SMA FREIGHTER LOST ALL ELECTRICAL PWR WHILE FLYING ON TOP OVER LOW CEILINGS. HE FLEW TO THE OCEAN; DSNDED TO BELOW A 600 FT OVCST; RETURNED TO LAND AND FOUND A GRASS STRIP TO LAND ON.

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I WORK FOR A PART 135 FREIGHT CARRIER. I WAS HAVING PROBS STARTING MY PLANE; SO I HAD AN AUX START. I WAS AT EWN ENRTE TO RDU. AFTER MY AUX START; MY BATTERY WAS SHOWING A CHARGE. I DID A RUNUP AND DID AN ALTERNATOR CHK. EVERYTHING WAS FINE. AFTER DEP; I CALLED CHERRY POINT (CTL). ABOUT 15 MINS INTO THE FLT; THEY LOST MY XPONDER. IN A MATTER OF MINS; I LOST ALL MY ELECTRICAL EQUIP. I RECYCLED THE ALTERNATOR; CHKED FUSES; ETC; AND EVEN RECYCLED THE BATTERY/ALTERNATOR SWITCH. I WAS VFR ON TOP; SO I DID A 180 DEG TURN TO HEAD FOR THE OCEAN. I FLEW THIS HDG FOR A WHILE; THEN DSNDED THROUGH THE OVCST LAYER OVER THE OCEAN. AFTER BREAKOUT OF THE LAYER (500-600 FT ON THE ALTIMETER); I DID ANOTHER 180 DEG TURN AND HEADED TOWARD THE SHORE. THEN I TRIED TO FLY BY PILOTAGE TO AN ARPT. THE CEILING WAS GETTING LOWER AND NIGHT WAS GETTING CLOSER; SO I LANDED IN A GRASS STRIP I SAW A FEW MOMENTS EARLIER. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED WHY THE BATTERY WAS LOW AND THE PLANE WOULD NOT START. THE ALTERNATOR HAD A PROB WHERE IT WAS WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. THAT IS WHY IT SHOWED A CHARGE BEFORE I LEFT EWN. HOWEVER; ONE SHOULD ALWAYS ASK THE QUESTION 'WHY' WHEN SOMETHING IS WRONG. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A REAL UGLY SIT.