With the all the epoxy done, it was varnish time. Epoxy/fiberglass finish is incredibly strong. However the one weak point of epoxy is sunlight. UV rays can break down the finish in a year or two, causing delamination and failure. Varnish prevents that, or at least slows it down. Varnish itself can be broken down by the sun but at a much slower rate. By reflecting the sun, it protects the fiberglass. Kind of like wax protects a car finish from oxidation.
I use Schooner brand marine varnish. It’s very expensive-45.00 a quart but flows smoothly and looks terrific when finished. And it lasted on my other boats for two years or more.
Like all finishes, dust is the enemy. Varnish gives the boat it’s final look so it needs to be as perfect as possible. You can prep and wipe down the project, put on a perfect coat but come back an hour later and the dust has collected and ruined the finish.
Manufacturers spend a lot of money building paint booths for dust free finishing. I budgeted 55.00 and it worked almost perfectly. Call it a paint booth, a tent, or a room. Full disclosure, I saw this type of structure on YouTube and other places so it’s not my original thought. And I built one like this before when I finished the Night Heron.
Here’s how I did it.
