Hmmmmmm???????

Venture 17

Be careful what you wish for, it might just show up and then you'll have to make a choice.

Which way do I go?

As the Fall season settles in I am thinking about what I might get up to this winter in the shop.  I'd like to build a trailerable sailboat, I think.
The thing is that I'd really rather just get my Bristol 27 in order and launched and put her to use, but I am reluctant to spend the money it takes to keep a boat of that size and depth in a marina.
A trailerable would be a good compromise.
I say a compromise because any boat that is trailerable is probably not quite my preferred type of boat to sail.  I have come to know that I really like the heft and capabilities to stand up to the stronger conditions that a displacement boat can offer.
In theory, romantically, I love the idea of an open boat, with an unstayed mast, a centerboard and shallow draft, light enough to be trailered and launched easily by one person, me.  But I have found that the tenderness of a vessel that meets these requirements is not one of the things I appreciate.  I also, love a cabin on a boat.
I don't need a big cabin, a cuddy large enough to retreat to for a small meal or a nap would be enough.
If it weren't for it not having a cabin, I'd probably build this little boat by Vivier

An "Aber" by F. Vivier
14'x4'10"

I got the study plans for it and I really do like the size and shape.  I suppose I could just design and add a little cuddy to it. I just might.

Vivier's "Eiben 15"

This would be another good choice, even though this rig is a bit more elaborate than I'd prefer.  It is just about the right length, 15', and it has a deep cockpit, being modeled after traditional fishing boats, and it is not to terribly heavy at 1000 pounds.

I think that a strip plank built boat would be just about the right combination of modern building techniques and traditional.  I wouldn't be able to lay up the hull during the winter because the shop is to cold, but that would allow me the time to build the forms and get the design just right, with out being able to rush things.  I could, I suppose, build the sails during that time too.