Time for the rhetorical battery questions

[1st Sail]

8 yrs on my Exide/marine lead/acid batteries (2). I keep them on a maintainer in the off season and topped off during the summer. They are at the end of their serviceable life and time to replace.

Next year we start our USA great loop and sail around the USA (lakes, rivers & reservoirs). We plan to spend time on board as well as in the MHome.
I have a 2 battery Perko and will most likely add electronics for solar and controlled charging from the Etec so each battery is individually charged via a controller. Not totally comfortable with potential with the L/A hydrogen gassing off issues.

Would you spend the $ for AGM or stick with the wet cells?

[dlandersson]

Stick with what you know and has worked for you.

8 yrs on my Exide/marine lead/acid batteries (2). I keep them on a maintainer in the off season and topped off during the summer. They are at the end of their serviceable life and time to replace.

Next year we start our USA great loop and sail around the USA (lakes, rivers & reservoirs). We plan to spend time on board as well as in the MHome.
I have a 2 battery Perko and will most likely add electronics for solar and controlled charging from the Etec so each battery is individually charged via a controller. Not totally comfortable with potential with the L/A hydrogen gassing off issues.

Would you spend the $ for AGM or stick with the wet cells?

[Retcoastie]

Ha! The other opinion. Go with the AGMs. They are great. I'm sure you have researched and know all the characteristics. Catch up to the 21st century. If you stuck with the tried and true, you would still be driving a stick shift with roll up windows and an AM radio.

[grady]

If you want to catch up get Lithium batteries. Still expensive but the last batteries you will need to buy.

[Tomfoolery]

If it were me, I'd continue using flooded lead-acid. Cheap batts from Walmart work just fine for me.

If living off solar, then I'd use a pair of 6V golf cart batts for real deep-cycle capability, and maybe add a small 12V starting batter for the OB. Or keep a jump-start pack onboard, which is probably cheaper anyway.

And I'd wire the two 12V marine DC batts with the A/B switch through a charge relay, so they both charge off either source (OB, solar, or shore power). Not an issue with two 6V, of course, as they're in series anyway.

If the hydrogen gas is a concern, cut in a couple of small louvered vents near the top of the compartment. Whatever compartment they're in is connected to all the others anyway, so allowing the very light hydrogen gas to escape out the top should be easy as there's lots of potential for air movement and makeup.

That's what I'd do, at least.

[Herschel]

I have been very happy with my Optima blue top AGM's. Very reliable for long term use and no worries about spillage of acid. Was using one in my dinghy with a trolling motor and tried to push whole rig into pickup bed. Long story short, boat tipped at angle, battery strap came loose and battery rolled from bow to stern. Not an issue with AGM. No harm done.

[Phil M]

8 yrs on my Exide/marine lead/acid batteries (2). I keep them on a maintainer in the off season and topped off during the summer. They are at the end of their serviceable life and time to replace.
...

I have used my Costco Marine lead acid batteries for 7 years now.
How did you know that your batteries were at the end of their serviceable life?