Vortex boats with twin-engines have a 3-position battery switch, which is not the same as many older, single-engine boats that had dual batteries, one being the engine battery, the other a “house” battery. In a Vortex with twin engines, each engine has its own, separate battery, there is no stand-alone “house” battery.
The recommended usage profile is thus:
Off: Leave the switch in the Off position when the boat is stored, to prevent battery drain.
On: Use the position for normal operation of your boat. In the On position, each engine is serviced by its own, independent battery.The helm is powered by the starboard battery, the audio amplifier, if you have one, is powered by the port battery.
Combined: Use this position if one of your batteries becomes depleted and need to use the power from the other battery to start both engines. Once you have switched to the combined position, start the engine on the side with the good battery first, then start the engine on the side with the depleted battery. Once both engines are running, it’s recommended to put the switch back to the On position, but be sure you fully charge both batteries upon return to port.
Never sit anchored, listening to music, or otherwise, with the switch in the Combined position! This can result in both batteries being depleted, leaving you no good battery to get home! Always sit anchored with the switch in the On position, so one battery is not being used by the stereo amp, and will stay fully charged! (Then you can use the Combined position to start both engines!)
On this note, we highly recommend you carry a Battery Jump Start box, such as a Noco or similar, in your boat at all times, just in case you DO experience dual battery failure.
Boats with a single engine have a simpler On/Off switch, which should be self-explanatory. It’s recommended to leave the switch OFF when boat is not in use, obviously On when boat is in use.