: I am just starting to build my first stitch and glue boat. I decided on a
: Pygmy Osprey HP. My first mistake was building a table to work on, it was
: 2 ft to short, Doh! I know this is a premature question, but can one stain
: the wood before you cover the hull in epoxy and fiberglass cloth? Has
: anyone installed the Pygmy hatches and bulkheads? They do not look they
: wood be terribly effective in keeping water out especially if the water is
: rough. Thanks in advance.

I would advise against staining. The only kayaks with stain on them that didn't have splotchiness problems, were ones that have been painted up over the sheerline. Epoxy penetrates and seals the wood when panels are glued together. If you stain the panels before gluing them, when you sand the glued seams, you will sand through the stained part.

If you do decide to stain, do NOT use oil-based stain as this can create adheasion problems with epoxy. Others have used oil-based stains without problems, but if you do have problems they could be very serious.

FWWW, I built a 16' table for my 17' Tern, and have also used it for 2 other 17' kayaks, a 17'8" kayak, and a 15' kayak. It has worked very well for all of them. The bow and stern hanging over the ends don't seam to cause any problems.

Mike