With infrequent use of dinghy my last wet 24 battery was never charged but kept clean and distilled water added. It lasted 8 years. Does the Cen. DC 24 MF absolutely require recharging ?

Hello, yes all batteries require charging to ensure you get the longest lifespan out of your battery. Its always recommended to put your battery on a trickle charger if it sits for long periods of time. The trickle charger will notice when the battery drops to a certain voltage so it will charge it back up then turn off. The maintenance free batteries with cases that dont have caps dont need to have distilled water added to them like previously.