Sloop status : 3D

[Barry Pyeatt]

Tyler,

I'd recommend that you take your time and get things all sanded and faired on your stringers and any filling or patching done before you paint or stain anything else. Nearly all the finish work is preceeded by lots and lots of preparation work before you ever put a paint brush to it. When everything is the way you want it, filled, sanded, straightened out, etc. then prime inside and paint it. You will have trouble getting into the lazerette and the forepeak to prime an paint and do the things that need to be done. So those two areas including the underside of the deck are easier to paint before you put the sides on. Same with the areas under the seats. I waited until after I had the cabin finished and most everything else done before I started on the seats. Made it a lot easier to work on things.

If you don't know how to fair in the stringers or bulkheads to prep them for the sides then ask around and take some time to look at the photos posted by a lot of the builders on here and the BYYB. I would get all of that finished before painting anything. It is difficult to remove paint and stain to attach things later on in the assembly process.

In particular, avoid putting oil on anything until it is completely assembled and ready to finish. Glues and epoxy and resins don't like oil soaked wood. And certainly don't put oil on anyting that you might end up painting, and don't prime or paint anything that will be fiberglassed or epoxied.

If you want to finish and paint something, do the rudder, it gives you a great feeling of accomplishment.

I'm really not trying to tell you what to do, it is your project and I am just trying to help. I understand the urgency to get things moving along, I was your age and building a boat and nothing got done quickly enough. And you know what...it still doesn't.

You are learning a lot and accomplishing a lot. This is a big project and if you rush it too much, you may end up haveing to do a lot of things over again.

But then, this is a boat, it isn't furniture. So keep on keeping on.