Well,
You have never sailed in a Worrell then.
My paddle gets plenty use here on maui, and it telescopes allowing it to fit in a pocket. From becalms to dismastings, it's really good to have.
If someone can swim their boat out thru the surf we are talking minimal conditions, and a pladdle sure beats a battle like swimming whilst pulling a sailboat.
Also in Hawaiian culture the paddlers are revered. Around the islands winds range from 35knots+ to 0 as you pass into a dead zone in the lee of a mountain. It's a huge part of their culture. In a sailing canoe race paddling is a large part of the deal.
Of course, putting a gas motor on a cat is not right. It turns the boat into a stinkpot.