The finish line on our 1954 Penn Yan Captivator project is just peeking over the horizon. We have rolled and tipped the first seven coats of Interlux Perfection Plus two-part polyurethane varnish, with sanding three times between coats thus far. We began with 400 grit and progressed through 600 and now 800 grit along the way.
Now there is sufficient film thickness that John has been able to sand more aggressively towards a uniform snow field that we dared to between earlier coats. Sanding too aggressively risks cutting through the varnish down to bare wood. It happens, but building it back without producing visible boundaries around the “patch” is horribly difficult.
We will roll and tip two additional coats and then sand on last time before we apply the 10th and final coat to the decks and covering boards.
Anticipating your questions, yes, we are varnishing over the Sikaflex U295 seams. Perfection is crystal clear and, unlike some spar varnishes, it adheres tenaciously to the Sikaflex, and it imparts the same UV protection to the seam material as it does to the planking.
We have applied five coats of Pettit Hi-Build varnish below the rub rails, and on the transom, with three more to go.
We should be installing wiring, gauges, seating, the windshield and hardware by this time next week.
Happy 4th of July!