I'm 6' tall Sunchaser, and I'd have to check, but I think we're 7'2 in the salon and wheel house, and 6'10 in the master cabin... great headroom as far as I need. 5' in the engine room is decent, but I'm happy with it although I'd for sure rather have 6'+. I think stand up engine room is tough to find with boats under 50'.
The headroom over the step up to the wheel house is lousy, and I have to duck. Strangers not used being on board usually crack their head at least once stepping up to the wheel house. If I were to do it over, I'd for sure frame a notch in this area.
Building a boat of this size is a huge undertaking. Being in the construction business all of my life, and having built my last two houses, I can for sure tell anyone, that building a boat is probably seven or eight times the work one figures/guesses it to be.
As far as performance goes, I can't offer much on that since I've only ran her lightly for half a season, and on a River. I can say she tracks straight as string, and one barely has to touch the wheel every two or three miles. The fuel economy seems decent at bit under 3mpg with a Deere 6068TFM. She's heavily insulated and sound proofed, so I think one would be hard pressed to find a quieter boat. The little bit of wave and wake action we see on the Ohio River is hardly noticed.
This was a ten year project for me that I enjoyed. I'm happy with the appraised value, and I'm for sure happy to be a debt free boat owner. Building this is more of a lifestyle than a project, so it's not suited for many people.
Conall