Leaving the boat in the water for an extended period

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  • ally505
    • Feb 2012
    • 178

    • Somewhere cold and wet

    • 2008 super air nautique 210, zr6.
    #1

    Leaving the boat in the water for an extended period

    I'm going to have the boat (08 210) in the water for one or two months over the summer. The pontoon doesn't have power unfortunately so I'm reliant one one of the batteries to run the bilge pumps. Presently I have two auto-sensing pumps on the boat, they spin up every few minutes so I'm wondering how long a good condition battery will hold charge for? I know I'm asking how long is a piece of string, but I'm wondering if I'll get days or weeks? If the answer is "not very long" then I'll add a separate bilge pump on a float switch as this seems a better option for the extended stay in the water.
    Tags: None
  • charlesml3
    1,000 Post Club Member
    • Jan 2008
    • 2453

    • Lake Gaston, NC

    • 2022 G23
    #2
    So when you say it'll be in the water for 1 or 2 months, does that mean it'll be used regularly or will it be sitting unused for that entire time?

    Comment

    • ally505
      • Feb 2012
      • 178

      • Somewhere cold and wet

      • 2008 super air nautique 210, zr6.
      #3
      The boat will be getting used, but how often is weather and time dependant

      Comment

      • Rogue14
        • May 2010
        • 48

        • Southern Oregon

        • 2007 SV-211
        #4
        I think most people do not do what I do........

        My boat goes in the water usually sometime in June and stays in the water until sometime in Sept. I never leave the bilge pump on precisely because like yours, mine cycle on/off frequently and I've not wanted to come back to my sole battery being dead. I've never had a problem. My cover fits pretty tight so if it rains it takes on little if any water. The first time I put it in in the spring I am paranoid about checking that nothing is leaking. When I leave after staying at the cabin for a few days I dry the bilge of water the pump doesn't get with a super soaker water gun and then a towel. I leave the hatch to the bilge open while away. When I return, it is always bone dry--even drier than when I left it. There are other people using our dock and nearby docks that would notice if my boat started to ride lower due to taking on water and would notify me but that's never happened. Between when I leave and return it might be 3 days or up to 3 weeks but still I've had zero issues despite always leaving the bilge pump off. This will be my 15th year doing it this way, 12th with current SV211. YMMV.

        Comment

        • scottb7
          1,000 Post Club Member
          • Aug 2011
          • 2198

          • Carson City, Nevada

          • 2014 G21 (Current) 2008 SANTE 210
          #5
          With a 2008 210 you have 2 batteries. If it was me I would replace one of the 2 bilge pumps - the easier one to get to - with a float pump. And then I would then leave the battery switch turned on to just one battery. I have seen the auto sense pumps go wack and get stuck. So you eliminate that potential problem with the float pump. And then worst case you ever have a failure of some sort you have isolated to just one battery being dead.

          P.S. For the other guy that has just one battery in the boat...OMG I am too much of a nervous type to not add another battery. I would be worried every time I turned off the boat to listen to radio more then 15 minutes...But that is just me. Props to you for being so chill.

          Comment

          • srock
            1,000 Post Club Member
            • Oct 2008
            • 1064

            • Florida

            • 2009 Super Air 230 2005 Whaler Dauntless
            #6
            You better be rain tight or you batteries will never keep up. Think about adding a solar trickle charger.

            Comment

            • Rogue14
              • May 2010
              • 48

              • Southern Oregon

              • 2007 SV-211
              #7
              [

              P.S. For the other guy that has just one battery in the boat...OMG I am too much of a nervous type to not add another battery. I would be worried every time I turned off the boat to listen to radio more then 15 minutes...But that is just me. Props to you for being so chill.
              Yeah you are probably right but my boat is a stripper. No audio to kill the battery, keyed ignition,etc. Yes, I'm a boring old guy with boring colors also. We take it out for activities but otherwise it is just parked at our dock and used for extra seating.

              Comment

              • functionoverfashion
                Senior Member of PLANETNAUTIQUE
                • Jun 2017
                • 509

                • New Hampshire

                • 2003 SANTE
                #8
                I've always left my boats in from May- October, sometimes going 2 weeks between use. I have to admit, I'm a fan of the dual battery setup, because any kind of bilge pump can get stuck on and kill a battery. That said, it's rare, and even more rare with a float-switch type pump. The attwood sahara pumps have a float contained in the same housing as the pump, and are my favorite personally.

                You can also just put a float switch before the existing pump, so that the pump only gets power when the float goes up; this retains the factory pump, but interrupts power to it until there's water present. You may also find that your boat doesn't take on much if any water, especially if the cover is tight.

                Comment

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