"I think the previous owner a scientist designed amd made his own alterator boost system so he could flick a switch and increase the alternator out put "
I think you might have it right
Before alternators had built in regulators for my battery charger on the farm (remote from grid power)
Was a car alternator driven by a 5 hp honda motor
to control the out put i used a variable resistor (quite robust one) to regulate the voltage on the field ? winding which dictated the output
that circuit looks to me to have two resistors (fixed values) which may give a float and boost charge rate
technology certainly moves along at pace
Your switch board work looks fantastic and you will be rewarded when its all operational for years to come
"Hopefully next spring I might get a sail or two up "
that time will rapidly approach so keep up the pace
perhaps some enjoyment is had in the process
What do i need to do on my boat ?
Returned from last sail with a list of about 12 jobs ranging from fitting deck / rigging hardware to finding pesky dribble under foredeck
interestingly 6 out of the 12 are electrical in nature .... laser sailing is so simple
always makes me think about my boat every day when I'm not there 
