Hi, Sam,

Welcome aboard.

Boatbuilding is a great hobby, but be prepared to do some studying. I'm
building a 20' Chebacco at the moment and I'm continuously surprised by how
much bigger it is than the 10' dinghy I built first. (about 8 times as big)
Lots more scarphing to get the long pieces. Much bigger jigs and framing.
You can't just lug the thing out on the tarmac when you need some more elbow
room.

Having taught sailing for several years, I'd suggest a small boat "to get
your feet wet." We used Optimist Prams for our students and while they
weren't something you'd want to cruise for fun, they were fine teaching
machines. Little boats respond quickly and they definitely let you know
when you could be doing something better. Larger boats are more forgiving
and require that you anticipate where you'll be. If you can find a boat
that's popular in your area, then you can race, and there's nothing that
sharpens one's skills more than watching an identical boat go past you.
(Anytime two boats are in view of each other, there IS a race.)

Houses are collections of stacked sticks, many of the same size, and mostly
at right angles to each other. Cabinets come ready made and fit pretty well
as delivered. None of these things apply to boat building. That said, your
skill with tools (and your collection) will stand you in good stead.

Have fun and "there are no dumb questions except those that aren't asked."

Roger http://home.insightbb.com/~derbyrm/Dayawl.html

http://home.insightbb.com/~derbyrm

"sam" wrote in message
...
Hello,
My name is Sam and I live in Sydney Australia. I'm new to
sailing and have decided to build my first boat which I have ordered
the plans for this week. It is the Hartley 21. I'm very excited. I
decided that if I can build a house; I'm sure I can build a
sailboat. I would be greatful to any other Hartley 21 owners (or
anybody else in fact) to offer advice at anytime. I would also
appreciate if you could send pics of your boats during construction
and finished product. As I have said before I am open to all advise.
Thanks,
Sam