I agree that it all adds up in # cycles, but disagree as to the severity of the issue. Shallow discharges do not count in lifetime cycles equally to deep discharges, so bank size is important. One may do a 10-20 day passage, but then stay put for a long period of time. My disagreement is in how much this AP usage pattern matters in practice. I don't think very much, or at least not enough to be concerned about it anymore than the extra cycles from getting an extra soda out of the fridge every couple of days.

A large bank to take care of all the goodies is not a factor in the cost of using an electric autopilot - it is a cost of having all the goodies.

We have done very few day hops in passagemaking down the East Coast US and through the Carib. Once in an island chain, it is all day or overnight hops, but suspect the Pacific islands are similar.

Mark