I agree with your sentiments re: sanding by hand to avoid sanding through the epoxy.

> poor grad student and can't afford the toys - yet. So I started
> hand-sanding by neccessity and, when I can afford a random-orbital sander,
> will probably only use it on the flat areas.

I sanded my boat entirely by hand when I built my Ches 17 (as a starving grad student) but the boat really benefitted this spring, when, as a gainfully-employed member of the workforce, I sprung for the ROS and gave the whole boat a once-over and fresh coat of varnish.

Shawn