Marine environments are miraculously unforgiving, especially of electrical infrastructure. This is because the metals used as electrical conductors - namely, copper - are highly susceptible to corrosion, and this predisposition is only magnified in a marine environment.

With that said, there is plenty you can do to extend the life of your boat’s battery, cables, and terminals. Let this short guide help you.

Keep the Terminals Clean

One of the simplest things you can do to extend the life of your boat’s battery, and ensure positive connections that do not fail randomly, is to keep the battery terminals clean.

An easy way to do this is with a wire brush, and there are special cylindrical terminal brushes that you can buy for just the purpose. Remember, discharge around the terminals hampers the connection, so keep the terminal posts spotless.

Another thing you can do here is to periodically check the boat battery terminal connections. If they’re loose enough that you can rotate or wiggle them, they’re too loose, period. Tighten them with a wrench as needed.

Insulate the Battery Terminals and Connections

Boat battery terminal posts are usually made of alloys of copper, or, more commonly, lead. These metals are highly suspect to corrosion, and even more so in marine environments.

Moreover, wherever you need to strip the wire of boat battery cable to form leads and connections, you’re putting that wire at risk, too. Everywhere it is exposed to the atmosphere, it is at a much heightened risk of corrosion.

Once you establish your connections, coat the terminals and stripped wire in dielectric grease. This special grease does not interfere with the performance of the battery or cable, yet insulates it against air, water, and spray, helping to slow or even prevent corrosion.

Replace Damaged Connections at Once

While the boat is underway, make it a point to check out the battery and terminals. Are the leads running hot? Is there smoke?

This could be caused by a bottleneck created by corrosion on the lead where it is exposed, which forces the current to run through a smaller diameter of the wire. As a result the wire will overheat.

If the leads are hot or you notice corrosion on them, make sure you power everything down, disconnect the terminals, remove the damaged portion, and strip and reestablish a new connection, taking care to insulate it in the manner described above.

Utilizing leads that are damaged by corrosion will increase the risk of fire on board a vessel - an unacceptable risk that must be remediated as soon as possible.

Always Use Boat Battery Cable for Wiring Purposes

Whenever you’re wiring anything on board a boat, not just the battery, always use boat battery cable, also known as marine grade wire or cable.

Unlike conventional battery cable, which is made from uncoated copper conductors, marine battery cable is made with individually-tinned copper conductors.

This stalls corrosion and helps prevent it not only from occurring, but from traveling up the wire or cable, underneath the insulation, as sometimes happens elsewhere.

Moreover, boat battery cable is made of much finer stranded conductors, making it more flexible, and therefore more useful on the confines of a boat, as well.

Disconnect When Not in Use

Where possible, disconnect your boat’s battery when not in use. This will help prevent parasitic drain, will help maintain the battery’s capacity, and more importantly, help extend the serviceable lifespan of the battery in the first place.

Keep the Battery Charged

When not in use, hook the battery up to a maintainer. It is also imperative not to drain the battery fully, and if you ever do, to recharge it completely as soon as you are able. Leaving a battery dead will have a substantially adverse impact on battery health and capacity.

If disconnecting or removing the battery, make sure to charge it fully before storage or, as indicated, hook it up to a battery maintainer.

Store the Battery Somewhere Cool and Dry

If you remove your boat from the water for extended periods of time, remove the battery and store it somewhere cool, dry, and protected from extreme temperatures.

Humid environments accelerate corrosion, and extreme temperatures can damage a battery’s ability to hold a charge. Best advice is to store your marine battery somewhere that it will not experience temperatures below freezing, or above 110℉.

Here for Boat Battery Cable?

Need to make repairs, or are you looking to buy in bulk to outfit your business? Get your marine battery cable here at EWCS Wire.

We carry a wide assortment of UL, USCG, and ABYC-approved marine battery cable, all highly flexible and individually tinned, at competitive prices.

Check out our catalog and if you have any questions about product specifications or otherwise, get in touch with us at Sales@EWCSWire.com or at 800-262-1598 before buying.