The only problem with epoxy sealing of teak is that you need to put a sufficient amount on the surface to ensure that normal
heating and
cooling won't quickly crack the radii or tight corners. This would then lead to a later separation of the teak from the epoxy sheath. And you MUST have an opaque surface coating, otherwise the UV will penetrate and break down the epoxy. I did a test coating of Gougeon Bros. West System 105 resin and 207 Special Hardener (it holds up better to UV. The surface was gorgeous and looked like the best
varnish job available. It lasted about six months before beginning to yellow in sections, and a year later had begun to separate and peel. All in all, a bit more durable than just
varnish. My plan is to completely seal all my exterior teak (hatch deflectors, handrails,
companionway webs) with the epoxy, then coat these with several coats of clear linear
polyurethane, followed by a couple coats of LPU in the same color as my
hull paint (with the exception of the companionways - they are too beautiful to
paint over). That way, should I ever feel the need to show
wood shine to the world, I can sand off the topcoat and apply a shine coat. I've used the clear coat and am quite impressed with its durability, which, while not as great as an opaque LPU (about 12-15 years) has so far kept its shine in varnish form for three years now. I expect that tropical UV would be less tolerant of such hubris.