> Perhaps this is bad news for the plan selling, but overall the popularity would mean that HP's or at least their style would become a lot more common than just mid to large size cruisers.

The plans business is a very tough one, unless the boat has important crossovers from other designs there is potentially a 1000 hours of work that wont ever be paid for unless the design is successful. Mainstream designers like Bruce Roberts, Jay Benford and Glen L Witt have been very successful at this, and others less mainstream like Ian Farrier with the original TrailerTri 6.7. I wonder how many of those he sold.

I think often there are people that think they can do better, or build for less by not having other than a tablecloth design, but realy theyre cheating themselves. Chances are good they will end up with less of a boat, and one that wont be worth anything when its time to sell it and move on.

Designers themselves usually are not good at marketing, they either make a name for themselves by some scheme or by reputation, or their work withers on the vine. They dont look at value adding schemes unless they get an offer from a builder, which is why I think this is a unique proposition, Making the basic materials means several things to the buyer. They get the design and a fast track to building which avoids probably to them the scariest part of entering into building the boat.

Everyone recognises the readiness of the plywood design, people like Woods collect on that. But he has to fight the poor reputation which is the history of plywood boats, and its deficits against cored designer materials. If you read his stuff you see that message flow through his marketing.

Offering the basis of a kit divides the designers work, but it gives him access to a wider market despite its downsides. Until eventually the testimonies roll in from people claiming 'I built this boat in just 24 hours, Im mentally incapacitated, and I only have one arm.'

The idea isnt perfect but it has its attractions.