Before I can start on my new Borealis XL I needed to refinish my current Coho Hi. Last week I sanded the old varnish off and started re-varnishing. This is a picture of the deck after the first coat of varnish was applied. See steps below.  I've always thought that varnishing was a sort of black art. But then I found an online video last week and tried his technique (although just now I can't find it to post a link). It seems to work really well! So... here's how to varnish a wooden kayak:  1. Use high quality Z-Spar Flagship varnish from Pettit 2. Using one of those small (4") white foam rollers, spread on a THIN (VERY THIN) coat of varnish in a very small area (2' x 2' or less). 3. Then use a black foam brush to tip the air bubbles out of the varnish and to smooth the coat. Brush from dry into wet areas. Watch for any runs and clean them up with the brush, but if made a thin enough layer with the roller then it shouldn't be an issue. ...