new goose build in utah

Hello, i live in utah and have just bought the plans for a goose. I have a fair bit of sailing experience in both large and small boats but have never built one before. I am fairly handy and have done a lot of repair /alteration work on all of my boats (I have had 6) but not a "finish craftsman" by any stretch so this build will be a challenge for me even tho it looks like a fairly simple design and the instructions look awesome. After reviewing the plans in some detail I have a few questions to consider while I am gathering the materials.
1) i would like to have the dagger board case built against one of the airboxes and have a removable seat there to use for rowing as needed. I expect to use this boat for some camping and would like to be able to sleep on the floor . I know of several popular designs that have put the foils off to the side a bit to keep the cockpit/cabin clear, as well as seeing pictures of other goose builds with this feature. Is the built-in seat a critical structural element or can I make this change and not have the boat collapse in on me?
2) i saw a reference in the plans for an alternative mast position for a kids rig. I have a mast and sail for an optimist pram that I would like to try in this boat (along with the standard described rig) for a number of reasons. I am not a speed demon and the lower performance of the smaller sail would not be a problem for me especially when I am sailing with my young grandkids (the main reason I am doing this project in the first place!) . I do understand the concepts of CoE and CoLR so I know I need to balance mast position with foil position. It seems I could use the one mast position for either rig and build in two separate dagger board slots (on the side) to use as needed. Is this just crazy or is there a smarter way to think about this?

Thx
Kyle in utah

Hi Kyle
As you've probably noticed there's not much MIK activity in here these days.
Most has moved to Michael's FaceBook pages.
I have half an idea someone has already done exactly what you're thinking.
Just need to distribute impact loads into the tank rather than across the bottom.
As to a smaller sail... Get one with two or three sets of reefing points.
No need to change anything then!
hope this helps.

Hi Allen, yes I found that FB group and have been communicating with them with great benefit. I was not sure if fb one supplanted this one was thinking that's was the case.
Have built a goose? Where do you sail?
Cheers and fair winds
Kyle