The first charter boat I worked on in the mid-1970s didn’t have a boat generator. We had a transom fish box and drink coolers that we loaded with blocks of ice every morning. The first boats that did ...

In the simplest of terms, an AC generator supplies power directly to a 120-volt circuit to run AC accessories throughout a boat, as well as charge the boat’s batteries (through an AC-to-­DC charger).

These editor-tested models are ideal for camping, tailgating, or powering tools when you’re too far from an outlet.

A portable generator is one of those things you don’t much appreciate until you need it, whether that’s during a blackout ...