A decision has been made. I am going to build a stripper!
No forecast on how long this endeavour will take, but my beloved has given the reen light and allocated the required basement space for as long as required.
John, I have to thank you for the following comments, which became a turning point for me:
Jwinters wrote:
My own feeling is that strippers and S&G are pretty much equal in difficulty to build to the same quality level.
There are only two essential elements - patience and the ability to follow instructions. If you have both you can build a boat that will make you proud.
If you look at the boat as individual steps then it gets easy. No individual step requires special skills.
Pick a boat you like (no matter whose design) and do it.
This post last week inspired enough bravery to at least pick up a copy of Canoecraft and start reading. That darned Mr. Moores and his way with words make a convincing argument that armed with wood, epoxy, and a copy of that book anyone can do this. Has anyone else noticed that?
Anyway, after actually researching the topic instead of just assuming that this was too hard, I have found you are absolutely correct and strippers aren't really any more complicated, it's just a lengthier process. Some other factors that played into the decision:
- My beloved states that if we are to stare at a half-built boat in the basement for who knows how long, she would much rather look at a stripper under construction than a S&G or SOF.
- If I only complete one boat in my lifetime, a stripper is the one to have for permanence & longevity IMO
- The financial strain can be offset by breaking it up into small projects as John suggests. The few basic required tools I don't currently own are well within Christmas/Birthday present range, and lofting the patterns/building the strongback and mould stations will keep me busy for a very long time before I have to invest any significant $$$. After that the strips, epoxy, trim & varnish can all be purchased in order as needed for different stages of the project.
Thanks to everyone for their advice. I'm cautiously excited about this undertaking. Although it will be a long time before I see an actual vessel, I will always remember what got me motivated to start.