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).

Article 445 of the National Electrical Code (NEC) provides the electrical installation requirements that apply specifically to generators. A generator is basically a motor that is driven by a motive ...