Answers based on having used S3 WR-LPU paint on my dinghy.

1. If you use a roller, you'll need to tip it out with a dry foam brush

2. If you're using the Clear in lieu of varnish, you really don't want to prime inder it. Primer is just for paint. This is what primed wood looks like. It needs pigment, not clear coat, on top of it. That's why I left the varnished areas unprimed. As far a should you bother - if you want a yacht quality finish, yes. If not, no.

3. You'll get a deeper black if you don't put the clear on top of it and you'll waste less clear if you don't put it where you're going to paint anyway.

4. Thinning is to make it flow better, not to stretch it. 1 quart should be plenty for this time and for refinishing it next year after it gets all scratched up.

Don't forget to add crosslinker to the last 2 coats. It really toughens it up.

Laszlo

Thanks Laszlo,  this is great input

I opened the can of S3 last night and brushed on a small test sample to see what it's going to do.  Before I sanded back my "fill the weave" Epoxy I Liked the color of the Okoume very much.  It was a rich beautiful tone.  It seems the process of Smoothing out the bumps by sanding has flushed out the beauty and now it's just faded.  My S3 LPU test sample hasn't convinced me that it will bring back that richness as the Epoxy would.

So the Q here is, could I put on another coat of thinned Epoxy to bring back the color, then go with the Polyurethane?   If not, I'm considering going with the Schooner Varnish, as the color is important to me  

I still want to paint an area in black, similar to the gorgeous new photo contest picture on the website here, with some black across the hood.  I only want to lay masking tape once, to avoid having to re-lay tape butting up to the already painted graphic, it will be impossible or at least extremely difficult to line it up perfect.  So, my guess is maybe the best way is to cover the whole area with whichever I choose, S3 or Varnish and then mask and paint the black on over the top.  Does that sound, right?   If not, what is the best procedure to do this?  In another thread somebody asked about varnishing a half inch over the line.  Then masking and overlapping just that much,... Is that a good idea?   

Also, To the builder of the boat in the photo contest pic, if you are reading this, please respond as well,  I'd love to hear how you did that, because I'm a bit confused.

Thanks

Bri