best boat starting battery?

[Fishaholic2011]

I sometimes run up to 4 units at a time in my boat, then add in pumps and my usual 12-14 hours on the water all adds up to low battery by end of day. I had 2 times this fall were I could not get my big motor started from lack of power. Reliability is more important to me than price. So any opinions on the best cranking battery available?Thanks

[vermilionfox]

I've had the same Interstate batteries in my boat for the past six years. They get my vote.

[EBass]

Optima - they are expensive though.

[Raider4ever]

Find a good marine starting/deep cycle one and get the biggest (i.e. Marine cranking amps and reserve minutes) that fits in that battery compartment. Sounds like you need a big 'un. I am replacing my Interstate that came with my boat four years ago (don't know how long it was in there before I bought it) for the same reason. Will be heading over to the Interstate Dealer in Superior, WI and pick up a new one. I only run the usual (bilge, livewell, lights, etc.) and two units (older H'bird TX's-not bragging-I know, but they do what I need them to do very well). Optimas are good but pricey. I used to hear about Trojan batteries, but nothing recently.

[Esox_Magnum]

Another vote for Interstates, biggest you can get to fit in your compartment.

[Down Deep]

Interstate is a great battery. One lesson I've learned is that for most uses there is no need to spend more money for a premium battery. I always buy a marine battery with enough cranking amps and maintain it. I've used most of my batteries for the 7 or 8 years I've owned each of my boats. Have your motors generator checked.

[TSchultz]

If your running multiple big screens you may have to go to two starting batteries wired in parallel. I did.

[Gordie]

Exide/nautlist for the past 6 years as a starting battery

BTW if you have a disconnect on your starting battery you should not ever have a problem starting your boat

[delmuts]

"If your running multiple big screens you may have to go to two starting batteries wired in parallel. I did."

+ 1 That's a lot of things drawing power from one battery.

Another for interstate.

[SDS]

The Fleet Farm brand batteries are Interstate Ive been told.

[Kyhl]

If your running multiple big screens you may have to go to two starting batteries wired in parallel. I did.

Interesting idea. I will mull that over.

I was thinking of carrying a backup starting battery when night fishing. This might be another option.

[Fishaholic2011]

What do you mean by a disconnect?

Exide/nautlist for the past 6 years as a starting battery

BTW if you have a disconnect on your starting battery you should not ever have a problem starting your boat

[Down Deep]

If you have the extra room for another battery, why not install a deep cycle and hook up all your electronics to it. Add an onboard charger and you would have a setup you could use for days and easily recharge.

[Northlander]

Get the biggest Interstates you can fit in there. I have had very good luck with Interstates and their service here in Superior is A+.

[Fishaholic2011]

Thank you all for your thoughts. I do have enough room for 1 of the larger batteries (considered a group 27 I think) but not room for 2. Had never heard of running starting batteries parallel, thats a great idea if I had the room.

[TruthWalleyes]

You may have enough continuous draw from all your electronics that you may want to look into a deep cycle for the electronics and a starting battery for your motor. Optima gets my vote as best batt.

[CaptainMusky]

First of all if you do not already have one installed, get an onboard charger that will charge ALL of your batteries, deep cycle or cranking.

Next, more of a question. It seems like you are using your big motor very little, but its battery is powering all the electronics. This is pretty typical. One backup plan you can do is just put a set of jumper cables in your boat and if the battery were to die, you can connect to your trolling motor batteries and cranking battery to get it started.

Another thing you could do would be to get a solar charger and have that connected to your cranking battery. Or you could get one of those jumper packs as well.

These new electronics take some serious power to run. I have had my radio on and two electronics for an entire day and definitely noticed a slower crank to my big motor at the end of the day.

There is really no single battery out there that is going to stand up to the amount of draw you are putting on your system IMO. Exide, Interstate or Ultima are all excellent choices, but IMO look at a way to get out of the problem when it happens because it probably will happen again regardless of what battery you have.

[Fishaholic2011]

First of all if you do not already have one installed, get an onboard charger that will charge ALL of your batteries, deep cycle or cranking.

Next, more of a question. It seems like you are using your big motor very little, but its battery is powering all the electronics. This is pretty typical. One backup plan you can do is just put a set of jumper cables in your boat and if the battery were to die, you can connect to your trolling motor batteries and cranking battery to get it started.

Another thing you could do would be to get a solar charger and have that connected to your cranking battery. Or you could get one of those jumper packs as well.

These new electronics take some serious power to run. I have had my radio on and two electronics for an entire day and definitely noticed a slower crank to my big motor at the end of the day.

There is really no single battery out there that is going to stand up to the amount of draw you are putting on your system IMO. Exide, Interstate or Ultima are all excellent choices, but IMO look at a way to get out of the problem when it happens because it probably will happen again regardless of what battery you have.

Be careful with the jumper cables and newer motors. Lybecks marine (Eddie) told me I can do damage to the motors computer if I try to jumpstart 2009 115 fourstroke Merc. Solar charger sounds cool, anyone know how well it works?

[fishgutz77]

I run a HPDI 250 that takes some serious cranking to turn and have had the best results with the Biggest AGM I could find at about 1000 cca. I run the downriggers, a big screen, lights, and livewells, areators, radios, bilge, gauges. and this thing just never gives up. When your in the middle of Lake Michigan or Superior you by the best you can afford.

[Pmuell]

my last 2 sets of batteries have been optima blue top, i fish a lot of tournaments and sometimes have the live wells and my 2 lowrance HDS 10s running all day off the starter battery, i have never had a problem starting my rig and believe me those hds units draw a lot of power

[Twins 57 Fan]

I run interstat with two gps units a cd player and all boat accessories with no problem.

[amateurfishing]

interstate

[BobT]

If I were looking for a starting battery for my boat I would get a dual-purpose battery. There are a couple reasons for this.

A dual-purpose battery is designed to handle high current loads such as driving your outboard starter motor.

A dual-purpose is also designed to handle low current loads over extended periods of time such as your sonar equipment, bilge pumps, and aerator pumps, etc.

Since most boats are wired to use the starting battery for all of the above, it would be a much better option than a plain starting battery.