: Made me wonder if building the hull as S & G and then stripping the desk
: might give me a chance to lower the deck without redesigning the boat. I
: am not an engineer type and lofting and planning out the panels seem a
: huge task.

I am very strongly considering going out on a limb and doing this with plans for the Black Pearl because the BP's hull and back deck appears to be so hard chined/flat. I would strip the BP's front deck.

: Would it be a nightmare for a first build?

As a first build I might be slightly hesitant but only slightly. Being reasonably patient would be a good trait to possess. If you like a bit of a challenge buy a few good books for the unknown areas and then try it. The books arent that much. Greg Rossell is my favorite author of source material. Have fun with it whatever route you take.

Jim