: Help!
: After working in my cellar for 10 months I decided to bring the
: deck outside to install coaming risers. So at 3pm today it
: dawned on me that epoxy is not suppose to be in direct sun
: without varnish. I'm talkin hot noontime sun: about 6 hours
: worth. Have I done any permanent damage?
: I also notice the weave is very visible but clear under two fill
: coats. The kayak is in the shade now but please let me know if
: I'm making a new deck...
: Is being in the shade acceptable for long periods with no UV
: protection?

: Please give me the facts straight. I can handle it! I just want to
: be on the water!
: Thanks, Jim

You should be okay. I would not leave, or use an unvarnished boat for more than 14 days in full summer sun.

I mean IN the sun, not counting time stored out of the sun. But after a month the epoxy should be fully cured
and easier to sand and varnish. Be sure to wash off the surfaces with water and a scrubbing pad to remove amine blush before varnishing.

AND you can have epoxy failure, especially if you leave a dark colored deck kayak, in the full hot sun, which shows up as white dots where stress is released. A boat can get very hot, so hot you can't hold you hand on it, on shore, or on a car top, in a parking lot. Remember, the sealed fore and aft hatches seal air in and don't allow it to cool, so it may be prudent to "crack" the hatches on shore on really hot days.

Bringing your boat out into the bright brutal sunlight for the first time will reveal a lot of things not seen in the shop.

If you see a sliver "fleck" showing up in the fiberglass when the sun hits it at a certain angle, that reveals the glass was not
totally wet-out. If you wish to do a totally transparent wet-out see my epoxy tips page at;

http://www.laughingloon.com/epoxy.html

Get it wet!!

All the best,
Rob