Skip navigation.

Painting and Varnishing

After all the hard work of building a boat that won't sink, you'll want to spend some time making it pretty.

Fast and Fabulous - Varnishing Techniques

Articles | Painting and Varnishing
I'm getting ready to varnish my Mill Creek 15, now named "Manteo" after my family vacation spot. I didn't have too much trouble with varnishing Michael's boat (now named OB, after a horse he learned how to ride on) but thought a little research wouldn't hurt.

This article, meant for owners of large motor craft, has some good tips and describes the process in detail.

Research "boat varnishing" on the web, discussion groups or BoatBloggers.com

Much less sanding

Painting and Varnishing
A quick update as I come down the home stretch on my Mill Creek.

I bought on impulse a carbide scraper this weekend*. Using the carbide scraper to remove epoxy drips and runs is a breeze and even enjoyable. I was grinning as I realized the time I'd save when it came to sanding the boat. Also, since I'm taking the boat out without paint and varnish, this will get me to an acceptable level of finish when topped off with a thin coat of epoxy.

The other grin factor came when I realized how much the tips on Glassing the Deck helped. I've got a nice clean line that I'm quickly fairing out with my carbide scraper. This is a major improvement to the web of dangling sloppy glass threads that I had to sand off on my first boat.

I'll try and post some pics of the boat before heading out to the beach.

* Shop for "carbide scraper" on Amazon.com or used on ebay.

Painting with Marine Polyurethanes

Articles | Painting and Varnishing
Instructions for painting with one-part polyurethane paint.

Painting Over The Deck - CLC Shop Tips

Articles | Painting and Varnishing
CLC shop tip describing their technique for painting so that the paint covers the hull and comes up on the deck by an inch or so. This looks sharp and is easy to do.

Vaneer Inlays - New Zealand Kayak Building

Articles | Painting and Varnishing
This article describes how to create a veneer inlay for your boat.