: The question is, should I seal the entire boat-hull with epoxy inside and out
: or is varnish inside sufficient to keep the wood from absorbing water?

: Any other sudgestions?

: --eric

Hello Eric,
Last year I restored an older boat with similar type construction (strip-planked with ribs and nails). It had, at some time in it's past, been canvassed. The canvas job had later been removed and then sloppily glassed with polyester resin on the exterior only. The inside had been varnished and had been terribly weathered - for all practical purposes this boat was sealed on the outside only - it was a real mess when it came to my shop.
I stripped all of the old varnish, sanded the polyester/glass off, replaced some ribs and woodwork,and then sealed everything with CPES. I really gave the interior a good soaking so as to allow the CPES to do it's thing - penetrate and seal old cracks. The exterior only was then epoxy/glassed. This was followed up with 6 coats of varnish inside and out.
I am very impressed with CPES and recommend it highly for wood that reqires a deep penetrating sealer - the only drawback being the fact that it has quite a bit of solvent and hence, a respirator and good ventilation are a must.

Joe