I like having a motor on my sailboat. I appreciate the ability to drop the sails when the wind is too high, or too low… or to navigate the mooring field on my limited sailing skill. I don’t enjoy listening to it. Or buying gas for it. Or changing oil and spark plugs and all that.

Enter: Electric. Quiet and sun-powered.

• Minn Kota Endura Max

• Deep-cycle marine battery

• Renogy 100w solar panel and charge controller kit (though I’ve now purchased a smaller 50w panel for the upcoming season)