: new to the varnish. Ive read some previous posts on varnishing. very helpful.
: More complicated than I had thought. Is the goal to get as thin as coat as
: possible? That way there are no sags/drips. Should I be stroking the brush
: fast or slow? Can I apply a coat on top of a still soft coat that is no
: longer tacky? Thanks

Very thin coats are needed or you'll get runs/sags/drips. Wet sand (never dry sand varnish) 220 grit between coats. Personally I roll varnish with a foam roller and tip off with a foam brush. I find this the fastest and easiest way to get a smooth thin coat. Just drag the almost dry foam brush across the varnish applied to a fairly small area, maybe 2' of length on deck or per side on bottom, then tip with the foam brush moving fairly slow. If the brush makes noises you're going too fast. You should this way be able to apply a coat to the deck or bottom within 15-20 minutes and never have to worry about maintaining a wet edge. Btw always brush from newly applied varnish to what's already been done and only brush over the surface once.

Not like epoxy, varnish has to be hard before you can sand or varnish. No point in trying to apply more than one coat between wet sandings or you'll just make bad things worse.

Bill H.