GL: Battery Charging (and leaving the boat alone)

[Randy Pickelmann]

Rich & All,

I'm not so sure that we are that different in our thinking.  Rather than hire
someone to "watch" our boat, I try to get to know my neighbors.  We prefer to
be berthed on a dock with some liveaboards, our theory being that who better
to keep an eye on things in our absence.  They all get a boat card with my
number as well as my wife's.  Last year was a new experience for us.  In the
past we have spent about 200 nights per year aboard and the nights we weren't
there, the boat was never more than an hour and a half away.  If we were out
of town my son was usually asking if he could stay aboard.  Through all this
time we never closed our seacocks, for the reasons you mentioned.

This winter past was a new experience for us.  We were 12 hours away, by car
and were only "visiting" the boat one week a month.  I decided that since I
knew that the boat didn't "make" any water, I could close the seacocks and
turn the charger off.  When we left the boat the batteries were charged to
100% and when we returned three weeks later they were at 96%.  Last winter was
the last time we will do that.  Intellectually, leaving the boat in New Bern
made sense.  Financially, it made sense.  Emotionally, it was a horrible
choice.  We really don't do well if we are that far away from the boat for
that long a time.  Next winter we will be aboard the boat in the Keys.

By the way Rich, we had the pleasure of being in Annapolis for Graduation Week
last month.  It was pretty great being escorted into Annapolis Harbor by the
Blue Angels.  These folks really know how to welcome you back to town!  We
took the opportunity to wander around the Naval Academy on Memorial Day, with
our son and his girlfriend.  It is such a grand place and it really makes one
proud.

Regards,
Randy Pickelmann
hard aground in Clearwater
MORNING STAR
lying in Anchorage Marina
Baltimore, MD
www.morningstar.talkspot.com