Boat interior question - to paint wood or not to paint?

[Lee Thomas]

What is the general consensus on this topic? I am rebuilding some parts on my boat seats, mainly the seat base frames and a couple of the seat bottoms need new plywood. I also plan to make a small 36" jump seat in the back. When I build the new wood I am thinking they would be best if painted, but I always see the wood left bare in the boats. I feel this is just because it is done as cheap as possible, but wonder if it helps to dry the wood out if it gets wet.

IF not a quality paint on the wood, maybe a good wood sealer like a deck stain? I do not want to get too overly crazy as the boat will be covered when not in use and I am only repairing seats and not building all new ones.

Here is a photo of my Nessie. She's a 19-foot, 1967 Hydrodyne. i am looking for any information about this boat as I have not been able to find the exact hull. I have found a couple that closely matches mine but smaller, and different layouts for the controls and drivetrains. The Hydrodyne 1700 is a very close match, but shorter. The guys over at the Hydrodynders web form are stumped too. The registration lists it as a "Hotshot" but I have found no mention of that online.
but would like to build the jump seat a little better while I am at it

 

[Baylinerchuck]

Sealed wood is always better than unsealed. In my restoration, I sealed all the above deck plywood, such as the seat backers, vinyl pad backers, and the rear seat frame. The sealer is a recipe I discovered on this forum. It’s one quart spars urethane, one quart linseed oil, and 2 quarts mineral spirits. Apply liberally, and wipe up any that doesn’t soak in. I let the wood dry a few days, then top coat with rust oleum above the waterline paint. The sealer alone works well, I just like painted wood.

 

[Lee Thomas]

Thanks! I would like to have everything painted a nice crisp white too as the interior is red and white. The white would look very nice.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I epoxy coated all the seat base wood that I did in my restoration. that way it encapsulated the wood to prevent moisture