After the canoe was cleaned from the dust and shavings by vacuuming it out and wiping it down with a tack cloth, the last step was to varnish the canoe. The varnish protects the boat from the sun's UV rays as Ted Moores states the canoe will get more damaged from the sun than from the rocks. The sun breaks down the epoxy and wood and therefore it is mandatory to varnish it. I bought Cabot varnish from Lowes because of its UV strength and marine durability, however it was too thick. I applied the varnish with cheap brushes from Harbor Freight, which I think was my problem. These brushes did not enable me to apply a thin layer of varnish so I spent a week waiting for the varnish to dry. After a week, and the varnish wasn't really drying, I applied mineral spirits to it. The thinned out varnish dried a little better, but the best way for it to dry was out in the sun. The last step is to put the brass rings on the ends so it can be carried on top of the car.
