On Wed, 14 Jul 2010 09:43:23 -0700, "nom=de=plume"
wrote:

Interesting! Thanks for the detail about the power winches. I think they
would be a good thing to have, but I guess there would be some concerns
about complexity (more complex a system, the more unreliable it tends to
be), including a big drain on the batteries if there's no shore power. I
guess that opens up the question of self-generating power such as wind or
solar.

Serious cruising boats that are going to spend a lot of time at anchor
in the boondocks usually have both solar and wind power. I also
recommend a high output alternator with a "smart", 3-stage regulator.
A powered sheet winch needs only short bursts however and has little
effect on long term battery drain. The big battery killers are
things like refrigeration, the auto pilot, navigation equipment, wind
instruments, lights, etc.