Hi David: I am not familiars with the details of Joshua Slocum’s Spray beyond having read his wonderful book many years ago. The Spray shape generates a lot of volume in a short length. However, this is not going to be as easy to self-steer, or handle in heavy weather as a longer, narrower design. Nor will it be as weatherly as a boat with a more developed keel (or deeper draft).

Having said that, I would guess that the Spray design would be easy to build.

Now as to your second question–of course you can safely pursue offshore sailing and a circumnavigation. The main thing is to devote sufficient time to getting yourself up-to-speed on seamanship and weather skills.

There is always a conflict between getting your personal lives in order and the boat ready, with the skills which are essential. Usually the latter get short-shift. Our own feeling is that those skills, which will have a big impact on your success, should be put at the top of the list! Seamanship and weather–and then learning how to handle your boat in heavy weather.

One final thought–spend as little as possible and keep the boat as simple as possible to start. Then, once you have real world experience, start to decide what you really want on board. Almost everything you decide in the absence of real world experience will turn out to be wrong! Good Luck – Steve