: Hi All.
: I have now completed most of the woodwork on my Guillemot and have cleaned
: and sanded the deck down to a good finish with 180 grit sandpaper. I think
: I am now ready to put on a wetting coat of resin, but I read in the West
: System handbook that wood surfaces should be finished with 80 grit to give
: good keying. Have I realy got to ruin the finish I now have or have I
: missunderstood something. Help please!

I believe you'll find that your wood (particularly if it's western red cedar) will behave somewhat like a sponge, sucking the epoxy into any and all open grain. I don't think that your ever-so-slightly smoother finish is going to make the bond any more or less powerful.

If you're still concerned, an easy fix would simply be to wipe down the entire boat with a damp (water) cloth. This slight bit of moisture should cause the grain to swell a bit and remain open. Just let the wood dry (won't take very long) before applying epoxy.

Todd