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Hi Vanessa,
I have had a Primus Wind Power Air Breeze aboard my 50' Damien II for about a dozen years, most of them cruising and living aboard full or part-time.
I also have solar panels, and am now on my sixth portable gasoline generator (I don't have a diesel generator).
I like the wind generator. It doesn't put out anything useful in less than about 10 knots of wind. In strong winds, it's quite capable of fully charging all the batteries, and often shuts itself down due to all the batteries getting full.
Sailing to windward, the apparent wind is high, and the wind generator tends to keep up with all electrical usage (which is mostly navigation instruments--I don't have refrigeration). Sailing off the wind, it only puts out in moderate or heavy winds.
How much current it puts out at anchor depends on how well protected the anchorage is. Well-protected anchorages are more comfortable, but tend to be less windy.
I'm cruising Newfoundland now, which is a windy place in winter, and the wind generator puts out a lot, but does not handle all my electrical demands (the solar panels put out little in the short hours of low sun, and the batteries don't work as well in cold temperatures, so the gasoline generator gets used often).
Installation & Noise:
Mine is mounted on a stainless steel pole (bought from a local welding shop) on the transom. It slightly shades the solar panels, which is bad for their output. The installation was pretty straightforward.
I can hear the wind generator below decks, and I like that it gives me an audible clue as to the wind strength, even when lying in bed. It is never so loud as to make conversation difficult, so I think of the noise as a benefit.
I have an analog ammeter for the wind generator which is almost useless, so it's hard to give specific performance numbers. A digital ammeter would tell me a lot more.
Maintenance:
I have replaced the blades a couple of times--first time was because I bought some that were quieter. Second time was because the blades were damaged by hail. The current set of blades are black (does that mean they withstand UV better?), and have been on for about eight years. Despite seeing quite a bit of hail over the last few years, the blades are still in very good condition.
I also replaced the bearings and the circuit board once.
I had a problem with a broken wire inside the wind generator once which took a long time to figure out. Tech support was helpful.
Benefits vs risks:
Overall, I've been happy with the wind generator and would buy another one. It puts out more power than my solar panels when it is windy (and the solar panels put out more when it is sunny and calm).
I don't think of this wind generator as having many risks--there is a stop switch to short it out, which you use before going near it (and it's mounted well out of the way of hands and heads).
If I had to choose between solar panels and a wind generator (which was not your question), I'd choose solar panels. Solar panels have less to go wrong with them, and even if the controller fails, you can simply wire them directly to batteries and get power from them.
Hope this helps. Best wishes with your adventure.
Richard
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