: Many have obviously worked around these issues, but what should I do on my
: first (but probably only for a long, long while) boat?

Hi Scott -
First of all, you've picked a really great design...just ask anyone who has built a Tern 14'. Your boat has no reported bad habits and should be a hoot to paddle when you're done. My daughter ended up with the Tern 14' I built and she loves the darn thing.

Second, when in doubt, follow the instructions. They might be a bit over-engineered but you'll build a strong boat. Leaving the outside sheer tape off won't save you significant weight and you'll be leaving some extra reinforcement off an area that takes lot's of abuse over time. One area that WILL save significant weight is going easy on the endpours. There's no need to pour in 2 lbs of epoxy just to drill two holes for end toggles. Reinforce the bow and stern with extra cloth and a conservative end pour (if you feel the need to do one) and look at the variety of ways builders drill for end toggles on this BBS.

Time to get started!

Jim