Who's discouraging you? And why?

There's absolutely nothing wrong with a varnished hull. Same with a painted one. You're the builder, you get to pick which one you want.

It's not a Skerry, but this was my 100% varnished schooner. I liked it (and so did the judges).

You just have to be really careful with your work because every flaw, missed pencil line and patched spot will be on display for the whole world to see.

Laszlo

ditto Laszlo's comments.

i don't think that anybody 'discourages it' as it does not really have a nexus with how the boat will perform or hold up.  it's really about do you want a clear finish where you can see the underlying wood or would you rather have a painted surface becuase you think that looks nicer.

frankly, for boats like this (the entire CLC catalog) i would suggest it is "encouraged" to do a varnish or clear coat as it has the possibility of being beautiful in a way that is unique to wood.

the only drawback, in my view, to varnish/clear, is that, as laszlo says, you see everything and its not particularly kind to situations where you may have damaged the grain or had some other defect that does not look great under clear.   but if you like the look and your workmanship is up to the task, by all means, go ahead and varnish your boat.

it's not a skerry, but this is what i mean by the taking advantage of the unique qualities of wood.....

h

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   If you varnish the boat first and don't like the look it is easier to paint the hull than it is to paint first and change to varnish later.