Jenny, as for hatches, ask CLC what they advise. They told me that it probably would be best not to put them in the deck on the 13; it's just too short. Their advice was right. The deck is beautiful and hatches would have broken it up too much, given the short length. On the 15, they might be better. Instead of hatches, I installed inspection ports in the bulkheads. I think CLC stocks them, but I got one from the local West Marine store (they have a web site too) because I preferred black color (much nicer looking against the wood, in my opinion). A good boating store will have several different kinds, including ones that are mostly clear plastic. If you go with inspection ports put in the biggest one you can fit, given the size of the bulkhead. Make sure you open it up when it's stored, as a wood boat alway does better with good air circulation. That would be true of deck hatches, for that matter.

As for the block plane, you will need one, not to scarf the joints (the other response is correct, they come prescarfed), but to plane the shear clamps to match the arc of the deck. Then after putting on the deck, you will cut off the excess, leaving it slightly "proud" for safety. Then you will plane it down to perfection. I can't say enough good things about the plane I used. It's made by RALI, a swiss company. They have several different kinds and sizes, but a small, more inexpensive one will do just fine. They are ready to use right out of the box and cut with a specially designed blade that is a lot like an undersized double sided razor blade. The one I got came with two blades and I also bought two extras. I've yet to use the extras, despite using the plane for several other projects since building the Mill Creek. They are very sharp and don't dull easily. I recommend the 4 1/2" x 1 3/8" x 1 1/8" size, available from Woodcraft for $14.99. (Item # 123620) If you can't find a store locally, just go to their website (www.woodcraft.com). They're a good company and stand behind what they sell, so if you're not happy, I'm sure they'll exchange it for something else. You'll find that as you do the planing, you'll need to shift the blade depth, depending on whether you are planing at the beam (where you have the most convex edge) or at the fore and aft ends (much straighter). The RALI was extra easy in that respect. Blade adjustment is effortless. All in all, I think you'll be pleased with it. (Another tip, when you get to that stage, is to keep in mind that the wood will plane easier in one direction than the other, because of the grain. With the shear clamps the direction may end up being arbitrary. With the deck, you will probably need to work bow to stern on both sides (or vice versa), which will require some tricky body positioning (if you're not ambidextrous, at least). Just know that, although you can plane against the grain, it will go better if you don't; so if it feels like you are having to fight it, go at it from the opposite end).

There's not much else you need to think about at this point. Things will come up as you go through the building process. You'll find the folks on this forum to be every bit as helpful (and sometimes more) as the folks at CLC. Do comb through the shop tips on CLC's website. There are loads of excellent ones. I followed the advice to finish the bottom of my Mill Creek with an epoxy/graphic mix. I got the tip before CLC came up with it. A tech guy at West Marine gave me the idea, pointing out that it was far easier to touch up scratches in the bottom with graphite epoxy than if I painted it (as I did the hull). It was great advice. So go check the web site for stuff like that. Beyond that, my main advice would be to go to a local drug store, like a Walgreen's, and buy a box or two of their latex gloves in a small size. You'll find that the kits don't come with nearly enough gloves (make sure you wear them anytime you are messing with even the smallest amount of epoxy), nor do the one-size-fits-all gloves that they include ever fit an average woman's hands. For about 5 bucks, you can get 50 that fit well. With well-fitting gloves, and plenty of them, you'll be much more willing to wear them at all times, as you should.

Hey, good luck! If you have more questions for me specifically, I should catch them if you post them. I do, however, go through sprees where I don't get logged on as often as I would like. If you want my personal email address, let me know and I'll email it to you.