General boat design for a Motor sail-boat

Hi Rogers-

After some years of being involved in a much less ambitious project, I can appreciate both these points of view.

Tad is 100% correct in everything he said - and with a bit of luck the umbrage he created in you will be part of the grim determination you will need to accomplish your plan. eg. Sam Devlin's famous quote "You will never finish a boat until you totally hate it!"

Re your comment "I reckon I'd have a problem with designing around as everyone is making it sound so impossibly complicated!!! "

Don't be fooled - anything past a dinghy size IS "impossibly complicated!!! " unless you have years of trial and error available to you, and I have rowed some widow-making pigs of dinghys!

All the advice provided to date is sound and considered wisdom, but I think you may find this is about as detailed as people can go until you get a bit more specific about your priorities.

I have found it very useful in starting a design process to get really, really familiar with existing boat designs that may be close to your needs, and then consider and discuss the options.

Building a small plywood tender for your 55' boat would be a fantastic way to start the process.