This revelation led to another: every boat is a compromise. Experts can be found to support every viewpoint. This doesn't mean they are right or wrong. Sure there are basic design criteria – scantlings have to be strong enough, and so forth – but what is a requirement in one circumstance can often be problematic in another.

If a boat is good in deep water, it probably has a deeper draft and is therefore not great in shallow rivers. If it has a flat bottom, making it easy to build and great in shallow waters, it may not handle as well and can pound in chop. You have to decide what you actually plan to do with the boat and choose a design that supports your usage. No boat can be all things to all people. Even the major navies of the world, with budgets we can only dream of, have different types of craft for different uses.

I read, talked and read some more. After more hints from my son, we decided to start small and build a dinghy. It took far too long – nearly a year on the calendar, although probably only a week of actual work – but we created a folding wooden Origami Dinghy from plans I ordered. After splashing that and seeing how much fun we had actually doing it, I moved into a higher gear. Would I really do this? Yes, I would. Now, what was it really going to be? I had some decisions to make.

THE BIG DECISION

I came up with some basic criteria that were practical and obtainable, and narrowed my choices. Taking off for great ocean voyages around the world wasn't in the cards. It would be U.S. river and coastal cruising, primarily in the Eastern part of the country. We would love to do the Great Loop. But for a while, I still need a day job – I work as a systems engineer for a law firm – in order to afford this stuff, so I'm limited to vacation periods and the like.

This made a trailerable craft much more desirable, something that would allow us to run up to a river and boat for a week or two at a time. Later, we can take it elsewhere at 55 mph and cruise a different stretch of river. A shallow draft became more and more advantageous as my cruising dreams change from oceans to inland rivers. A boat that you can load up and bring home also saves on docking fees. Living near Atlanta, there are few places to put a boat in the water, and I didn't want to pay to park a boat where I can't visit regularly and take care of it.

As I narrowed down my requirements, more and more of the design became clear. A trailerable boat must be 8 feet 6 inches or less in beam to be pulled without a permit. Keeping the length less than 30 feet makes it much easier to handle. I wanted sleeping space for 3, a head with shower and a reasonable amount of interior room to be able to stay out of the sun.

The budget boiled down to what could be absorbed. I hope to build the hull and cabin for less than $20,000. Various large components such as engine, generator and stove will be the biggest single expenses, because building materials are something I can spread out as I go. Costs associated with upkeep are much less with a trailerable boat, since I can bring it home when I'm not using it, saving on bottom paint and other maintenance.

A "yacht finish," although beautiful, is not in the cards for me. I will never have the patience to create woodwork like that. I want to build something more utilitarian – a "workboat finish," as it's called – that allows us to get out on the water. To be honest, my house – and probably yours too – is not finished nearly as nicely as many yachts. It's great if you can and want to do it, and I'll drool over the work. But I can live without it.

It is often said that building a boat is 30 percent hull and 70 percent "the rest," most of which are complicated systems. Electrical. Water. Sanitary. Fuel. Engine. Everything you take for granted in your house has to be created and hauled with you, or done without. These systems are part of what draws me to the challenge of building, but I have also come to realize that simplicity is something to strive for in a boat. I decided to pick a design with an eye toward basic systems that would let us get out on the water. For example, outboard power was high on my list. It is self contained and eliminates the need for through-hull cooling systems. If it fails, you can unbolt and replace it without disassembling your hull.