varnish

[Owen]

I am working on a canoe that will continue to see rough trips and long bush routes with gear. is it a problem to not strip the old varnish and just clean the inside and varnish it?

Thanks,
Owen

 

[MGC]

No...not really, depending on the condition of what's already there. If you have blistering or other problems, you may want to strip it. But for a working canoe, the extra varnish will only add more protection for the wood.
Be sure to sand before you lay any varnish on though.
You cannot bypass sanding...use good varnish and stay away from pure poly.