I see you've discovered my evil plan...Yes, that is essentially it. I want to run a fridge and
radar and a laptop and
SSB, with maybe a DVD in the evening if the boy's been good.
In order to accomplish that, I need X amount of amp/hours in battery storage. If I want to avoid running the diesel just to run the alternator, I need 4X aH so that solar and wind alone keep me topped up.
This means old-fashioned, bulletproof muscle-powered
pumps, levers and so on, in combination with low-draw LEDs, and laptops and entertainment devices that are charged...literally...while the sun shines so I don't draw down the banks during still nights at
anchor.
That way, if I need to run
RADAR and AIS and maybe
SSB 24/7 (or if I
really want more ice cubes...), I can do so without necessarily needing to run the engine.
I am happy to run the engine when moving offshore to discharge, or when motorsailing or when going into a reef-strewn lagoon, and I am happy to store the amps made then.
But running a "muscle boat" means I can live and cruise without a lot of extras, and I can use my
fuel efficiently and without pissing off the entire anchorage.