My approach has been to install the waterboards, then the top wale level with the waterboards...sand and finish that, then a bulwark wale with the scuppers cut into the bottom edge. The kit planking plan (below) shows the quarterdeck step is managed by just stopping a plank at the great beam and the next plank running straight through. The problem is that you cant just do this because the foredeck waterway and the quarterdeck waterway are not a plank different in height...they are only about half a plank My solution (lucky) was to use some spare stock half the plank width for the quarterdeck top wale...that way you can get the wales level with their waterways and also run the longer plank straight through. You could also cut down a plank to half width if you had to. Maybe this is reflecting an earlier mistake but I dont think so as the deck planking levels are right.
View attachment 255406
View attachment 255407from the hull planking detail above, which appears from the MS2130 plan, you have the information there that considers what BN had used while if you have the Saga BNII book on page 39 you can see a slightly different pattern which I personally did not try to follow. In the MS plan view I did not use the wider strakes but stayed with narrow ones which kept me our to changing widths and numbers being laid down. Follow your eyes and hands as to what is working best for your sequence of elements. Just a thought. Rich