To raise the sail I let out the main and steer about 150 apparent. I raise the sail in the lee of the main then scurry back to the cockpit and head up to fill it. To drop it I sheet in the asymmetric, sheet out the man, fall off until the asymmetric collapses, release the tack and gather up the sail just ahead of the shrouds. This takes just a minute. The P26 engine is nicely located in a large engine well in the center of the boat.
Access is about as good as it can get for an outboard.
After 7 years with the boat I fell no real need for inboard mounted engine controls. I can reach the motor handle while holding the tiller when I sit aft in the cockpit. The shifter is a bit harder to reach but not a problem. The P26 is very easy to handle under power. It backs very well and you can spin the rudder 180 degrees for even more control when backing long distances.