Hi Danielle, i concure with Derek, also allow about a week for the wood to dry, if you can in the lounge so there is some warmth without much moisture in the air. When dried out seal the inside of the hull with Layup resin, or Zpoxy but this is expensive, this is quile thin apply between the ribs and roll the hull to coat all the internal structure, including the ribs themselves, the wood should absorb some of the resin if it is thin enough, when it has set (24 hours ish) coat the outer hull with model aircraft light weight glass cloth, again with the resin and a couple of coats to get a smooth finish, remember most paint these days is not waterproof, the resin will seal the wood and give you a smooth sanded surface to apply the finishing colour. If you need contact emails for the Glass Cloth i can send details of suppliers who do mail order.
Mark