Out at sea, electricity is a quiet crewmember: it works every minute, complains only when it’s had enough, and usually picks the worst time to make its point. Most charging and inverter troubles aren’t mysteries so much as small mismatches—one setting off, one cable a size too small, one hot alternator doing what hot alternators do.
If you’ve ever watched a “full” battery sag the moment the kettle goes on, or smelled that faint warm-plastic warning from a locker you don’t like opening, you already know the drill. Let’s get our hands around the basics so the lights stay on and the smoke stays in the wires.