> I'm getting ready to varnish my Pygmy Osprey Standard. Pygmy recommends
> varnishing only the deck and not the hull. Can anyone tell me the reason
> for this? Doesn't the hull require UV protection, too? Thanks for the
> help.

I'm finally finishing up my Osprey Standard. I used Captain's varnish, wet sanded 220 grit between the first two coats of the deck, then 400 between coat 3 and 5. Coat 6 was sanded with 600 grit, and finally number 7 was sanded with 1000, very light, then to top it off it's getting a nice swirling of automotive burnishing compound (sort of like rubbing compound, only not as abrasive). The end result is smooth as glass, shiny as varnish gets, and alot of UV protection. The hull has 4 coats of Captain's. I'm not as concerned about the look of the hull, so I'm not spending lots of time of the finish. Good luck, and remember, varnish is only for UV protection, the more you put on, theoretically longer your epoxy will last. As far as weight, I can't imagine a coat of varnish weighs much at all...