Normally it takes me at least 5 coats to fill the weave and I'm very happy to do it that way. The thinner the coats, the less epoxy you use, the less the boat weighs and the less sanding you have to do. I cannot think of a single reason to fill the weave in only 2 coats other than you're trying to get the boat done in a 5 1/2 day class environment (where they tell you up front that the finishing will take another month). You are so much better off taking your time applying many thin coats instead of 2 thick ones.

That said, my last boat was painted, not varnished, so I was able to use epoxy/phenolic microballon mix both to fill the weave and to fair the boat. That stuff sands much more easily than unthickened epoxy, so I combined filling the weave and fairing into one step and put one thick coat of mix onto the hull and then sanded most of it away with a longboard. This was only practical because the mix was stiff enough not to run and easy to sand. It's the ideal mix for under paint, not at all suitable for under varnish (unless you'll only be paddling at night when no one can see you).

Laszlo

   Thanks for the help. It is good to know I dont have some innate character flaw that keeps me from being bale to fill the weave in just two coats. What, if you dont mind me asking, do you use for your second, third, fourth, fifth etc, coats? Is it a squeegee every time?

Roller tipped out with disposable a foam brush.