You could certainly coat the bulkheads prior to assembly.  You may get better coverage with less epoxy that way but it will take longer because you will have to wait for the first side to cure before flipping them over and doing the other side.  I sealed them after they were glued in place. 

I built a 12.5 Hybrid for my bride and we both love it.  The one suggestion is to add the optional fin box.  Having the option of switching fins to fit the conditions will make the board more versital.  Picture shows a 9" fin that makes the board more stable in rough water or for beginners.  The other fin is 4" flexable fin for paddling around obstacles.  We have added a 6" rigid fin which is the best for all around use.

I figure i can coat the bulkheads well before I need them so I can complete  both sides while I am doing other work. I do plan on using the fin box option along with the deck plate access to a ditty bag for storage, Your paddleboard is BEAUTIFUL! 

Charlie D

Mark brings up an interesting point about time. Over the years I've come to the conclusion that CLC's instructions are optimized to reduce assembly time, usually at the expense of finish sanding time. I find this especially true for their classes. There's nothing wrong with this and I am not criticizing, but knowing this lets homebuilders choose if they want to take a little extra time now (doing things like coating panels on a flat table before installation) or later (doing things like sanding drips in a confined space).

Getting the hull together quickly helps keep up the momentum at home and frees the shop for the next class at CLC. On the other hand, taking the extra time, usually waiting for epoxy to cure, can cut weeks of the most tedious and annoying sanding and also result in a lighter and better-looking boat with less effort. My go-to examples of this are exactly what Charlie's asking about and cockpit coamings.

Building a coaming on a plastic sheet so that it takes the correct shape without it being attached yet to the deck allows very easy sanding under the rim on both the coaming and the deck, but it does take longer until the coaming is finally attached to the deck. On the other hand, following the instructions means that when the boat is assembled, you now have to sand the underside of the coaming lip, the risers and the deck under the lip with barely a finger's worth of access. Also, you have to be extremely careful to not oversand the deck while you're trying to sand off any squeeze-out from the rings. Between all this it's pretty hard to keep up the sanding speed, so while your assembly time may be shorter, your total time could actually be more.

Anyway, as I said, I'm not criticizing, just pointing out that by taking a bit more time during assembly your build may end up quicker, or at least more comfortable. Things to especially look for are changing steps so that epoxy work is done on a flat horizontal surface, as well as improved access.

It's easier to recognize these changes on 2nd boats than on 1st boats, but the forum is always here with advice for those unsure if changing steps is a good idea or not.

Have fun,

Laszlo

Laszlo, I think you have a point. This is not my first build from CLC and going off the manual can make sense sometimes. Your example of the cockpit coaming is spot on!

With this Kaholo build I wonder about the reason for using epoxy to seal wood that will never see the light of day. There are easier to apply products that have proven successful at sealing wood from moisture that do not need routine maintenance. As long as the seam bonds are done prior to the coating, I don't anticipate a problem.   

Charlie D