Nooo! Please don't...
I know this is a difficult project, and it's always hard to get something like this started. But I'm sure we'll find a way to do this. There are two PD texts out there, in the worst case we can do some combining - as we're talking about a very old text in the original, that's possible - it would be more difficult if it were a translation. Yes, right now there's nobody who would PL this, but it's not necessary to get a project started. You gave yourself a year, everything can happen!
And about your eyes, well, you'll not be one-eyed pirate forever

You'll get new contacts, and you just start recording later... It's your project, you are not holding anyone back, the time line is entirely your choice...
Having said that, I realize that it's also your choice to kill the project

but I really hope you'd reconsider... After all, where's the challenge in the easy stuff?
