: Does anyone ever finish the hull entirely including the varnish before
: turning the boat over to start stripping the deck? I thought of masking
: the hull while it sits in the cradle for deck stripping. This would
: protect the hull from any damage or scratches while the rest of the work
: is done?

People do it building canoes, at least up to the last coat of varnish, but
I would be cautious putting any varnish on the hull of a kayak until hull and deck are joined which means basicly when the boat is finished. You will have to sand it off to get a good epoxy bond between deck/hull and then try to feather the varnish coats together, might not be too pretty. I don't know what the advantage would be varnishing so early except you have the hull held firmly in place. I line the cradles with strips of old rubber carpet pad so it's stays put.