First time boat project

I recently purchased myself a winter project in the form of a used 15' StarCraft boat made in 1972. Hooray! Now comes the hard work. She has an aluminum hull, and wooden deck covered by carpet. Any tips or advice you offer me would be greatly appreciated. I do have some questions to start out though.
Do I have to worry at all about painting the hull? The reason I chose her is because the hull appeared to be in good condition. Any woodwork I can handle, but I'm not at all experienced in patching or working with metal.

What would be a good brand of paint/stain to use for the wooden components, such as the deck? I've used Verathane before, and have liked the results it's given. I'm just not sure if it'd be an appropriate choice in this instance.

What are some stores/websites where I can order boat components/accessories, such as an anchor or tie off points(?). Sorry, don't know a lot of terminology.

Could anyone recommend a certain type of carpeting to use? I plan on ripping all the old stuff up so I can get to the deck. Which means that I'm going to have to replace the old stuff. Do I just use outdoor carpeting?

That's all that I can currently think of. Thanks for reading (and hopefully) answering my questions.

Hi Regi, you ask several questions but first welcome to the dreaded boat owners headaches. An aluminum hull can be left unpainted but first check the condition (all over including the inside) for any pit marks especially around welded joints as these can result in ali rot and cause leakages, There are several paints especially designed for aluminum hulls and your local paint supplier will advise you as which is the best, don't be tempted to use ordinary paint as this will not adhear to aluminum.
Location of spare parts can be soursed either from a local chandlers, boat jumbles or even ebay but shop around as the costs can burn holes in your pocket. plastic cleates and fairleads are very cheap but stainless ones are very expensive, they just look posh. Anchors can be a bit of a headache but generally determined as to where you are going to use your boat, either on a lake river or at sea, if a lake where you have just the wind that's going to moove you around then even a large brick would keep you in position where as out at sea where wind and tide will drag you along then a good size anchor and chain will be required, in this case the chain has to be 1,1/2 times the length of your boat as this acts as a shock absorber as your boat moves up and down in the tide. Length of rope attached to the chain should be 1.1/2 times the depth of water you are anchoring in.
Carpets for boats have to be of a fine woven pile, not rubber backed so they can be glued to decking with Evo-stick or the equivelent. they have to alow breathing so they dry out quickly after getting wet.
Now that you have joined this site you will find thousands of answers to 99% of your questions so I wish you the best of luck and happy boating..
Eric

I have found that the instructions and videos on two sites most helpful over the years - West Marine and Jamestown Distributors. Their painting tutorials and paint application charts are excellent. Also, BoatUS has some good articles on repair, maintenance, and restoration.

I disagree with Eric on one key point. Your anchor rope length (scope) should be at least five times the depth of water you are likely to anchor in. Here is a link to a good write up from West Marine: https://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvisor/How-To-Anchor-Securely

Anchor type depends on the types of bottom you are most likely to deal with. Here is another West Marine article on various anchor types.
https://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvisor/Selecting-The-Right-Anchor