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Originally Posted by false_Aest
Lane, I was under the impression that crazing is happens b/c the substrate expands and contracts with changes in humidity while the varnish doesn't.
By painting the wood (I'm going to assume there's a layer of good primer beneath the paint) and then laying on the spar varnish in a few coats aren't you basically making the object waterproof thereby eliminating the potential for crazing.
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That certainly is happening, but the varnish itself is also failing due to UV damage. As also pointed out here, there are varnishes with UV additives, however it really depends on where this installation is located. Nothing saves a varnish (spar or polyurethane) when exposed to high UV. I varnished a wooden sailboat for years and learned all the hell that the OP here may be facing. But your points are good.