Hi Jacob and welcome to the YachtForums!
I think it helps if you are able to use a pencil and paper to start with, but the way I design with Freehand is almost the same thing.
In another thread I showed how I usually work if it is just a styling concept;
http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/6763-post80.html
I start with a waterline and add lines that I can move around before I am making the filled patterns. I often keep a lot of the half finished drawings around the one I am working with, until I decide which one looks best for the next step. So it goes pretty fast.
It is a little different when I design our production boats, as smaller boats must have every inch in the right place in all dimensions. So there I make a sort of x-ray pictures so I know it will be possible to build, before I put the final touches to the renderings.
I always have a grid on the screen with measurements and also read the figures in the info bar as I draw.
Big yachts are easier to start with, but of course with many more hours when you come down to the general arrangement and interior design.
Good luck and please post your ideas when you have something to show!