Hi,
Are you looking strictly from the electric propulsion side or total energy budget for expected use? If you're looking at the total energy side, you need to sit down with the owner and evaluate their current and expected electricity usage patterns and work backwards to calculate expected capacity and charging requirements for both their daily use systems and the propulsion system.
I'm going to assume you've never looked at power issues on a sailboat before. If so, I strongly recommend you pick up a basic book on marine electrical systems. Don Casey has a good one I use targeted at non-engineers. That will give you a good feel for working out how much battery and charging capacity you'll need in addition to the needs of electrical propulsion.
Let's just say I'd love to read an honest blog of this process and see the results (and costs). I've never seen a sailboat festooned in solar panels and wind generators from deck to masthead before. :) Nor have I seen batteries and its associated equipment on such a boat cost a significant fraction of its $350K standalone price tag.
In answer to your question, the sailor can stand in the place under the boom. Or not. All depends on the sailor. If their running rigging is routed to the cockpit, they are less likely to need to step there on a regular basis. The panel will also be in shadow there a lot of the time so that will affect its performance. I'd move the panel to get it out from underfoot but let individual desires determine whether it is a good place to put a panel.
I'm sure you can get variable pitch props. All depends on how much you want to spend to have them fitted. It sounds like money is no object here so why not dispense with a conventional shaft and have a custom azipod fitted instead?
Seriously, this process is going to depend on strong honesty regarding expected usage. It's one thing to have a "green" sailboat that motors out a mile from harbor and does a day or two worth of sailing with a radio, nav lights, GPS and cabin lights and a few instruments and then motors a mile back in versus a boat planning any kind of extended period of time away (a week or more) from dock depending solely on non-engine sources to recharge the batteries. The former many of us can do with careful planning and power management. The latter will lower the boat's waterline several inches and likely still not meet the stated goals without serious sacrifices in expected lifestyle.
Good luck. When I did a similar calculation exercise for my Catalina 27 as a weekender with minimal equipment, the cost of the batteries and systems nearly matched the cost of the boat itself.
Matt
SV Ruff Heeler
Mayo, MD
