1st time out this year - boat starting problem

Hi guys has anyone had a problem like this. Today I took my boat out for the first time this year. It has been sitting since last september. I put fuel stabilizer in the tank months ago and i charged the batteries a couple weeks ago. When I tried to start my boat this morning it wouldn't crank. The stereo and the dash display all light up but thats it. Not a sound from the motor. Then I turn the key and just hold it for about 20 seconds or so and the motor fires right up. I let it run for a few minutes and test it again. Same thing, it won't start unless I turn and hold the key for 20-30 seconds. I'm used to just turning the key and boat starting immediately. On a day of wakeboarding I start and stop my motor probably 20 times. It seems like it might be an ignition problem because the motor isn't strugling to turn over. Once it does start to crank it starts right up. If anyone has any suggestions of what might be wrong please let me know. I'm hoping its just that the boat has been sitting and needs to be warmed up. This is the first time I've had a boat that sat this long in the off season.

Clean the contacts on the battery first.. and then the starter if that doesn't fix it. Just a little bit of oxidation will cause it.

Thanks 2manytoys, there is a little bit of gunk on just the battery designated for the starter. Perhaps thats why everything else worked fine. Hopefully thats all it is.

Took a friends bass boat out... did the same thing... scraped the terminals and post.. fired right up. Could be some oxidation on the starter windings... after a few starts it should wear off..

I would of course start with what has been suggested, but it can be a few other things I can think of off the top of my head... It can be the starter, starter selenoid, corroded cable, and the elusive electrical Grimlin that no one can ever seem to find..

The grimlin got me on one of my past boats... I had the same exact problem you are describing. nothing had any sign of corrosion.. starter and selenoid tested fine.. I never figured out the problem... My mechanic said I had a grimlin in my wiring..

Thanks,

Ken Land
Bullet Lines
www.bulletlines.com

Hopin its just some oxidation. My boat is only a year old. I would hate for things like the starter or starter selenoid to go bad let alone corroded cables already. And oh my god, that would suck to have grimlins in my boat! But i heard as long as you don't feed them after midnight they are harmless. thanks for the tip ken. i'm going to see my mechanic buddy later today, i'll have him check all those things.