> I have great luck with spraying varnish! Let me prefice this by noting
> that I have access to a spay booth and a low pressure/high velocity spray
> system. Once the varnish is properly thinned, it flows on perfectly.
> Shooting a hull takes 5 minutes...tops! It takes a lot longer to clean up
> the equipment than to varnish the boat. With the right touch, the finish
> is "furniture quality", no sags, runs, drips, or brush marks.
> Spraying is the only way for me.

I'm an old autobody guy and spraying is the only way. The trick is good light and a properly thinned varnish. Hold the gun a set distance away from the surface, Start and stop the spray before and after the panel, and never stop moving the gun. Overlap about 1/3 onto the previous stripe you sprayed and most importantly, watch the surface texture as you apply the varnish from the side so you don't apply too much. (here is where the light comes in because you are looking at the surface for reflections to indicate wetness.) A properly applied film will flow out BEHIND the gun. If it looks museum quality in the fog, chances are you are way too wet and will get runs. If your not sure of yourself, you may want to brush it, otherwise I hope the above tips help. Remember, if you have a good quality brush on hand, just watch the boat as it drys and brush out any runs-no harm! You can afford to be wetter on the deck obviously. Suspend the kayak from the grab handles (mask off the rope and handle) Also, use a tack rag to get the dust off before you spray or add successive coats to a tack-free coat, just don't allow the tack rag to ever stop in one place-keep it moving and lift it off the surface as you are wiping or you may deposit dirt by stopping. Good luck