CAD or any other aid but my current project is bending my brain.
I've found some shareware through Google, but have no idea which of the
offerings is suitable.
I 'll need some start-up education, too, so a book suggestion or two would
also be appreciated.

I feel confortable with hullform, the shareware version.
I must inform that exist also freeship (www.freeship.org) a free software
under development, under gnu license.
It si free, you can try it...

Paolo