If you have access to a 120V outlet, like at a dock or marina slip, then yes. On-board chargers are simply battery chargers that can be placed IN the boat, for use in charging your batteries while the boat is docked. They're waterproof, more or less, and made to fit in the transom hold & stay connected to your batteries, even when not in use.
The old style chargers were not meant to be placed IN the boat's transom hold, but outside the boat. They're not waterproof, and are meant to have the alligator clips attached only when charging is being done.
Ignition of gasses from the batteries being charged, or gas fumes from your gas tanks, is not as likely with an on-board charger as it can be from the old style chargers, because the electrical components are sealed in an on-board charger .. but exposed somewhat in some old style chargers. There's less danger of a spark from an on-board charger, because the connection leads are already connected to the batteries when the plug is hooked up to an outlet.
One should never plug a old style charger into the outlet THEN hook the alligator clips to the battery posts !! They should always be clipped to the posts, first, THEN the plug inserted into the 120v outlet ... making SURE, first, that the positive & negative wires are connected to the proper positive & negative battery posts. This not only reduces the chance of creating an electrical spark, which can ignite gasses/fumes, but it also reduces the chance of reverse polarization of the battery (switching the pos/neg flow).
... cp
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Originally Posted by CrappiePappy
If you have access to a 120V outlet, like at a dock or marina slip, then yes. On-board chargers are simply battery chargers that can be placed IN the boat, for use in charging your batteries while the boat is docked. They're waterproof, more or less, and made to fit in the transom hold & stay connected to your batteries, even when not in use.
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