All three types depend on the chemical reaction of lead and sulfuric acid to store and release electrical energy. Flooded, or wet, cell batteries provide high cranking amperages and are excellent for starting applications. They are generally lower in price and are available in standard sizes and terminal configurations. Compared to gel and AGM batteries, wet cell batteries are not sealed, (so they can be topped-off with distilled water) and they are better suited to accept overcharging. Properly charged and maintained, premium flooded deep-cycle batteries are capable of a few hundred to more than a thousand cycles, which can translate to many years of dependable service at an initial cost that’s substantially less than AGM or gel batteries with comparable amp hour ratings. However, they lose capacity and become permanently damaged if left discharged, must remain in an upright position, and are susceptible to failure in high-vibration applications.

Gel batteries (a.k.a. sealed, valve-regulated or SVR) are sealed and use pressure release valves to keep their internal pressure at a slightly positive value, yet they can release excessive pressure if needed. The impossibility of adding water, or gaining access to the battery’s inside, forces the manufacturer to make an extremely high quality battery with great consistency. When initially mixed from the various chemicals, the gel is quite liquid, and can be poured easily. The gel is drawn into each cell under a vacuum that eliminates voids and pockets of air that can result in dead spots on plate surfaces and loss of capacity and performance. Once it is in place, the gel becomes quite viscous, making the battery impervious to leakage in case the battery gets inverted or its case sustains damage. A downside to gel batteries is that there is a maximum charging voltage of 14.1 volts. Because of this requirement, the boat’s charging system must be adjusted for the battery to be properly recharged without dramatically shortening its life.

AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) batteries feature a dense separator compressed tightly between the battery’s positive and negative plates. These specially designed plates are saturated with a precise amount of acid electrolyte. In addition to providing equal saturation across the entire surface of the battery’s positive and negative plates, the fibers in the dense glass mats embed themselves in the surface of the plates, like reinforcing rods in concrete. This provides more plate support and better shock and vibration protection than in conventional batteries. The high packing density results in lower internal resistance, allowing AGM batteries greater starting power and greater charge acceptance than other types of deep cycle batteries. AGMs are spill-proof, as well as the most vibration/impact-resistant lead acid batteries available. They can operate in any orientation and won’t spill electrolyte if the case is broken. The low self-discharge and longer life expectancy (twice that of flooded cell batteries) should pay off in the long haul for boaters with serious battery requirements.

Flooded Batteries

Pros: Lower initial cost; Accepts higher charging voltages; Good deep cycle performance

Cons: Can spill corrosive battery acid; Must be installed upright; requires regular maintenance; sustains damage if left discharged; High rate of self-discharge; Requires off-season charging; Not suitable for high vibration.

Gel Batteries

Pros: Resist over-discharging, vibration, lack of maintenance; Leak proof when inverted or cracked; Can be installed on side; Tolerates low temperatures; Minimal gas release when charged properly; Low self-discharge.

Cons: Higher initial cost; Electrolyte cannot be replaced when overcharged; Need to be charged at 14.1 VDC max; Not ideal for charging with automotive or unregulated chargers.

AGM Batteries

Pros: Maintenance-free; Leak proof when inverted or cracked; Dual purpose (deep cycle or starting); Can be installed at any angle (except upside down); Resists shock and vibration; Minimal gas release when charged properly; Low self-discharge; submersible without damage; Long cycle life when properly charged; better performance for DC loads.

Cons: High initial cost; More weight per Ah than wet cells; Electrolyte cannot be replaced when overcharged.

                          

The warning signs of CO poisoning can include irritated, watery eyes; dizziness and drowsiness; a flushed appearance with possible nausea and vomiting; lack of concentration; ringing in the ears; throbbing temples and a headache; and ultimately collapsing and convulsions. As symptoms vary widely from person to person, often one should be aware that even “seasickness” could be the result of exposure to CO.

