hey buddy, glad to toss in my two cents worth. Sure, build a UJ. They are affordable and seaworthy. They build pretty fast with "normal" tools. You can build them on two sawhorses out in the yard. They don't require any forms or strong-backs or any other material that does not end up in the finished boat. You can paddle, hand a trolling motor, take the kids out, get up and walk around, and carry a freakin' TON OF STUFF in them. You can sit in a UJ and haul blue-crab pots aboard, dump the crabs and set the pots again.
This is the "voice of experience" speaking here. I've built three of them. Two are off with other owners: my son and my friend John, and they've been used in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska and Louisiana. Mine has MANY MANY "SEA MILES" on it, and now, years later it has gotten soft in the bottom which is my fault, not the fault of the UJ.
Yup, there's lots of designs out there.........some are no doubt better at some things. But, for a starter boat, all around fun craft and large, inverted serving table on the patio (set on plastic buckets under the gunwales) you really can't beat a UJ.
My opinion? Just build it. Post your questions and PICTURES here. Welcome to the club.
piper