I think most of us just coat the endgrain edges really well, I use at least two coats of epoxy. Interesting about Purpleheart, I havent tried to work it much except resawing small pcs, and they snapped into "warped" position as soon as they came off the bandsaw. I had to cut 'em thick and plane them down with very small cuts on the planer.

: I just wanted to thank you for the positive responses I've gotten from the
: Bulletin Board. When you build your own boat you think you're holding up a
: candle in the dark. It is nice to see other twinkling lights in the
: forest. I'll share a bit of what I learned on the first boat. Purple heart
: is a beautifu wood, but don't treat it like a wood. It behaves like a soft
: metal, like thick brass, or aluminum. So work it like metal. Cut a little
: at a time. Double clamp the thing before touching it with a power tool.
: And don't even try to bend it. It is great for the deck, the combing, the
: paddle stem, anywhere flat. But oh, man when you get that glass on it does
: it shine! I also have a question. On flush hatches, it seems like there
: are some spots that will let water seep in. Capillary action is a strong
: force. Do you oversize the hole and rim it with epoxy? Similar to the way
: holes are drilled bigger at first, re epoxied, then drilled small?