Battery included

Last fall I got sick before I could finish all the outside jobs that had to be done before the snow fell. One of the things that didn't happen was removal of the heavy duty marine battery from the boat. It was still hooked up to the solar panel so I had some hope the solar charger would preserve the battery.

What I had not counted on was the battery locker getting flooded. The charge controller was also mounted in that locker. They both spent the winter in a block of ice. Not a good way to treat electrical stuff. I replaced the charge controller with a spare. The battery would not take a charge. My tester showed an internal short.

Last year I bought the battery during one heck of a sale. This year I see the same battery going for over $150. Yikes! Figuring I had nothing to lose, I took the old battery in to see if there was any warranty left on it. Turns out when I bought the original battery, they never ticked off the little circles that indicate when it was purchased. The guys decided to assume it was under the one year replacement and gave me a new one for free.

It was nice of them, but I am a regular there. I always joke around with them a bit when doing business. Does not hurt to be friendly. Sometimes it helps a whole lot.

After that I sorted out the sailboat's new running lights. It's just about ready for the water -as am I.

-Sixbears