Rejoyce! is my third venture into "inboard ELECTRIC power." First with my first M15 "Joy." (Hence the name "Rejoyce!" for my current M15. She may be for sale if Father Time doesn't give me a fair shake, and soon.) Joy had a MinnKota 28 pound thrust troller motor installed thru the hull just aft of the keel. Loved it. Further down the line I had an old wooden Cape Cod Cat Boat whose ten h.p inboard gas engine died of old age with no repair parts available. Replaced it with a two h.p. golf cart motor (roughly equivalent to six gas h.p.) with seven six- volt golf cart batteries in series. Works beautifully, goes hull speed at full power. Sold it as I grew too old and frail, still "give instructions" to the new owner, under sail, of course! Read all about that in her site, see my address below. Rejoyce! has a MotorGuide 54 pound thrust (about 3/4 h.p. gas engine power) also installed just aft of the keel. It will push her to about 2.8 mph (by GPS), have been too ill to evaluate her endurance with her two group 27 deep cycle batteries, but have yet no more than tapped her capability. With a friend one day, (a white knuckle non- sailor), as the breeze kept increasing--20, 25, then over thirty knots, fully reefed, or jib only, the fun too much for him. (Rejoyce! and I were having a ball!) Sails down and furled, we ran back to the marina, directly into the wind and waves 1 to 2 feet high, made only about one mph, but I was in no hurry, still enjoying just being on the water. I strongly believe ANY kind of auxiliary power on a pleasure boat should be in accord with one of my Webster's definitions: " . . . having an engine to supplement the sails." NOT replace them! Prudent seamanship includes knowing the limitations of both yourself AND your boat; working with tides, not against them; knowing the rudiments of weather observation and forecasting; knowing when and how to reef (essential on the heavily powered Cape Cod Catboats--I had 271 sq. ft. in just one sail on an 18' LOA); on and on. To me, a non-racer, those "fine points" are the real challenges, the real fun. I still do some freelance writing, now working on one about all of the above. Don't hold your breath--I'm still fading. Yes, I do have some photos of "Emmy Jean," email me off line for some. No, my e-mail address is not salacious, it just refers to my last sailboat, "The Old Cat." Check her out at <http://www.unicorn- systems.com/theoldcat.htm> ...