Anonymous wrote:

On headroom:

Climbers traditionally rely on having "three points in contact". Sailors do, too, in rough weather. Pick any three from feet, buttocks, hips, shoulders, hands - and head. I find myself frequently jamming my head against the headlining when I'm changing clothes.

Working at the galley or chart table, one's head is bowed down, looking at the work in hand, so one's height is less than when standing at attention. Here, again, it helps to press one's forehead against something to keep both hands free. So headroom here should be less than one might think.

Even on the centreline of the boat, one moves fore and aft not completely upright but with head bowed a little. Here, there's no need for headroom any greater than one's height when standing at attention, which gives a few inches of clearance in practice.

Most stock designs for 32ft boats would give this amount of headroom, unless one is much taller than average. And a 32ft boat is as large as a single person needs (speaking as one who has owned a 34.5ft boat that was large enough for two people and rather generously sized for one).

All true for a weekender but IMO not for a liveaboard boat. At the very least I will want standing headroom through the centerline of the boat. Many moons ago when I was on the large gray "cruise" boats I was always hitting my head on various pipes, fittings, and whatever else, and have the scars to prove it. I have zero desire to go through that again on my boat. Barefoot I am just over 6'2" so it won't take a lot to modify most designs for me, but from what I have seen in my searching I am seriously limited to choices within about 400 miles of my location. I have found boats that would work well as offshore cruising boats but they are primarily set up for freshwater festivities with all of the comforts of home. I do not want to pay a great deal of money for things that I will have to strip out, not to mention that these boats, having been only in freshwater, generally cost a premium over and above what you would likely find on a coast. 

On headroom:

Climbers traditionally rely on having "three points in contact". Sailors do, too, in rough weather. Pick any three from feet, buttocks, hips, shoulders, hands - and head. I find myself frequently jamming my head against the headlining when I'm changing clothes.

Working at the galley or chart table, one's head is bowed down, looking at the work in hand, so one's height is less than when standing at attention. Here, again, it helps to press one's forehead against something to keep both hands free. So headroom here should be less than one might think.

Even on the centreline of the boat, one moves fore and aft not completely upright but with head bowed a little. Here, there's no need for headroom any greater than one's height when standing at attention, which gives a few inches of clearance in practice.

Most stock designs for 32ft boats would give this amount of headroom, unless one is much taller than average. And a 32ft boat is as large as a single person needs (speaking as one who has owned a 34.5ft boat that was large enough for two people and rather generously sized for one).

Anonymous wrote:

I now confidently predict a deluge of dinghy designs.

All submitted dinghy designs must include: glass bottoms, planing foils, bow thrusters, be jet propulsion compatible, minimum 9' LOA, and weigh less than 25 lbs. 

Seriously though, thanks.

Originally I believed I would simply buy an older long term cruising capable boat that fit at least my minimum criteria and give it a good refit, but discovered that there are few designs out there in the 35+/- foot range that suit enough of my criteria for me to be happy with, number one being headroom. I start seeing more suitable boats in the 40+ foot range but that is more boat than I need or want.

Due to my professional background I have a better idea of the scale and scope of this kind of project than the average neophyte so I know better what I am getting into. My free time is my own, as is my disposable income, so personal life conflicts will be negligible. Additionally, for the next 3-4 years I will be stuck here about 400 miles from the nearest saltwater with few sailing opportunities that don't involve sharing water with multiple power cruisers so I have very little interest in building a weekender that I will not have much use for. And I don't golf.

While it is true that I have zero boat building experience and definitely insufficient woodworking experience, I am mechanically inclined and good at spatial concepts as well as thinking several moves ahead in a project. Because of my lack of woodworking experience my plan is to practice new techniques with cheap lumber before applying them to boat appropriate materials. Also, I do have access to people with considerable experience for help and advice as needed. 

While I have never worked with any kind of boat design before, I do have experience in designing stowage/securement plans for bluewater barge work as well as design experience with heavily loaded temporary structures under seismic loadings whose accelerations are not at all dissimilar to those found at sea. Obviously I have zero experience with center of effort or buoyancy calculations but I do know enough to recognize boat design intent in various structural members and connections.

To summarize, while this may be a new type of endeavor for me, my eyes are wide open - I am not some accountant who cannot tell the difference between a jigsaw and a miter saw, or uses his brother-in-law's borrowed wrench (spanner) to stir paint with. Yes Mike, I am talking about you! ;-)

That all said, I most definitely appreciate advice and tips from those with actual experience, and am now looking at dinghy designs. 

Anonymous wrote:

 I have felt obliged to quote the old saying: "build the first boat for your enemy, the second boat for your friend - and the third boat for yourself". Or "build a dinghy, to get some notion of the use of the materials and methods - it could act as the tender to the eventual big boat; then build a 20 - 25ft weekender, to learn more about handling a boat under sail, and what you really want from your dream boat; then you'll know enough to embark on the major boatbuilding project that a 30+ft boat is bound to be".

That remains as true as ever it was.

Yes, I'd second (or third) that. Sound advice methinks!