Simple power for a simple boat

I have spent some time looking over the fantastic site No Frills Sailing and it has inspired me to put together a few more articles for this site and ultimately revisit the design of my own web site. So I'm picking up on Lars topic about power on a boat and what is and is not needed on board.

My little yacht has very little need for power as I've equipped her with LED lighting which are mainly internally powered but I have still pieced together a small battery set up the allows me to charge the obligatory phone and laptop at a push. However its main function is to provide power to the bilge pump, lighting for the compass and the anchor light when needed. So what have I done with the everything else you would normally worry about?

New Zealand pocket yachts- NOT UK pocket yachts

So, very occasionally, my afternoons may give me a few minutes to have a trawl over TradeMe (New Zealand’s equivalent to eBay) looking for possible boats and/or projects.
What's very obvious, other than the odd Hunter 18, the small yachts I have seen are not common in the UK and so I have spent a little time digging around in the small yacht market that is here in Australia and New Zealand.

This afternoon I have come across what appears to be a great little Trailer Sailor at only NZ$1800! Which sadly is $1650 more than I have spare at the moment ;o)

17 ft Pelin Caribou - ready to sail!

Pico Cruising

With very little money and a little thought people have produced some very capable Dinghy's for weekend cruising. I'm personally favouring the ever popular Mirror, I love the example above.

John Perry from Hostellers Sailing Club has designed and built his own 16 footer which here describes HERE in great detail.

Build it yourself... if you have the time

Interesting article here about a 20ft self build...

http://www.amateurboatbuilding.com/justright/index.htm