Hi Ed, It was good to meet you on Saturday--I put up trip reports of my paddling experiences this week over on the Trips BBS.

Have you decided where you're going in the San Juans yet?

> tape outer seam, 2 layers of 2 inch glass tape, and sand fair

You could even skip the sanding part before the trip.

> hatches already cut, make seals

> slots in deck already cut, sew webbing loops (18) for hatch covers and
> bungie tie down points

> I still need a seat. no preferred ideas and no cheek plates (I skipped
> that step, but can retrofit if required)

Buy a big piece (12 x 15 or 15" x 15 or bigger) of 2" or 3" minicell. Carve out impressions to fit your butt. Make sure you have enough support under your thighs and behind your rearend. You can use foam blocks for hip pads that go clear out to the sheer line. You could also put in cheekplates with thinner foam pads for hip pads. Cheek plates will give you more storage spots for small stuff (sponge, pump, paddlefloat, etc.) but could be skipped until after the trip. If you're used to a closely fitting boat and use your lower body a lot for control, it will be worth the time spent. Check out the link below for the best cockpit customizing page I've seen

> end pours and toggles

Easy--use 3/4" PVC for toggles. You could build some nice wood ones later, but PVC is a "quick and dirty" solution that doesn't look too bad, but will work well.

> willing to skip varnish until after trip.

Definitely

> What have I missed? All comments appreciated and thanks in advance.

I'd have to agree with Ross on the bulkheads.

Say, do you have enough drybags? Shawn