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If I understand Cliff's question he wasn't asking how many years of service he would get but rather how many months of non-use before the battery goes dead.
A lot depends on the boat and if you leave the battery switch on.
Just sitting, not even connected a lead acid battery will "self discharge" on the order of 5 to 10% a month. That means that after 5 months your battery could be half down.
If you leave the battery connected there is a high probability that the boat's electrical system is putting a small draw on it. The stereo will draw a small amount to keep the station memory alive. The clock needs continuous power. Alarm systems can be a significant draw.
Old fashion electronics had an on/off switch that mechanically operated with a good solid CLICK. Modern stuff has a simple push button that gives you the impression that they turn on, but in fact they never really turned off. Reduce power consumption a lot, but they still draw a little bit.
A little bit here, a little there and before long it adds up. Not a problem if you use the boat once a month, but over the course of the winter it can seriously drain the battery.
Add to that the self discharge, then factor in the age of the battery and you can get into trouble.
Your best bet is to completely disconnect the battery if you are going to store the boat for more than a couple of months. If your winter layup is likely to be 6 months then you should seriously consider hooking up a charger for a night once or twice during the winter.
I don't recommend leaving a trickle charger on unless it is a very small one. I used to store my boat outside during the winter and would use a 5 watt solar charger to keep the battery up.
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