Dumas offer a small cabin cruiser on their website under "discounted kits", which is a good place to start. It's cheap enough that you won't feel bad if you mess it up. I built one for my son (his first boat), and used the electronics from a plastic arf. It really came out nice, and runs great on small ponds. I'll post some pics when I get a minute. The ply parts can be fragile as you remove them from the die-cut sheets, but overall, I really like their kits. The mahogany used in some of their boats is really beautiful when finished.

Another good starter kit is the Midwest steam launch. They all require patience and a level of craftsmanship, but if you take your time, they come out nice.

Hope this helps.