I guess a lot of it has to do with what you're running on your boat, and the design and efficiency of the refrigeration. I have relatively modest electrical use on my boat—a small DC refrigerator, a stereo, a
VHF, running
lights, cabin
lights, a laptop computer—and I find that solar power is more than adequate for my needs.
It also depends on how you plan and implement your solar panel installation. My two panels are setup so that one can be used with no shading whatsoever while at
anchor.
A freezer, cooled by water
pump, hydraulic
autopilot, and satellite TV is going to draw a lot more power than I use on my boat.
As for wind generators, I am partial to the DuoGen units. They seem to be pretty well built and the added versatility of being able to use it as a water generator, means that additional electricity can be generated on long passages, without the need for running the engine.
__________________
Sailingdog
Telstar 28
New England
You know what the first rule of sailing is? ...Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take
a boat to the sea you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps
her going when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home.
—Cpt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity (edited)
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