Having just finished a 14' Auk and looking for a different challange, I'm building Nicks free S.G. Guillemot since it's supposed to be a bear. I fully expect to need to paint a portion and plan on leaving the bulk bright. My question is, do you fill, paint and then varnish? I typically use the varnish to help smooth the hull but can't using this series of steps. Seems logical but thought I would post it to everyone. By the way, I am doing everyone a favor and getting the really crappy wood off of the market, it's all I could find locally!