I'm with you, brother. I'm at the same point. I'm gonna sand it with 220 and lay down the varnish. I'll probably be bashing it against rocks anyway. No one will see the weave except me. Not to mention the hairs, bubbles, and wood flakes

I appreciate your posts - I am just at the point where I'm going to sand before varnishing and read in the instructions for the Shearwater 14 to sand it down with successive 80-120 grit sandpaper, then put on a "thin skim coat" and sand with 120 and then 220  grit.  I have been trying to figure out why I would want to put on the skim coat since I'm sure I'll get more runs.  I think I'll see how it looks after the 80-120 grit - if no weave is showing and it's all looking smooth, I might just go to the 220 and call it good if it looks fine when I wet it down with water.  I do want it to look nice, but I also don't want to spend another couple weeks sanding, re-applying epoxy, wait for cure, sand, repeat! 

By the way, is a week long enough to wait for the epoxy to cure before varnishing?  (MAS slow hardener, 65 degrees)  I've read varying times depending on epoxy used, and I know it will depend on temperature (I can crank the heater up and cook it at about 75-80 for a day or so if that would help). 

With the MAS, a week should be plenty of time.  You really only need to worry about it when using epoxies that tend to blush.  

I'm at the same point of sanding, and have been debating another coat of epoxy as well.  I think I'm going to bite the bullet and sand down to 220 the way it is.  I'll have some cloudy spots, but I also want to finish the boat already (I started building on June 15th).   So far, it looks pretty darn good when I wipe it with thinner.  

~Chris 

BTW Kathy, what did you decide on for finish?

good to know i am not alone! Thanks for the responses

Chris,

 Well, in the interest of staying away from really nasty fumes (the Interlux Perfection I was considering), I'm pretty sure I'm going with System Three WR-LPU, but I do want to give them a quick call and ask a few specifics.  I know that some builders have reported having a tough time getting brush marks out, but I'm hoping that since I'm building in a covered outside area in Seattle that I can hose the whole place down and wait for a rainy day (like almost any day here) which should both minimize dust and keep the humidity high enough that the working time will be a little longer.  We'll see how it goes.  I have to keep reminding myself I'm building a boat that will get scratched up as soon as we star using it.  I am getting anxious to get it on the water so that helps me remember to just get it done and stop agonizing so much!  

 Kathy 

David,

I thought you were going to see what varnish looked like over the spot. What changed your mind? At any rate, with all the epoxy you've put on and taken back off you should be ready for varnishing. Don't know what type you're planning on using but it's important to follow the manufacturer's instructions. I use Epiphanes High Gloss and the thinner recommended. (There is a current post about varnish being too thick to apply.) Epiphanes has to be thinned 20% or so for the first coat and 10-15% every coat thereafter. Of course you'll be sanding with 320 wet between coats. I use disposable foam brushes and end up with the furniture finish that gets scratched up a bit with use but who cares! My first two kayaks have the original varnish, no touch ups, and still look great. Scratches and all.

George K

Ahh the joys of building your own boat.  May I suggest you ask yourself a very personal question:  What are you building?  Not what model, what purpose?  Is this a show piece or a boat to be paddled and enjoyed?  I am not suggesting that you do inferior work or compromise yourself in any way, just try to balance the perfectionism with the realistic end goal in mind.  You will find (echoed in George’s words) they get better with age.  You will notice that little sag in the varnish half way down the bow on the right side, but no one else will and for some reason, all the imperfections fade with time.  Unless you are building a show piece in which case invest in an air compressor and a good quality spray gun.

George,

Now you sound like my wife!! You are both correct!! Had the boat in the driveway this weekend, and sanded flat in epoxy it had all the neighbors blown away. This is the last time for the epoxy, the varnish should be here any day, and I am  not going to be able to resist getting a coat on.

Thanks for the input on the thinning!

David,

I know, I know. I am the kind of guy who puts in beautiful hardwood floors and then i am suprised that it gets scratches!! I hope to get this boat in the water every chance i get, And i do agree that will result in "character"

 Thanks again for all the support, it helps

 David