12 volt outlet in cockpit

[Stu Jackson]

I've decided to connect to the alternator and find a close ground.  

Kent, not a good idea.  Even on a Mark II you should be able to get a wire to the center of the saloon sole and then back underneath the engine to the aft areas down below to put the outlet anywhere you want it.

The alternator is a horrible choice.  Why?  If your alternator output is wired to your house bank with a fuse, it's always live.  You'd need to add a shutoff switch, at either end.  Plus, the alternator, with or without an external regulator, should (I know this isn't my normal "engineer-speak") be "left alone."  Enough "stuff" is going on behind the alternator that I'd stay away from it.

And I just spent two days wiring my alternator's battery sense wire from the back of the alternator to the regulator, to from the (external MC-612) regulator to the house bank, so it reads the battery voltage instead of the alternator output voltage.  So I kinda know what's going on "back there."

There have been many, many skippers who have added to their binnacle electrical/navigation stuff.  

There IS a way to get from your electrical panel to the aft end of the boat down below and up to the cockpit.

I'm sure some Mark II folks will tell you any number of ways to get from Point A to Point B  You might have to drill another hole in the flat part underneath the electrical panel to get another down through that part.

F'rinstance, your A.C. power comes from the stern to your electrical panel.  How'd they do that?!?