Hi,

I'm looking at building one (initially...) of Tom's SOF designs (probably Sea Rider) with wood frame, and PVC or similar skin.

I read a few other posts about epoxying the skins of boats. I assume this is just for certain materials, and that PVC (or similar) as described on his site doesn't require epoxy coating? What skins do?

Also, it seems the wood frames are just oiled (apart from ply forms). Is this sufficient for long-term durability of the boat, and is there any upside/downside of epoxying the whole frame? I plan on using Paulownia, a wood similar to, but lighter and cheaper than, WRC. It's cheaper, a little less dense but still strong, and so should make a light frame (I have a few clear boards hand I can rip, so no extra cost too). Would flexing of rhte hull frame result in the epoxy cracking, or will a thin coat provide better stiffness?

Thanks for your input (and I promise to post pics when done!).

Regards,
Darren
Melbourne, Australia