Gennset

Which is problematic when your house bank is dead and you want to run the genset to charge it.   Even worse, the Combimaster's won't power up if the house bank is below 11.(something) volts.

Maybe jump it from the engine start battery?     Or put an A/B switch in for the gen-set that has it starting off the house bank *OR* the engine start battery?

Sorry...   on the 575,  the engine start battery is separate from the house bank and thruster batteries.     

There is a combiner for charging purposes that clicks off to isolate the starting battery when the house bank voltage drops below a specified value (12.5V?).  The engine start battery won't drain below that point with all the others.

In this way my solar, gen set and shore power charging can get all the batteries (thrusters included) topped off, but any problem with the house bank draining or not charging shuld still leave you the ability to start the engine and use the alternator.

Maybe next time just run the drive motor (Volvo) to charge the batteries enough to be able to start the generator then continue charging from the generator. The engine alternator is rated at about 180amps so would charge the house bank fairly quickly. Your inverter/charger is probably going to deliver around 100amps. 

Initially I carried a set of jumper leads so I could jump start the generator from the engine start battery and then the generator would charge the batteries. In the end I permanently fitted starter cables with switches so I could start from the house or engine battery. At a later stage after we fitted lithium house batteries a trusted electrician said I shouldn't use the lithiums to start the generator so I have just left the generator connected to the engines start battery. If necessary I could use the jumper cables to start the engine if or generator if that battery failed or was flat.