Hello Russ,
My Motto:
"EVERY NEW PROJECT IS A REASON TO BUY A NEW TOOL"
Of course I am in the woodworking bussiness so I have an excuse; Time is money. Sounds like you are of to a good start, almost ready for stripping! You obviously have some tools if you own a handheld planer so I am assuming you have the basics covered already. For this new project called the "Night Heron" I purchased a Delta 12 inch disc sander. It payed for itself just sanding the forms. I then moved it to the kayak area while I was stripping and used it constantly. If you have some room and can spare a little cash it is an excellant investment. They also make some combination disc/belt sanding stations that may even be cheaper but like everything in life you get what you pay for.
Best of luck, Happy new kayak building year,
Timothy