Friends,
I've been working on my double ender. According to the build record it was constructed in 1943. It has steel tacks @#$%^&!! It appears to have been originally painted on the interior rather than varnished. I stripped and stripped and stripped trying to remove all the paint with the intent of varnishing like Dave's boat pictured above. I have given up. It will not come out completely. Every little tack dent, every joint, every crevasse is filled with paint. I have admitted defeat and I generally don't give up easy. There is no evidence of varnish anywhere under the paint so I will clean it up as best as I can, replace the broken ribs, and paint it again. If I could get paint to stick to the house as good as it did to this boat I would be a happy man. The gunwales, seats, breast hooks, seat knees, seat support rails and floor rack will be varnished. This boat is set up for sailing so the mast, leeboards & bracket as well at the rudder will also be varnished so I guess there will be enough bright work to still look good. After I made the decision to paint the interior rather than varnish the clouds parted and a great weight was lifted from my shoulders. Don't try to change my mind again - the way ahead is clear!!
Peace, Jim C.