Refinish / Varnish Wood Parts

[PreppieNerd]

I want to refinish the rudder and daggerboard on my newly purchased (but old) sunfish. I was wondering what the best product and procedure was for doing so.

[Eric M]

I've had good luck with Helmsman Varnish in the same application. It is fairly inexpensive and available at most hardware stores. You can use more expensive marine grade varnishes, but if you can keep the rudder and daggerboard out of the sun when the boat is not in use there is no need for a more expensive product.
As for the procedure, you will want to remove all of any existing finish that is on both pieces, typically with a heat gun & scraper and then sand to ~120 grit before starting to refinish. Put on as many coats as you can, at least 3-5 coats per the directions on the can. I have found that hanging each by a string allows you to varnish both sides at the same time.
Good Luck.