My kit arrives in a few days and my intention is for similar use on, and around, Albemarle Sound.

I'd love to have the benefit of your experience, both in the builoding and in the fishing.

Leo,

I would love to brag and say I am finished etc.  But I am a 62 year old first time builder with maybe just a tad more than beginners experience.

I am having a lot of fun building mine.  I am at present doing the finish work.  And I have decided that I hate sanding. I have the hull painted but preparing the interior for varnish is a royal pain in the A##.

If possible join one of the classes if you are a first timer and can possibly wait to get started.  I could not wait and I HAD  to start right away.  I am very proud of my progress, but I have a few cosmetic oops that maybe a class would have help prevent. I am a jump in with both feet and learn kind of person and don't cringle when I goof up.  And so far I have been able to resolve any problems.

 Quite a few of these folks produce extremly fine looking works of art.  I am not anywhere near that level yet. 

I have rowed one of these Dory's and I am convinced it will do what I intend to do with it. I am also kinda of a unconventional guy and love to tinker and try differant things.  I am considering using a Torqeedo Travel with the solor panel for trolling for speckled trout and flounder in some of the back bays and grass beds where I fish.  Some buiders here  may frown on my idea as it is very much not a traditional use,but hey I love to try new idea's.

Have fun with your boat regardless of how you plan to use it. My best advice is be neat,  Clean up your work, it is lot easier than sanding away lumps and bumps. I am also a Cancer survivor and heed this advice- use gloves and resporators and all other cautions with these chemicals.  The MAS products are much better than some of the older style stuff.  But DO NOT take any chances.  Chemo and Cancer Sucks and you really do not want to go thru that.

 Oldphoneman & old SGT. USMC 1967 to 1971

Leo,

After sleeping on your request for tips here are a few I can remember.

buy and use good tools and supply's -  don't short cut

be neat as possible- it will pay off in the long run.

I found I liked using a good bristle brush to tip out- some folks like using a foam one -try both and pick your fav.

buy one of the multi tools-  the small triangle sanding head works great in the tight spots-

for beveling the gains and the rabit at the bow I found a tool at a woodworking store that looks much like a cheese grater-  it is a rasp type tool made by Microplane-same company makes that makes the wifes the cheese grater-it fits the rabit very well and is easy to control and not take of to much at a time.

 I don't care how many clamps you have buy more (just joking).

one thing I had a oops on was when applying the Mas resin over the fiberglass cloth inside the hull-I over did it and the resin I put too much on the lower inside strake it then  ran down and built up to thick .  makes for  a lot of work sanding.Plus you do not want to float the cloth away from the plywood.  This over heavy coats caused me to have to buy more resin. I had to watch over this step till the resin started to set up.

I built a long narrow top that I set on saw horses 2ft x16ft for glueing up the puzzle joints etc  works great.  I also used it while doing the stiching of the hull.  after the hull was together and stiff (be sure to check and recheck your hull for twist) I put wheels(buy the kind you can lock) on my saw horses and tied the saw horse together with 2x4's. put carpet on them and then was able to move my boat around in the garage.

Hope I am not boring you with this.  But have fun with this. For all I know you may already know more than what I am offering here.

oldphone man