Having lots of sleepless nights of late - trying to decide where best to put limited resources for electrical system design. There are several options, but all have benefits and drawbacks. In the end, it seems a 12V DV generator is least dependent on real estate and enviroment, but most expensive. Solar is "free" when the sun is shining, but you have to live with the equivalent of sheets of plywood lashed to your sailboat...not a happy asthetic thought. wind too is "free" when the wind is blowing and at night even, but you have to live with the noise and a giant propeller whirling at high speeds just above your head. We have 600 Amp hours of battery capacity now. Is that enough? Hmmm. I need to do some real life scenarios and include refrigeration, lights, navigational instruments, etc. Do I want to run the engine or a generator for 3-5 hours a day? HELL NO!
hmmmmm... things to ponder