Encapsulation

Encapsulation is the process of coating all wood surfaces with two coats of epoxy resin. This is to seal the wood and essentially give it a plastic liner.  This should prevent water from seeping in places and eventually damaging the wood.  Now, the white oak and meranti plywood are marine grade and very water resistant, but over time damage could still be done.  The epoxy coating should help prevent that.

Here's a shot of the coated interior looking towards the bow.  It does darken the mahogany plywood and gives the white oak a golden tone. 
 

NOTE:  If you ever build a boat and plan to encapsulate, do some of the more difficult areas before you put on the plywood planking.  For example, the stem and other parts in the bow could be done before the hull is planked.  It would have been a lot easier then than now.
 
Let me say that this process is a royal pain.  I hate painting in the first place, and this is worse than painting. The resin doesn't spread easily, it starts to drip and sag, plus you can only work with about 8oz of resin at a time, else it starts to gel and can't be used.   So you must get out and mix new batches.   I didn't keep count but I think it took 7-8 batches per coat.  Every nook and cranny must get the resin.  The tools of the trade are a 3" foam roller and a disposable brush.   You have to crouch and kneel on the wood battens and frames to get at all the pieces which is painful on the knees and back of an old duffer like me.  Then you get to do it all over again!  The joy!


The other irritating fact is that after it dries your hull looks all messed up.  The epoxy, because it doesn't dry on contact like paint does, has several hours to drip and sag. Your nice smooth wood surfaces look like they have skin disease.  Fortunately, a lot of the areas will be covered by floorboards, etc. so won't be visible.  The visible areas will have to be sanded and varnished.  (Ugh, more painting. )

This is the area of the transom under the motor well.   I purposely didn't complete the motor well so I had easier access to this area, both for encapsulation and also mounting the bilge pumps.  You can't see all the drips and sags but most vertical surfaces have them.