It's a pleasure at the dock in August. What we use it for most often is surprisingly, heat. I have to drive the sea frost refer of the engine once a day anyway, so charge the batteries with the engine is not a real issue. I would like the gen set only for those cold and damp times in Maine. We sail into October. I'm going to borrow one of those Honda 2200's and see if it turns over the AC-heat pump. I agree with Tom--go for the AC first.