Words & Images: Kosta Linardos
In the world of boating, there’s one absolute truth – you’re only as good as your power system. It doesn’t matter how tricked-up your boat is or how sharp your electronics are, if your battery fails, your whole day is over. For the past 12 months, I’ve been running a pair of Optima Blue Top 75Ah 900CCA batteries in my 6m Edencraft, and I can say with confidence these are the real deal. Reliable, powerful and designed for life on the water, they’ve earned their place in my set-up.
My Edencraft is a serious fully loaded rig, powered by a Mercury Verado 300hp and rigged for full-day missions – often in challenging weather, remote locations and under the pressure of needing to perform. One Optima Blue Top acts as the crank battery for the Verado, the other is my dedicated house battery, and together they handle the electrical demands of a boat that’s fully loaded.
To give you an idea, I’m running dual Simrad MFDs (12in and 16in), a live well, deck wash, floodlights, underwater lights, radar, autopilot, cockpit and cabin lighting, side pocket lights, phone charger, and a downrigger. That’s a lot of current draw, and it’s not occasional use – I fish for work, not just fun, and that means I need my batteries to work just as hard as I do.
Spirals
What makes the Blue Top stand out is its spiral-wound AGM design – a major step up from traditional flat-plate batteries. Instead of stacking lead plates in a square case, Optima rolls them into tight spirals inside individual cylinders. This isn’t just a gimmick – it’s a technical advantage. The cylindrical format delivers lower internal resistance, better vibration resistance, faster recharging and a longer lifespan. It’s a more compact, rugged way of building a battery, and in a marine environment where everything’s constantly moving, that matters.
The vibration resistance alone is reason enough to go down this route. If you’ve ever seen what a bit of chop can do to a poorly mounted or low-grade battery over time, you’ll appreciate how important structural integrity is. Offshore, the pounding can be relentless. Even though the batteries in my Edencraft are mounted high and dry in enclosed rear hatches, they still cop the movement – and over the past 12 months, the Blue Tops haven’t missed a beat.
As a cranking battery, the 900CCA rating is more than enough to fire the Verado instantly, every time. Even after a long drift with electronics blazing and pumps running, I’ve never had an issue getting the engine going. The battery recovers quickly and holds charge reliably, even in winter conditions or when the boat sits for a couple of weeks between trips.
On the House
But it’s as a house battery that the Blue Top really proves its worth. Running that much gear off a single unit for a full day takes serious capacity and stability. I’ve had zero voltage drop-outs, no flickering screens, and no annoying battery warnings on my MFDs – which, if you’ve spent any time with sensitive electronics, you’ll know is not always guaranteed with lesser batteries. Even when I’ve had radar spinning, all lights on, live well churning and charging gear at once, the system has stayed rock-solid.
Another thing I like is how compact and easy to mount these are. The cylindrical cells allow for a slightly smaller footprint compared with traditional batteries of equivalent capacity, which frees up valuable space in the hatches. They also look the part – tough grey and blue casings with a design that says, ‘I’m built for boats’. That might sound superficial, but when you’ve invested in a premium rig such as an Edencraft, the last thing you want is to pop the hatch and see a cheap-looking battery bouncing around in there.
Built For Marine
Of course, being AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) means they’re fully sealed, maintenance-free, and can be mounted in almost any orientation. No spillage, no gassing, no corrosion – just plug and play. And while mine don’t get wet, I still wouldn’t use anything but a marine-rated battery in any marine environment from the estuary to offshore (around $800 each but you’ll get them for around $550). Salt air alone is enough to kill a battery not designed for it. These are made for the job.
I know some anglers flinch at the price tag of a Blue Top, but here’s the thing – it’s an investment, not a cost. Batteries are mission-critical. When you’re out wide, there’s no margin for error, no backup generator, and no second chances if something goes wrong. These are the kind of batteries you fit once and forget. You don’t have to nurse them, you don’t have to wonder if they’ll hold charge, and you don’t have to replace them every couple of seasons.
It’s important to keep in mind that a quality battery is only as good as the quality of the wiring system and my set-up was fitted out by the experts at Marine Tech, who I can’t recommend highly enough. It’s also important to note that you can have the best fit-out and wiring, but a poor battery can always fail regardless of how good the system has been put together.
After 12 months of hard use – in all weather, across countless hours, and running some serious gear – both batteries are still performing like day one. That’s all the endorsement I need.
Blue Top
In a world full of ‘marine’ products that barely scrape through, the Optima Blue Top is the real deal. It’s purpose-built, rugged and proven. Whether you’re running a centre console with a handful of accessories or a fully loaded offshore weapon like mine, these batteries deliver peace of mind and let you focus on the fishing.
