building sailing components from plans

I just took a look at the components in the sailing kit. First, I offer the reminder that I'd guess at least 50% (very probably closer to 75%) of the cost of the kit is expense for the sails and the rigging components, and you'll need to find a way to obtain those if you don't buy the kit. Sails and sailing hardware ain't cheap. Depending upon location, if you can find a used-hardware chandlery/warehouse close by you can save a whole lot of money buying old blocks, etc.. - or search online. There isn't all that much hardware required for rigging as compared to a modern sailboat. For sails you probably have to go with new because the boat is so unique. Now, with that said...

The wood parts of the sailing kit should be very easy to produce from plans, assuming you can source appropriate wood. Sourcing will probably be the time consuming part of going it on your own. Once you have the appropriate plywood and spars in the shop, all layout and cuts would be very simple with a bandsaw or hand jigsaw and a table saw. You might even avoid some spline-splicing of spars if you can find longer spar wood locally.

I think the biggest benefit of kit wood lies in getting the CNC cut hull panel strakes - the shaping and lap joints on those is very accuracy-dependent and the cuts are on long parts and are not straight lines. So this isn't a factor in your decision. For the flat plywood sailing kit components and spars, it is great having them pre-cut in the kit, but cutting them at home from plans shouldn't be a big deal.

Bottom line - I doubt you'll save a whole lot of money, though probably some, by foregoing a kit purchase. I think the time spent sourcing both the wood and other kit components will be the biggest factor, and that might be either short and easy or long and tedious, depending upon your local resources and personal resourcefullnes. Example: for something as simple as wanting a special "cool" 2-hole brass bow-eye for my NE Dory (becasue I'd seen one on another non-CLC boat) I spent a half day finding the source for that piece, getting it on order, and waiting a month for arrival.

As to the extra steps in laying out and cutting the wood parts for the sailing kit, I think that is actually the most minor part of the decision, as that should be relatively simple. For me, I've always thought the few extra bucks was worth paying CLC for the the fact that they do all the sourcing, provide 100% accurate pre-cut wood parts, and package the kit components as part of a "production line" that I don't have to repeat all on my own.

I hope this discussion helps with your decision. Only you will be the judge of the right answer for you. -Bubblehead

I agree on the accuracy of the hull components; there's no way I would have a boat that comes out fair and even if I'd cut the parts myself. I'd still be bending and cursing and re-making parts for another couple months instead of moving on to fiber glass, which is where I am now.
I hadn't considered difficulty in finding materials and hardware. I knew it would be costly, though I was still betting on an overall savings.
The last time I bought wood for a boat, I lived in Seattle. The Puget Sound region is a wooden boat paradise compared to where I am now. I guess an interesting exercise would be to start sourcing materials, parts, tools, and sails and see what the cost and time overruns might look like. I'd probably buy as much as possible from CLC anyway, which may ultimately point me back to the kit.

Thanks for the input. Plenty to consider.