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Old 05-26-2016, 07:05 AM   #82
twistedtree
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City: Vermont
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 10,092
Thanks, CMS. Your long reply a few posts back was very helpful.

It seems to me that the fundamental characteristics of CF batteries are the same as AGMs except for their greater immunity to sulfation. And you of course have emphasized the importance of this feature for many cruisers. Many (perhaps most) batteries don't wear out - they get trashed by their usage pattern.

You have also emphasized the importance of matching the battery to the boat and planned usage. I couldn't agree more.

Regarding AGMs, how often would you say they need to be returned to full charge to prevent sulfation? I'm thinking once a week? For many trawler owners, e.g. this forum, I think that happens reliably. Your batteries will return to full charge if you:

1) Plug into shore power overnight, or

2) Motor during the day long enough to fully recharge.

This of course assumes you have good charging equipment that can accomplish the recharge. But if you don't, I'd argue the problem is your charging, not your batteries.

I expect it's very rare for a motor cruiser to be at anchor without getting underway for more than a week, and that's the only time I see batteries experiencing sustained PSOC.

I can definitely see how on a sailing boat extended PSOC can and will occur since they are much less likely to get a full recharge while underway like a motor cruiser will. For them, the FF batteries sound like a worthwhile premium. And if a motor cruiser's engine alternator system can't fully recharge the batteries over the course of a typical session underway, and you don't return to shore power at least once a week, then they probably make sense in that application too.
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