Hi Brian-
It's my understanding that the flush decks of all the Kendalls are, indeed, glass over ply (mine sure is), but at least later Kendalls had molded fiberglass foredecks and cockpits. (Also the case with mine, which were then covered with wood.) I'm not sure when in the production run that started.
The boat's year (in the case of the one you're looking at, 1973; mine, 1974) isn't necessarily the way to determine whether it's an early or late boat, by the way- the hulls were all laid earlier, and the year on the title for many of the Kendalls is the year it was launched/finished/first registered. Bud has a list with hull numbers for at least most of the Kendalls, and will likely know that of the one you are looking at.
I don't remember whether I'd heard the ballast is steel or iron. It's not lead. And it might be mostly punchings rather than shot.
Good luck- I hope the boat's to your liking!
J
ps- If you recall meeting a guy, with Matt Holt, near where you'd parked by the water at Trellis, who mentioned he had a Kendall 32 in Maine, that would be me. The meeting was brief, and two years back, so no sweat if you don't. (I remember because I knew your name from this forum. I don't post much, so you wouldn't have had that benefit.)