CO accumulation requires immediate attention. It is important to ventilate the cabin and cockpit areas and correct the probable source of the CO quickly. Get the victim into the fresh air as quickly as possible. Remember that CO is absorbed into the bloodstream through the lungs and reduces the ability of your blood to carry oxygen. If the levels of CO are high enough in your blood stream, you will die of asphyxiation.

While underway, ventilate your cabin and cockpit by opening a forward hatch, porthole, or window to allow air to travel through the boat’s interior. One of the most insidious conditions that can cause CO to accumulate in a boat is called the “station wagon effect.” When the boat is moving upwind or even at a mooring with the bow into the wind, a back draft from the stern of the boat will cause the exhaust gases to be sucked back into the boat. Keep a hatch or porthole open to ventilate the cabin and cockpit area. Exhaust gases from other boats, either alongside your boat or upwind of your boat and even alongside a pier or jetty that causes the wind to swirl around your boat, can accumulate in your boat with no hint of a problem until CO is dangerously high and someone must respond immediately. Keep a hatch or porthole open to ventilate the cabin and cockpit area.

Another dangerous condition that has affected a lot of families occurs when a generator or engine is idling and exhausting out the stern under a partially enclosed swim platform. The concentration of CO there can kill in seconds without any warning at all. Swimming under the platform or ducking in and out under the platform is very dangerous and all children and persons should be warned not to do so. CO is also produced by gas cooking ranges in a boat’s galley, charcoal grills on the back deck and gas or fuel oil water and space heaters.

CO is dangerous, period; one must be aware of the dangers at all times. Boats with cabins and all the boating paraphernalia and situations described above should have a CO alarm aboard and if there are multiple cabins, there should be one alarm in each cabin. These alarms should be checked frequently during the boating season and ideally, the sensor should be replaced annually at the beginning of the boating season.

                          

The Morning Light, a 32-Foot Chesapeake Bay cruiser owned by Peter E. Moon of Pocasset, is expected to begin taking on passengers for tours of Bourne waters this season. Mr. Moon, who can be found working at the Kingman Yacht Center in Cataumet during the boating season, is starting the harbor cruise business.

Initially, on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, he will be picking up passengers at Kingman’s for a tour of Red Brook Harbor. Mr. Moon envisions tours going around Bassetts Island and past Wing’s Neck and Scraggy Neck. Kingman’s, home of The Chart Room restaurant, should provide a more than adequate pool of customers, who might be interested in a tour of the area from the water, he said. Mr. Moon is also planning cruises departing from the town’s Pocasset River marina.

He came before Bourne selectmen March 14, asking their permission to permit cruise passengers to park at that marina on Mondays through Thursdays. From there, Mr. Moon said, he could start out on the river and take passengers toward Mashnee Island, and under the Railroad Bridge.

He told Bourne selectmen he wanted to provide short-term parking permits for passengers wanting to lake a cruise, Saying that he was unaware of anyone else who was providing harbor cruises in the area, he told the board the tours would allow visitors to explore the town from a different perspective. He wanted to be able to buy 10 to 20 short-term, one-day parking permits from the town, and suggested that he pay $5 per permit.

After consulting with George W. Weinert, director of the Department of Natural Resources, who was present at the meeting, selectmen told Mr., Moon they believed the Pocasset River was the only marina location, where the parking lot is underutilized. Mr., Weinert said his department could find a method for issuing daily, date-stamped parking permits. Commercial boats and charter sailboats already come to town marinas and discharge passengers, Mr., Weinert said, and no fees are levied for those activities. Selectmen approved issuing Mr. Moon daily parking permits for three parking spaces, to be used for several trips per day, at a cost of $5 per car.

Mr. Moon said he is currently thinking of running six trips a day, possibly customizing some of them, he said. A breakfast in Wareham trip is a possibility, he said, as are specially arranged luncheon and dinner trips. The Morning Light can accommodate up to six passengers; the average trip will cost about $35 per person.

Morning Light, a 32-foot Chesapeake Bay cruiser, sits at anchor in the Pocasset River in a photograph taken last fall.