Varnished Truth

A professional opinion

Article by Diane Salguero

It was meant to be the eighth and final coat on the house sides of a Thunderbird. The next morning, there—proud and firm—were three anonymous fingerprints placed in the most visible spot in the varnish. I have experienced this many times in over 20 years as an independent marine finisher. For some unexplained reason it is part of human character to ask “Is it wet?” while the hand is already in motion. People like to see and touch brightly finished wood and freshly painted hulls and wonder at the artistic magic it takes to achieve it.

Having trained a crew of high school teens to work with me I can say it really isn’t that difficult. Whether you are finishing a classic yacht or a more recreationally used runabout, the methods and elements are pretty much the same and you will have as many opinions as people you ask. I explain in my classes, to my apprentices and to my customers, we have several skilled finishers in our port and they all have their methods and tricks but “there is more than one way to skin a cat.” It all begins with the finish product you choose.