Stepping in, I used white oak-not red, and sealed it on all sides with 2 coats of CPES (a thinned epoxy) then 6 coats of Epiphanes spar varnish on all surfaces, each coat thinned slightly less than the one before it. Starting with thinned 1:4. Scuff between coats, the last coat is pure varnish. I got the advice of a veteran wooden boat restorer. We'll see how it holds up, but i think it should do pretty well.
