I recently scarfed a 7’ long section to my (previously) sliding Gunter rigged First Mate mast (under Ross Lillestone’s guidance) so that I could use a Bermuda rig. I sanded off all the old varnish on the lower section and put two coats of epoxy over the entire mast which is now 18.5’ long. While I would normally use the Captains Spar varnish I was wondering if anyone on this forum might be able to recommend a water based alternative. A few years ago there was a discussion about Total Boat Halcyon which was not very favorable. I have tried it as well and don’t want to use it. I was thinking about General Finishes Exterior 450 varnish (https://generalfinishes.com/wood-finishes-professional/exterior-topcoats-stains-oils/exterior-450-water-based-topcoat). I sprayed my kitchen cabinets with their Enduro-Var water based varnish more than 8 years ago and that varnish has proven to be incredible tough. Has anybody tried the 450 varnish?
We’ve been using ZAR’s water-based “Poly Exterior HP” for indoor cabinets, furniture tops. Have not yet used it on the dinghy. My better half stated “no more oil based finishes” so, like you, hunting for alternatives to Helmsman and Captain’s.