: Where can one buy satin spar varnish and have you found it to be as durable
: as the high gloss? I would think it would be a lot easier on the eyes on a
: sunny day and it might even look nicer. Are you applying the varnish with
: foam brushes ?

I apply the varnish with a foam brush, but I have never liked doing it that way. I am going to do a touch up in the next week or so, I am planning on applying varnish with a rag.

How does satin varnish hold up compared to gloss? honestly I don’t know. On my boat I use satin, I have helped my friends varnishing their boats with gloss. They seam to go on about the same, after each coat you get a richer and fuller look.

My varnish is pealing on the bottom a fair bit and theirs is not. There is a big difference on how we use our boats thou. I use my boat more often and I go places that others dare not go because they don’t want scratches. I have 10+ foot long deep scratches all over the bottom of the hull, from slapping rocks on rapids, and getting hung up on a small 3 foot waterfall. The hull has flexed beyond the capabilities of what the satin varnish was designed for so that is why varnish is peeling (I hope so at least). I don’t know if gloss varnish is more pliable than the satin varnish. In the achieves you will find that people have said that the gloss varnish is harder than the satin varnishes. so what does that mean? I’m not sure, it could mean that people have had less peeling with the gloss, because it flexes more or it could mean that it is actually harder than the satin varnish and they have had less deep scratches.

Unless you plan to keep your boat in the water all the time I would use what ever you personally like the look of gloss, satin or possibly even a combination of the two. I use satin inside and out. One of my friends like high gloss look inside and out. Another friend uses a combination gloss on the out side on the hull and satin on the inside and some times on the deck also (he does not like the glare nor how slippery gloss can become when wet).

JAG