I was leaning towards steel because I worked proffessionally in steel
shipbuilding and repair, however, my welding skills (eye sight) has
deteriorated and I went with fiberglass for my retirement boat.

While considering steel I aquired a book called Steel Away and it is a book
that I recommend for anyone considering building in steel.. It would be most
helpful in selecting the building method, design(er), but also provides a
very good time and material estimator. I used the latter for my estimates,
even though I was working with a different material.

Anyone interested in this book, I'm getting ready to sell mine for $20 +
postage. It's in fair condtion, cover corners are slightly dog eared from
much use.

Sorry for the shameless sales pitch!

Steve
s/v Good Intentions