> Decay? What decay? Encapsulating the wood in epoxy is going to
> keep almost any kind of wood from decaying for decades. Let your children,
> or their children, worry about fixing decayed areas when THEY refinish
> your handmade, family heirloom, boat.

> How do you encapsulate the wood so that it is practically decay
> proof? Simple. Paint on two thin layers of epoxy resin on all surfaces.
> Polyester resin doesn't do it. If you are using fiberglass, you'll
> be doing this anyway.

Two coats of thinned epoxy over the entire frame. Gotcha. But will that coating crack as the frame flexes with use? The guy at the Wood Worker store suggested some kind of marine varnish (I don't remeber the brand name) which, acording to him, has a bit more elasticity than other varnishes.