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I plan to trim my deck with the same paint that I will do the bottom with. Interlux said it would be fine to use Brightside on the bottom as long as it didn't stay in the water longer the 72 hours. My question is when it comes to the deck and the sides....do I mask off the painted areas and paint the natural areas with a varnish like Epifanes or simular for a brightwork finish? Or do I varnish the whole thing then trim out with paint over the varnish with the paint of choice?.....I'm trying to avoid a ridge between the paint and varnish.....I don't have a compressor so clear coat is out for the moment.

First, I have kept my boat painted with Brightsides in the water for as long as a week with no ill effects. My boat has epoxy as a sealer but no glass. Its a lapstrake hull.

If you just have to avoid the paint line: for masking I would do the deck with a coat or two of varnish first to seal it. (esp. if you are painting over wood not epoxy) Then mask off and paint your triim. Finish with additional coats of varnish. Use the 3M Fineline tape.

However, I think it will be easier to do all your varnish coats first then paint your trim. Since you will only need a few coats of paint but many more coats of varnish the process will be easier and the chances of keeping a good edge are better. My boat has painted decks, varnished trim and a color accent. I did the varnish first, then the deck then the trim. The paint edge is not a big deal with the Brightsides since its so thin the line is barely detectable with your fingers. Not at all with your eyes.

Here is a close-up.

That looks really nice. I was considering varnish first and then trim but I was curious as to how well the varnish would hold the primer and paint as far as long term. If you haven't checked out Interlux in a while...they have a bunch of new stuff...even epoxy resign for all kinds of applications. They even have a two part clear urathane that I was considering as a final coat over everything.

The varnish, if sanded, will hold the paint just fine. You can also mask before the varnish to mark your line. Be sure your varnish or paint is well cured before masking. I like to pull the tape for each coat (as soon as the paint or varnish "sets" but is not yet dry) but some guys leave it on and pull at the end. I tend to damage the tape with in-between coat sanding so I prefer to just be careful then remask for each coat. The 3M tape is great for that since its plastic and stretches around curves nicely.

Thanks for the tips......I always pull it too before it sets.....makes for a smoother edge.