I will just say something I fully expected, that the time estimates provided by the manufacturer are shaping up to be wildly optimistic. I work in the mining industry, so I know what it's like to be hard-wired for optimism, but this is significant.
First things first, though. I set up a temporary 16' workbench, which will be needed until the panels start getting stitched, took inventory of the wooden bits, and started doing surface and edge sanding. I assume things would have gone quicker if I had a bit more space but after 4 hours of sanding I'd managed to sand both surfaces and the edges of all of the bulkheads, hatch components, seat components, and three of the four panels that make up the keel, leaving 16 pieces that make up the remainder of the hull and another 12 that make up the deck. Clearly, I've got to either speed up or temper my expectations. I think I know which :(.
A couple of pictures of a LOT of plywood.
One thing I've already learned, at this early stage, is just how easily the plywood splinters. I've had a couple of bits where my sanding pad caught on an edge and tore. Luckily I think it won't impact the final appearance.
One thing that is terrific is those puzzle joints which you can see on the midpoints of the panels and the other components. Just thinking of the additional setup and misery that would be involved in assembling a kit with butt or scarf joints to get the two pieces of each panel to be correctly aligned AND the right overall length gives me hives. That's especially important if you're not imbued with either a lot of woodworking experience or a lot of space, which is me in a nutshell.
Hopefully tonight I can start getting the panels together. In my available space this will entail some juggling of those 16' panels. Oh yes. I may be begging for more room before the night's out!
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