We manage to survive just fine with about 1 hour of engine per day and still have all the amenities we'd ever need or want, cold food, even ice, TV (we have a five year old), computer, iPad, gobs of lighting, anchor light, running lights, AP, plotter, wind, depth, speed, VHF stereo cabin fans etc. etc..

We've simply focused on conservation through buying the most efficient devices, not using the inverter to power things that can be powered by 12V, and adding some solar. Lowest state of charge we hit this summer on our bank was about 70%.. We use about 10% of our banks capacity per day, which is easy to replace..

If we find we have to run the engine on the hook we do it mid day as it is usually after being somewhere for a few days otherwise we try to motor sail to put back the Ah's and cool the holding plate.. This summer we even added supplemental 12V refrigeration to our engine driven Sea Frost system so that instead of needing to fire the motor once per day, to cool the holding plate, we can simply flip the switch and keep the box cold. With our 140W solar panel we recoup about 30-40Ah's per day, even in Maine, which is just about what we use per day unless I have to fire up the 12V refrigeration then it bumps up a little....

We have had some very obnoxious encounters with boats running "blenders" err Honda's on deck. They are not as quiet as the owners think they are. When there is a breeze it is not as bad so long as they are downwind of you but if it is glass calm, as it often is in the evening the sound travels loooooong distances....