As the proud owner of a new portable marine battery charger, I say with pride that I out-lived the old one. There were days I wondered if the combination of my lack of electrical knowledge and its ancient wires and rusty shell would be a deadly combination for one of us.
The definition of portable: Carried or moved with ease. And the obsolete definition of portable: bearable and endurable. My obsolete charger fit the obsolete definition - bearable and endurable.
"Portable" certainly has changed over the years. The portable charger I inherited 10 years ago finally bit the dust this summer. After years of wrestling with the awkward, rusty dinosaur, we welcomed this week its lightweight replacement. No more hauling the old heavy giant up and down the banks of the Severn. No more wondering if I should get a tetanus booster after scratching my leg on it's rusty, bent metal edges. No more awkward poses bending over to push the thing on its two back wheels. No more fighting to heave it into the boat, only to have to tip it on its side for the cords to reach the boat battery.
Welcome to our handy-dandy, carry-it-with-one-hand, truly portable charger, complete with smooth plastic corners and some super-duper settings that claim to adjust automatically if I've set things incorrectly. My only slight disappointment is the digital read-out, which is difficult to see in the bright sunlight. But that's a small price to pay for this modern-day wonder.
