It is ok to leave the trolling motor and operational wiring attached to the batteries while charging, or should you remove all other wires while charging the batteries? I was always disconnecting everything before charging  just for safety, but maybe you do not have to. Thanks.

As a matter of course, I unplug everything when hook up the charger. If it's needed, I don't know...just something I do.

I generally don't disconnect anything before charging. Everything is "off" but still connected. 

For several years I charged my batteries with everything connected and never had a problem.  There is no guarantee that a charger won’t damage your equipment.  I now have switches on my batteries that I turn off when I pull the boat out of the water.  Switches are cheap and provide a layer of safety against a number of things that can go wrong.

I do not have switches, so I disconnect just in case.  It is a boat, so something can always go wrong when you least expect it.

Some boats have a built in charger that is permanently connected to the battery and the trolling motor is too. So it shouldn't be an issue. The trolling motor is off anyway (disconnected). If you did turn the motor on while the charger was running though it still would be okay.

I have always turned my TM to off and speed control to 0, never had a problem. However on my outboard, I have a switch that I turn off when charging.

Your TM shouldn't be hard wired. You need to have a plug and receptacle and unplug the TM when not is use or when charging.

Tom

PS, Marineco plug and receptacle are available BPS, etc.

12 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

For several years I charged my batteries with everything connected and never had a problem.  There is no guarantee that a charger won’t damage your equipment.  I now have switches on my batteries that I turn off when I pull the boat out of the water.  Switches are cheap and provide a layer of safety against a number of things that can go wrong.

This is something I should do, but haven't yet.  I was discussing it with a friend on the way home from fishing tonight...

 

I've one qualifier though: I want the remote for the trolling motor to get charged from the battery chargers...and running a separate circuit for just that seems excessive and silly.

Minn kota recommends having the power disconnected during charging 

If everything is wired correctly I don't see a reason you should need to disconnect everything. 

 

My battery chargers have inline fuses so if they go south that should prevent it. Every device/ accessory is fused. Main power in my boat is on a switch that I turn off. Sonar has its own switch that gets turned off. 

 

So technically I already have alot of safety. But most boats should already have most of that. 

 

I never remove anything from circuit to charge. However I do feel those heavy duty battery switches would be a great accessory. 

I use two breakers, one for the TM, and one for the rest of the functions, nav lights, pumps, etc.  When I launch I flip them on, after I retrieve i flip them off.  

 

I don't like the idea of plugging and unplugging the TM all the time, though I do have a minnkota plug built into the bow for the TM.  I would think that would wear out the contacts pretty quickly.

11 minutes ago, TheRodFather said:

I use two breakers, one for the TM, and one for the rest of the functions, nav lights, pumps, etc.  When I launch I flip them on, after I retrieve i flip them off.  

^^^this^^^

I have/do the same. I turn off two breakers anytime the boat is off the water.  The breakers are in the battery compartment and make it very, very easy to cut all power to everything.  It's a routine like putting the plug in only you don't have to get soaking wet when you forget.