: I am preparing to epoxy the outside of my Coho hull, and would like to know
: if I should expect any benefit from sanding with a paper finer then the
: 120 grit called out for in the instructions. For most woodworking
: projects, I would end with 320 or 400 - why so course on the hull?

Barry, surface "luminosity" and sheen aside, I've discovered that it's important to be consistent in your surface preparation for all exposed areas - a smoother surface absorbs less epoxy, and a rougher surface absorbs more. This is especially important to note on Pygmy boats, where (per instructions) you have pre-glassed butt-joints exposed. On my first Pygmy boat, I joined the panels without pre-sanding; after forming the hull, I sanded everything down to 220 and ended up with dark bands along the tape joint. All panels on my second boat were sanded to 150 - before taping the joints and prior to glassing the hull - and I've ended up with much less "banding" along the butt joints.

So unless you started with a fine grit, or if you've sanded through the exterior tape seams to bare wood, I'd suggest trying to emulate the condition of the wood as it was prior to your joining of the panels.

Rick