A. Sorry , this sort of post has to be answered with questions first.
What size of ship do you envisage building? being a radio control biased site, many people are familiar with larger scale ships made for proper sailing and the companies that make them. The boats are big (ish) commensurate with their role and thus may be a bit big to put on a shelf as a static exhibition.
If you down the scale a bit there are numerous plastic kits eg Airfix, for instance.
What sort of size are you aiming for?
i would NOT get a galleon as a first kit if you go down the larger ship route, or any route really if inexperienced. All those nasty masts, rigging and sails!! no fear.
Ashley