> No, I haven't put in the hatches yet- I thought it would be better to
> varnish the deck before cutting it. I also haven't installed the
> footbraces- thought it would be easier to install the bulkheads with less
> obstacles in the way. Bad ideas? Also, what is a surform? I have seen it
> mentioned a number of times, but have never found anything by that label
> at any store. Thanks! Nancy

I would varnish the deck afterwards -- you will have to epoxy the edges of your hatch cut-outs, so why not hold off on the varnish until all the epoxy work is done? If you cut the hatches with a sabre-saw, you will probably do a good scuffing job on your deck and would have to re-coat with varnish.

Having the hatches cut before installing the bulkheads will mean that you can apply the silicone sealer to both sides of the bulkhead at the same time. Otherwise you're putting in the bulkheads, caulking one side, doing your hatches, then caulking the other side. Might as well work with the goo only once. I would do in the following order: hatches, bulkheads, footbraces.

A shurform is a hand-held tool that looks similar to a file and is sold by Stanley at any hardware or home-improvement store. It looks and works a lot like a cheese grater. Heck, a cheese grater would probably work just as well. If you do a careful job of the afore-mentioned index card method, you probably won't need a shurform, so don't buy one unless you can't get the bulkhead to fit otherwise.

Dean