Two things.

[Bdsp1234]

Guys, I’ve never charged the batteries while on the boat. Assuming that the battery cables are removed and wrapped, is it ok to charge them while the boat is shrink wrapped?

Second, my forward bilge is not working. I’m not good at all with electrical at all. How do I determine if it’s the float or the pump. I have a rule 1100 pump and a sure bail float. Some guidance would be very well appreciated

 

[SkunkBoat]

Usually, the bilge pump is wired for both Manual and Auto. That means there is a switch that should turn on the pump regardless of the float position. If that works, the problem is the float switch.
If it does not and lifting the float switch does not, then it could be;

Wire is off battery
Fuse near battery for FWD Auto pump is blown
Wire/connection at switch is bad
Float Switch is stuck down or broken
Wiring/connection in the bilge is bad
Pump is jammed with debris
Pump is seized

 

[seasick]

Is it OK to charge on the boat? Yes as long as you are using a somewhat smart charger at a relatively slow charge rate.Using a high rate charger can cause the battery to overheat, maybe swell and or generate hydrogen and that gas is quite explosive.

If you have an aft and forward bilge pumps it is likely that each is wired to a different battery. Each feed has its own connection at the battery switch (or maybe directly at the battery)

In order for the pumps to work in manual mode, the main accessory feed has to be live and that is switch using the battery switches, You need to activate the switch that powers the accessories.

Even if the float switch is dead ( not making a connection) the manual feature should work.
If the float switch is stuck in the on position, either the battery will be discharged ( if not on charger) or the pump will burn out ( even some run dry models have burned out for me)
The most likely causes are bad connections or a dead pump. To test you have to get to the wires and that probably means cutting connectors off.

 

[DennisG01]

All good info about the pump - nothing really to add - other than... don't overthink this. It's a stupidly simple setup

Using a high rate charger can cause the battery to overheat, maybe swell and or generate hydrogen and that gas is quite explosive.

And... even a slow-rate charger can destroy a battery. And batteries can, and do, explode - spewing acid and plastic everywhere. I've personally seen it - made a big mess in the basement. In this case, it was a "smart" battery maintainer that must have malfunctioned. But even something like a little "trickle charger" will do it - even functionally normally since it doesn't know when to shut off. Think of it like filling your glass with water from the tap... even if you drip the water in, the glass will still overflow.

That said, I still prefer to keep my batteries on charge through the whole Winter. The one that exploded was being charged by a Schumacher brand charger. All of my other ones (about 8 batteries in total) were being charged by the Battery Minder brand (some of those charges are at least 15 years old).

 

[trapper]

Mine Rule pump quite recently with all wires connected and working. Since it is seldom used, I found the shaft from the impeller to the motor and seized....salt water. Not good! as there was a bushing on the shaft that was rusted and and that was enough to seize it up. Got it working with a little agitation and lube but settled on a new one as the trust had gone. Now regularly wash it down with fresh water to activate it and give it a flush.

 

[coastalbend]

you said your boat is shrink wrapped. No ventilation, some warm sunny days, hydrogen gas and a spark from something, may not need a spark. I would vent it some how.

 

[Bdsp1234]

Coastalbend, yes. I agree with you. I took a razor as always and added my own vent to prevent gas build up. I think I’m going to do the safe thing and pull the batteries

 

[seasick]

Coastalbend, yes. I agree with you. I took a razor as always and added my own vent to prevent gas build up. I think I’m going to do the safe thing and pull the batteries

If your batteries are in good shape and are fully charged, they can be disconnected and left in the boat. They will be fine in the spring. I used to pull mine but after some research decided that I didn't have to do so. I have not pulled batteries in many years and have not experienced any dramatic issues. In my small boat, batteries last about 7 years. Note that the cold weather does not 'hurt' batteries as long as the electrolyte doesn't freeze and it won't as long as the battery is charged when stored. These batteries are affected much more by hot temps, so if you store your boat where the batteries will get hot like in the Florida sun in a shrink wrapped boat, moving them to a more moderate environment can prolong their life.