if you want to go out on the boat from a mooring and return to the same mooring a few hours later there isn't much need for a motor. You can just ghost along at a knot or 2 in hardly any wind and be content. When you are coasting, when you get underwnay you have a destination in mind for that day. In some places - for instance, most days in the summer in Maine - if you waited around for a breeze it would either be late morning or early afternoon. That wouldn't allow you to sail too many miles - especially since the breeze often dies in the early evening. Moreover, if you are planning on achoring somewhere, it pays to arrive relatively early so you can find a comfortable and safe place to put down the hook. When coasting you shouldn't feel guilty for using the engine. Often it's the most prudent course - for example, when entering a crowded and unfamiliar harbor.

Jerry