At the local boat ramp there is a mostly nasty cross wind that has placed me on the rocks at the entrance to the marina before that I'd rather avoid that and the cross wind goes up or down the channel and is not pleasant on the return mostly I do sail mostly not motor any more than required.
There is something beautiful (to me) about the yuloh. I like the look of it. It's made of wood. The motion of the yuloh and the boat is rhythmic and pleasing. I can think of nothing more wonderful than sliding out of a quiet anchorage or marina, early in the morning under yuloh power. Almost need a cigarette just thinking about it.
But...
I've come into my usual ramp in a howling cross wind. The area is just barely big enough to accommodate a 26 ft boat, much less allow tacking. There is covered, in water, boat storage all around the ramp, and wooden bulkhead anywhere there isn't a boat. Granted, my boat has more windage than yours, (maybe more windage than a container ship), but I've gotten into some tight situations that just couldn't be dealt with using a yuloh. I was glad I had a running outboard to keep me from crashing into other boats, pilings, etc. Full disclosure: my kicker is a 60hp Etec. Yes, it's one of those later Macgregors.
I frequently sail with a friend on his Potter 19. He's got a vintage Yamaha kicker that we run a good bit from his house, downriver to the bay. We rarely use a quart of fuel per trip, and the tank is mounted in the power head.
I think the yuloh is going to be a fun, elegant, propulsion method. But I would be tempted to follow Will's lead and get some sort of reliable kicker for the days/situations when the yuloh might not be the tool for the job. I get it. Nothing is more exhausting than an auxiliary that doesn't run reliably. Sounds like you've got enough game to either fix it, or know when it's time to replace it.