That's no random frigate- it's the Golden Hind because it's a Ha'penny welded on to create a nautical style steering wheel!
And, although the edge has been filed round, with some squinting and zooming you can just make out the date on the coin as 1944.
Interesting way to date a boat.

For such a small boat the sanding is a nightmare- it shows how hard hardwoods are!
Slow progress but the planing surfaces are getting smooth.

Progress, but it's very slow and very much like Groundhog day.
Varnish, sand, vacuum, varnish, sand vacuum -repeat!
And for some reason this time I decided not to seal the wood with epoxy which means it seems to be taking a long time to fill the grain. On Woodwych I got a smooth finish after 3 epoxy and 3 varnish. This time I'm upto 5 varnish (albeit fairly heavily thinned to begin) and there is still some way to go.
It is though a great way of practising mindfulness for an hour or so.

Using pure varnish on bare wood will need 10 -15 coats, with a settling period after 3 or so coats, followed by wet & dry flatting off, to get a really good finish. It will still sink though over the next 12 months

It's much easier if you have good wood & varnish that is old & has just sunk a little as it is properly hardened & will not sink. In that case a good flat back to remove the indentations then 3ish coats of quality varnish will leave a lovely finish.

That's how I do it anyway.

Thanks for that (depressing!) advice. I'll soldier on but if I go beyond 15 coats I may have a little cry.
Had to go back to bare wood as it had been painted at some point. I always feel these lovely old hardwoods deserve to look their best.
Thank goodness I have one of these wonders.

Well, I managed 10 coats before I lost the will and luckily the weather cooled making the whole process much more tricky- providing the excuse to stop.
Over the winter I'll attach the engine and get it fired up ready for a planned Ivy Lake spring test when I hope to tap into the experience and skills of other members !

A quick Christmas update photo - it's being used for present storage again this year- but would make a fast sleigh now it's got a 22Hp Speeditwin mounted!

Finally finished and photos taken in the late afternoon sun. Engine is a 1946 Group C 22.5Hp Evinrude Speeditwin.

Very nice- bring it Chertsey on the 28th, ideal water to run it!

Delighted to say that my Hydro has now been acquired by the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth. It will become part of the National Small Boat Collection. I have donated it and the two Speeditwins (stock and racing versions for comparison) after realising that it won't get any meaningful use with us living so far away from the CMBA test events. I will also confess to a slight lack of nerve!

It deserves to be seen by others rather than stored in a garage and I'm thrilled the museum recognise its small role in UK boating history.