Hey Steve,

I use a similar product, called a Watch Commander...

http://www.downwindmarine.com/Watch-Commander-Watch-Alarm-Timer-p-91001330.html

No way would I trust a simple kitchen timer, at least for me... Everyone's different, of course, but if I happen to be approaching real exhaustion - especially earlier in a trip before I've really gotten into a routine, I might be able to sleep through a normal alarm... A dedicated, hard-wired alarm like this - and other programmable 12 V alarm clocks available through Trucker's websites, are loud and piercing enough to wake the dead... There have been times where nothing short of that will do it for me, no need to ask me how I know this, of course... (grin)

Yeah, I know, $200 sounds steep for such an item, but I figure since insurance is impossible to come by for a singlehander anyway, $200 over the course of a sailing lifetime could still easily be considered 'cheap insurance'... (grin)

best regards,

Jon