Colors!

The finish coats of color have been applied!!!  It looks so different to me now.  I am not sure I like it as much without the wood grain.

Bottom glossy white, sides glossy red.  First coat of each

 I got latex interior/exterior house paint for the finish coats from the local hardware store.  I have used marine paints on my other boats before and it has a harder surface when cured, but it also has a higher price tag and is a little bit more finicky to apply, maybe.

The white went on easy enough, but the red needed to be thinned about halfway thru the application.  I hope to use a roller on the final coat.  I enjoyed using the brush for the first coats, as it made the cutting in easier with no need to mask, and it made me slow down and enjoy the process.  I think it also kept me from being to "precious" about the whole affair, after all it is a boat and I tend to use my boats very hard. Work boat finish is just fine, even for a yacht.  I think 2 coats of red paint will do.

Shiny bottom! That won't las long.

I will varnish the stem, gunwales, transom on the outside, the ribs, risers and bulkheads on the interior.