Marine Electronics Forum - Battery boxes vs trays

I'd like to get the opinion of the brain trust here on the forum.

I currenty have dual batteries in boxes on my Leisurecat.
Both batteries are in the rear of the starboard sponson along with the oil tank.

I have been considering moving one battery to the port sponson since there is nothing in the port side compartment except bilge pump access.

Are there any regs that require the use of boxes?
Both of the boxes have vent tubes that run up to vent fittings above the compartment....

I'd like to do away with the boxes because they are really difficult to secure due to the limited space.
I'm planning to install a VSR and reconfigure to a cranking/house setup and clean up the wiring in the compartment.

If there's possibility of water leaking on top of the mounting location I'd go with a box. If not trays fine

If you are using lead acid batteries I would not ditch the boxes, if you have AGM batteries the trays will suffice.

Although not a requirement, to be CG safety approved they need to be in boxes. That is my recollection when I had my safety inspection and they were in battery boxes.

If you are using trays, then at least your positive terminals need to be covered completely with rubber boots.

the lead acid or flooded batteries can, or do overflow battery acid, and need to breath, while the AGM batteries are sealed, and can even be laid on their side, thus the reason for the following statement. Covering the positive post is a good ideal, as well. I use plumber's silicon grease on all of my connections, battery or otherwise, due to it being impervious to saltwater and withstands heat up to 500 degrees. Good luck with your batteries and don't forget to size the wires correctly to avoid power loss, fire, etc.:thumbsup:
If you are using lead acid batteries I would not ditch the boxes, if you have AGM batteries the trays will suffice.

Thanks for the info.

Since I just installed new batteries last spring, I'll be keeping the boxes for now.

When it is time to replace the batteries, I'll consider going to AGM and trays.