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I've helped build wooden boat projects through 38'. A 24' boat is a realistic project if you have some woodworking experience and access to the supplies, materials, modest tool selection, and a suitable location to build the boat.
It's a lot of work, and you need to be careful about your design selection.
I'll second the suggestion to read Wooden Boat magazine ... especially get the older issues which had a heavy focus on the skills and techniques and tools to accomplish stuff. Their old plans reviews and write-ups on several builders was of interest to your project, too.
One boat I'd specifically mention, which was intended for owner building and has a large following/much knowledge out in the marketplace: Thunderbird, Ben Seaborn's design for the Fir Plywood Association. This boat is well suited for the conditions you'll be sailing in and is yet today a very good performer and seaworthy.
Another designer to consider is Phil Bolger's boats in the 24' length for coastal cruising. Many require minimal boatbuilding skills and yet can deliver excellent service for your needs.
Having sailed the area you're in for years, I'd say that there's a lot of wooden boat designs that will readily meet your needs for a fun and rewarding finished project that won't take forever to build. Stay with the more basic boats of plywood construction and you'll save yourself a lot of time and effort compared to more complex craft ....
A Thunderbird would be a great build. Designed with home building in mind nice coastal cruiser, sea worthy and good performance.
Built with modern epoxie it would be way better than the earlier ones.
Back in about 78 one of my best friends and a good Finn sailor worked through high school saved $2000 spent 1500 on an used T bird and the rest on food and supplies and sailed off to Hawaii singelhanded (except for his cat) - would not recommend that though.
It's been ages, but I remember a DIY catamaran that was designed with marine plywood in mind. Each living area was rather small, but the author's idea was to live/sail in the south Pacific and do most of the living on deck. It was a plastic ring binder if I remember right.
I also remember something that the author had two wives or something; an older one and younger one. Not that it relates to boat building, but it might someone else remember the book. If anything Google 'polynesian catamaran plywood'.
I have a friend who has built a Ness Yawl, Three kayaks and an adirondack guide boat all of wood. (One kayak is skin on frame). All of them he built from another person's plans. I think he said it took him about a year to build the sail boat. Quite a beauty too. She turns a lot of heads when he take her out. Not sure if anyone sails a Ness yawl on the ocean though. It's a little boat.
He has a whole section of his web page detailing the building project. Ness Yawl Goldberry
So many other projects to complete before I can begin to start. We have been redoing our home. I have been told that when it is complete then I will have the freedom and time to build a boat. I have looked at my resources and what I can do. This plan has been scaled back to something that will fit in a 22' long space. *(when the project starts anyway.) I have been learning a lot and building my supply of wood for the project. Also collecting tools for when I am ready to work on it.
We don't have a lot of coral around here. So that won't be too much of a concern.
The new plan is to build something we can sail around here, between Oxnard and Santa Barbara to the North and Malibu to the South. Also take in the Channel Islands. More of a day or weekend boat. Not ready to start just yet.
Build a steel boat. When steel boats hit coral you get, sand. When wood boats hit coral you get... toothpicks.
I like the statement in regards to fiberglass or wood. take a section of fiberglass and toss it in the water and see what happens. Then take a piece of wood and chuck it in and observe. I like wood!
Actually most custom sportfish boats over here are wood, whether "cold molded" which is plywood on a *** built upside down and glassed over or old school plank on frame. But these are single or twin screw sportfish upwards of 50 to 70 plus feet. Amazing the number that are built in chicken sheds, fished for a season or two then sold. Of course there are also assorted "project" boats that were drawn up and started but the expense was too much so they were given up on. North Carolina is known world wide for their custom sportfishers and the coastal marinas in the Mid-Atlantic/NC area are full of them. Beautiful boats!
Personally, i wouldn't mind toying with a plywood flat bottomed scow/skiff but that has to wait another year or so.
I built a hybrid wood/fiberglass boat years ago. It was made from sheets of closed cell foam edge planked on some wooden frames built out of scrap lumber. The foam was really easy to cut and it was pinned to the scrap lumber frames with long steel T headed upholstery sewing pins. Then that was fiberglassed (with the pins pulled out along the way). Turned right side up, pulled the scrap lumber out, fiberglassed the inside and added in the seats and compartments and wood trim. It was a really light dinghy. I'd gotten the plans out of a library book and all the supplies from a surfboard shop except the oars, oarlocks and wooden parts. Rowed really well, could carry four people and a lot of groceries and actually went better laden than empty it seemed.
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