> Does anyone have any experience with Epifane Varnish? The big boat
> biulders in my area say thats what they use and is suposed to be easyer to
> use than Z-Spar. Is it worth the cost of a badger hair brush or can you do
> just as good a job using foam brushes? Once you put on the last coat of
> varnish can you sand lightly and then wax?

I've done a lot of varnishing, bright and satin, mostly on the mahogony interior of our 20' Sam Devlin pocket trawler, but also on a wooden kayak. For me, Epifanes is the best. I originally tried several, concentrating on Epifanes and Interlux Schooner (Rebecca Whitman's favorite. She's the author of Brightwork: The Art of Finishing Wood, which is a fabulous book). I liked Schooner a lot and stuck with it for a couple of years. It leveled out great and was very easy to work with. But, I've gone back to Epifanes, which I like better. Thicker, which makes it a bit harder to work with, but the depth of color is wonderful and the thickness really does make for a better buildup. The satin (which you won't use on your kayak, unless you want to give it a try on the inside) is excellent. Both are very durable too, in my view. Can't sing Epifanes' praises highly enough.