Day 52 - Sanding & varnish the hull

Using my orbital sander, I finished sanding the bottom of the hull with 80 grit. Getting the drips off and making sure I didn't sand off too much took some care. I came close in a couple areas where the weave was just starting to show. The sanding then proceeded with 100, 150, and 220 grit.

I then blew out the garage with my compressor to get the dust off the boat and the walls and the floor and every where else. The fiberglass dust winds up on everything. Waited while the dust settled. Next it was time to wipe down the hull to remove any residual dust. I took a rag and got a small bit of acetone on it and used it to wipe down the hull then followed with a clean rag to get any residual acetone off. Let that sit for a bit and it was time to begin the varnish. I used a 3" wide foam brush to apply the varnish. It went down in a very thin coat. The first picture shows me half done.

Here's the side of the boat with the varnish complete. The grain is very visible.

After about 20 minutes, the varnish is already starting to dry. The finish is not as wet looking as in this picture, but has a nice dull lustre. I'll be putting a second coat of varnish on the bottom, letting that cure and then I'll flip the boat over. That could be in a couple of days.