Property owners on Dewees can only use electric vehicles. Most people have golf carts, a few have GEM cars. The golf carts are great for the environment; they’re fun to drive; they bring you closer to nature and neighbors.

The sandy roads on the island and the salt water in the air can be hard on vehicles that are designed for the manicured fairways at golf courses. Following some quick tips can dramatically reduce the number of problems your golf carts have.

Quick Tips:

1. Charge your carts over night — deep cycle batteries need a good 6 to 8 hour charge.
2. Check your battery connection cables regularly — they should be tight to avoid an electrical arc; replace old cables that are suffering from electrolysis (corrosion caused by two different metals touching each other).
3. Refill your batteries with distilled water monthly — the water level in deep cycle batteries should be up to the bottom of the refill cylinder; over filling can cause the battery acid to boil out during charging; low water levels can cause the metal plates in the batteries to calcify, reducing the battery’s working life.  See battery manufacturer’s instructions for details.
4. Run your cart at least once per month — like any piece of machinery, golf carts need to be used to stay in good shape.  If you can’t get to the island once a month, hire someone to take your cart around.  Kids could be hired at reasonable rates to check on your carts.  Or see the list of contractors and vendors on the POA website.
5. Stay out of puddles as much as possible — charging through puddles can throw a slurry of sand and water up into your brakes, wheels and the rest of your cart’s undercarriage; the slurry can eat at parts; if you have to go through a puddle, slow down to reduce splashing.

If you have other tips, please submit a comment to share them with the rest of the community.