Hi All,
: I need some advice and how far to go with sanding and fairing. I am busy with
: a Guillemot and trying to decide how much sanding is enough, I don't want
: to over do it if it’s not necessary but on the other hand I want to do it
: properly. Must the surface be 100% smooth prior to glassing? I have a
: couple of small grooves where some of the strips connect, must all these
: come out?
: This is the first kayak I am building so hopefully I can rely on other
: people’s experience. Any advice would be appreciated

: Regards
: Adrian

BTW: I have 2 strip canoes under my belt.
If this is your first kayak, you must have bought Nick's book ... right? He goes into great detail about fairing and sanding. His motto is to plane and do minimal sanding ... and only enough sanding to take out the scratches. If you have any gaps, they should be filled otherwise you'll end up with a void with air between the fiberglass and wood.

I'm building the Guillemot Expedition (well, I haven't actually started yet). I'd love to see any construction pics you have.

Dave