The professional designer of stock plans has to prepare plans that can be all things to all men, wheras you as the customer need to be selective about which parts of a stock design you adopt, which parts you reject. Leaving out the inboard motor will save you thousands. Of course, an inboard diesel is convenient, but a young, strong man can get by with a sweep or a yuloh, and an old, weak man (like me) can get by with a petrol outboard.

I see no reason for thinking that the Benford 26 would be more difficult to build. It would be more expensive, as cost tends to be in proportion to displacement. The Benford weighs twice as much as the Selway Fisher, so the basic structure might cost twice as much. However, many people get carried away with equipment, goodies and boys-toys, and this is what runs away with the money. Stick to the principle that we mention quite often around here - Keep It Simple, Sailor - and you can get the boat you need for a reasonable price. No plumbing - water from containers, not a tank; a composting heads. Few electrics - simple LED lighting, minimal electronics. Simple furniture. A simple cooker. Make your own junk sail. That sort of thing.

I see that you are based in Michigan, where twin keels will be a rarity. Here in the UK, they have been used for a long time, as we have many drying harbours. For the long-term cruiser, it's an enormous advantage in a small boat to be able to go into a sheltered corner and take the ground when a gale is forecast. At sea, well designed twin keels have no seakeeping disadvantages. They are maybe a bit slower, having more surface area, but my Hunter Duette can't be much slower than her fin keeled sister, the Sonata. As far as the dory style hull is concerned, either a single or twin keels will be bolted through the transverse floors across the flat bottom, so structurally there's no difference.

Colin,
if you haven’t built a boat before, could it be an idea to start by building a 10-14’ dinghy first? If built in the same material and method as the bigger Selway Fisher, this pre-project will fill up your bag of experience:

1.      You’ll learn basically how things are being done, from measuring, cutting, erecting and handling epoxy. It is better to take the first steps in a not-so-important project.

2.      You’ll learn how long it takes. You may well find that the little project steals more time from your life than you thought. Good then not to have started a big, expensive building project yet.

3.      You may find that you really like the building process. Good! Then you are being rewarded every day (..or not...).

Whatever you choose to do, good luck!

Arne

PS: I very much agree with David's comments yesterday on improving the rudder - but then I am quite a rudder fanatic...

Annie,

You have done a wonderful job on your boat, I've enjoyed checking in your progress. I dabble in freelance journalism and I pitched the idea for trying to get an interview with you to a sailing magazine I had been trying to get in with.  Being an outsider from their normal writing roster the article didn't get ordered but I really wish it would have. You have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration from me for all you've done in the sailing world. 

David,

Your concerns on the design are troubling. I had concerns about the displacement in regards to open ocean sailing. Seems like it's a double edged sword, light displacement boats tend to be more rookie friendly to build but have limitations to their use. Still the simplitcy of the design is very promising to me. Now as far as the check list for a potentials builder I hit pretty much all of them. I run my own business and have the winters largely off, also have a larger, semi-heated former factory building that my dad owns, I have few bills, no spouse or children and an inexpensive lifestyle. My friend group includes some carpenters but almost all are tradesmen of some kind, I myself was a painter at one time. My background is mostly with automobiles, I drove race cars for awhile but found that sailing was far more fun. Winter is a dead time for me, with work drying up in the cold months and me hating the snow, building a boat seems like a good way to ward off cabin fever. Convergion a existing boat has crossed my mind but every time I end up looking at plans again to build, it just feels right, if that make sense. 

Annie Hill wrote:

Colin Walker wrote:I too share the concern about how a first time builder would get by with SibLim, which is why I shied away eventually from that design.

I am a first time builder :-)

David,

So you are the designer of SibLim? That design is what insirped me to go down the "flush deck" path, I love that design. I too share the concern about how a first time builder would get by with SibLim, which is why I shied away eventually from that design. But I am a huge fan of that boat, I go to Annie's page once in awhile to see how everything is coming along. 

In regards to Pioneer, I to thought something looked goofy with the rudder, my impression was it would either have heavy steering boat or slow reacting steering (maybe both to some level). If/when the time comes I will discuss this with Paul. It is good to hear from an outside source that it should be relatively easy to build, also that she should be able to hold enough stores to last awhile. Now what do you think of Pioneer's blue water capabilies? Crossing the Atlantic by sail is on the bucket list, would the Pioneer be a design to entertain that thought in? I know as much depends on the sailor as the boat but some designs are better suited than others.

Thank you for the fast reply David, hope to hear from you soon.