David wrote:
Sorry, Scott, I have to say that I think that any boat of this size shouldn't be a first build. It needs working up to. I've been saying to people for a very long time, it seems: "first build a dinghy, then a 20ft, then you'll be ready for the 'big one' ". I let myself be persuaded in the case of Peter Manning and Malliemac, and it took him 11 years to complete a professionally built hull and deck, starting from having only a few skills and learning the rest on the job. He died, sadly, before he got any appreciable amount of payback for all his hard work. If you want to spend the rest of your life building a boat, though, just as a project, then fine, go for it. But maybe you'd be well advised to buy plans from a professional designer who offers a full "hand-holding" service throughout the build. At my age, I can't guarantee to be able to do that, through what would be at least a five year project starting in 2025. I'm not immortal!
Thanks for the response, David.
Mortality, specifically my own, is part of what is driving my interest in building a boat. I am over 40 now. I am sure it would have been a lot easier, physically, to build a boat at 20, or even 30 years old. I expect it will only get harder the longer I wait.
It is pretty clear that my family is not interested in sleeping on my current boat, let alone sailing any distance. I enjoy sailing alone, but I also like to spend time with my family.
The only way for me to ever own a sailboat that has a junk rig and is also big enough and new enough for my family to enjoy it is to build one from scratch. I guess it is possible that I could find a winning lottery ticket in my front yard, but that is not likely.
I certainly don't want to build a boat just for the sake of building a boat the rest of my life. I want to sail.
Does my Puddle Duck count as building a dinghy, or do I need to start all the way back at square one?