Needing a boost for your dead car battery is one thing—needing a boost for a dead starting battery aboard your boat is quite another. Battery switches—if wired correctly—are one way to ensure that all the electronic gear on today’s boats doesn’t drain your battery. But they only work if you remember to switch them. Now, is one the house or was it two? 

On my boat, the battery switches are in the most inconvenient spot possible—in the engineroom—requiring me to lower the table, pull up the carpet and open a hatch. So, for the past two months, I’ve been field-testing ways to solve this problem. Priority Start is a battery guardian that keeps your starting battery from ever being drained.

The small yellow 12V Marine unit (about $89.95) is Coast Guard certified and installs between the positive post of your starting battery (up to 1,000 starting amps) and the red lead from your starter. The hermetically sealed unit monitors voltage when the key is in the off position. If it senses a draw that will deplete the battery charge, it disconnects the circuit. Turn the key and it re-connects—no need to climb into the engine compartment again.

We’ve left the battery switches on “both” and run the fridge, radio and inverter. I also told the kids to leave the cabin lights on (that got some looks!), and while we did drain the house, the starting battery tested at full charge. Consider it an automatic battery switch that remembers when you forget.

For more information visit www.prioritystart.com