I'm guessing it's actually a HVLP setup, and it should work superbly. Try some test panels first, though, strain the varnish thoroughly and thin it a little more than you would for brushing. If you want to be scientific about it, ask for a viscosity cup at the paint store, and use it to tune up the thinner ratio. You pour in a known volume and time how long it takes to dribble out the hole, and adjust according to the instructions.

Clean up the shop thoroughly the day before, get lots of lights going, wet down the floor to kill the dust, and go for it. Throttle back the fluid knob on the first coat and make it very light, and then leave it alone for 15 min. or so. This is a "tack coat", and its function is to keep the next coat from running and sagging. The next coat can go on quite a bit thicker, but don't overdo it if you don't have some spray experience. There is a lot of technique involved in spray painting, and lots of mistakes can screw it up. Maintain a distance of 12" from the surface, and keep the pattern perpendicular to the boat. Start your pass before you hit the trigger, and keep it moving after you release it. Overlap the next pass 1/2 pattern width over the last one. Don't overload the places where patterns overlap. Spray the details around the cockpit first, not last. If you are a quick study, you may get 4 coats on in 1 day, and never touch the sandpaper. Good luck, have fun with it, and don't worry if you get some runs and sags. After it sets up the defects can be sanded out, and a final coat sprayed on later.

: A friend made an offer for me to borrow his HPLV spray gun for varnishing my
: nearly complete Return. The offer caught me by surprise as I've always
: used foam or bristle brushes with reasonable success. He even offered to
: do the spraying! Does anyone have experience spray finishing their kayak?
: Pitfalls? Cautions? I have already purchased Captains varnish and hope to
: use it regardless of application technique.