Austin,

I've not built a Jimmy Skiff, but here is my 2 cents worth. It is imperative that all the the wood in your boat be encapsulated in epoxy resin. This article on the Aging of Stitch and Glue Boats provides many examples of what water penetration can do. That being said, everything in boat building is a tradeoff. Epoxy is heavy and too much epoxy will make your boat heavier. I agree with your idea and these are some points you'll need to keep in mind:

1. Make sure everything is thoroughly coated with epoxy when you are finished.
2. If you have to use fasteners, make sure that they are sealed and do not provide a route for water to penetrate the wood.
3. Make sure that any epoxy that could be exposed to the sun (the sides and bottom do reflect light upwards and sideways) is protected by paint or varnish (paint is the better protection). The sun's ultraviolet light quickly destroys unprotected epoxy.
4. For wear protection, you might want to put a layer of glass on the seat tops and the inside surface of the bottom --- I did in my Peeler Skiff and it has worked well.
5. Read the builder's manual thoroughly beforehand and make sure that you are not coating things you shouldn't.

It is a matter of personal taste, but I believe that brightwork, though beautiful, weakens the boat's protective finish because water can penetrate varnish.

Good luck and fun for your build. Building your own boat can be a very satisfying thing.

Cheers,

Dick