Battery Charger switch on or off when using solar panel?

[Steves1209]

Howdy. I hope this is an easy question.
I am about to put my boat in a yard for the winter. It will not have access to shore power but it should have plenty of sunshine. Should I leave the "Battery Charger" switch on or off? Does the solar panel need the Battery Charger switch to be on for the solar panel to charge my batteries or do I only put the "Battery Charger" switch on when connected to shore power? From the schematic I'm guessing the Battery Charger switch should be in the "off" position when solar charging, but I am not an expert at reading electrical schematics.
Also, it appears that the solar battery charging system does not charge the bow thruster battery. How can I keep that battery charged during the winter?

Thanks,
Steve

 

[Jared Dunning]

Hello Steve,

You only use the battery charger switch when on shore power. The solar will charge the batteries and it will do it as long as there is sun. You could put the thruster battery on a trickle charger.

Jared