Listen to Matt, He tells ya true.
Swamp girl is a great boat but is not big enough for two adults and two littluns and is a bit harder to build than a pirogue.
The big Townsend looks the goods to me and should not be much harder to build than a pirogue.
There is a definate learning curve in this caper but if you take your time and think about things, all will become very clear very quickly. The most important thing is to enjoy the build. This is a magnificent bonding opportunity for you and your family. The build is only the start of the process.
Welcome to the dark side my son.
Questions for a potential first timer
After reading a bit further in the forums I've decided on the touring pirogue. I know that some of you don't advise it entirely but I'd like to try to do it cheap. Meaning that I'm thinking of using exterior 5.2mm hardwood or something similar. My main reason is that the rest of my family is at times probably not going to be thrilled with this project until it's done, and the easier and cheaper it is to build will make getting a green light for similar projects down the road that much easier. We'll see how it goes. Hopefully this will be a confidence builder all around. Thanks again for the advice and encouragment. I'm excited to see the plans (which I just ordered) and start getting ready to build.