From the CLC Shop Tips, Painting with Marine Polyurethanes:

How Many Coats Of Paint? Applying the paint so thinly will probably require three coats for coverage, depending on the color and your patience. Wetsand with 400 grit between coats for maximum smoothness and to avoid removing too much of the thin coat.   

More good stuff about priming and painting with Brightsides at the linked page.

Have fun,

Laszlo

   Agree with Laszlo but I'll add a thought...the Pre-Kote  is amazing stuff and you can get by just fine with 2 coats (as long as you sanded the epoxy pretty smooth).

The sanding of the first coat of Pre-Kote may reveal the surface differently than after sanding the second coat.  The first coat can be your working coat where a lot of the primer is sanded off and the second coat may leave more of the surface white from primer.

Just my 2 cents worth...other builders may have other ideas.

Curt

   Agree with Laszlo but I'll add a thought...the Pre-Kote  is amazing stuff and you can get by just fine with 2 coats (as long as you sanded the epoxy pretty smooth).

The sanding of the first coat of Pre-Kote may reveal the surface differently than after sanding the second coat.  The first coat can be your working coat where a lot of the primer is sanded off and the second coat may leave more of the surface white from primer.

Just my 2 cents worth...other builders may have other ideas.

Curt

   I like the precoat.  Add a little pigment to the second coat so that you know when you sand through to the white.  If you don't sand through and see white two coats will do.  If you sand through add another coat and try again.  I used three coats of brightsides on my last boat.

I put three coats on my NE-Dory, and she be looking fine.

I did NOT use primer, as I only painted the exterior, and the site recommends no primer on submerged surfaces.

three coats gave me a uniform coverage with no splotchy or streakyness.

i applied with a foam roller and foam brushes.