In defense of varnish, the lifespan can be extended extremely effectively on trailerable small boats that have dedicated canvas covers, often lasting nearly as long as paint. Brightwork is an integral aspect of the romance of wooden boats, and I for one am happy to keep that spark alive despite the naysayers.
In the ancient past I used an in between strategy, using Sikkens Cetol or similar for a bit of brightwork, not quite as sublimely elegant as varnish but far easier to maintain. Now days I avoid the conflict by building without wood except for the woof flour in my epoxy.
I've got two EasyB 12' solo canoes built from the same form, one is mahogany and cypress, the other is gpet foam and basalt/innegra. Quess which one gets used very regularly in season.
I love (good) wood too much to paint it. Oil reveals the natural woodgrain while protecting it. I consider it a happy medium between the plasticky glossiness of varnish and the weathered-barn look of unprotected wood.
Yes! Oil is a great middle ground for the cabin. Working on a light interior refinish with some sanding & oil now... A good winter project. Any favorite products or tricks? Interior wood is a mix of solid mahogany & teak veneered ply.
I pressure-wash teak (not recommended for interior work ;) !) and just use regular teak oil. Another product I've used successfully is "Boat Soup", a mix of oils, turpentine, and pine tar. I recommend ventilation if using it in enclosed spaces because of the strong pine aroma.
I replaced the wood on my Gloucester 19 with PlasTeak. Same great look of wood with zero maintenance. I did the toe rails, hand rails, hatch slides and cockpit coaming box trim rings with it. True story: after I replaced the hand rails my neighbor stopped by and asked if I had just varnished them. As for my varnished tiller, I have a Sunbrella cover for it. The original varnish still looks as good as the day it arrived from Rudder Craft over six years ago.
To each their own...I have brightwork on my Bristol Chanel Cutter that requires coatings at least twice a year. I also sail 2 to 3 times a week in either my BCC or Montgomery 15, so you can do both. I see bright work as necessary and not that big of a time suck. Where I live (Kaneohe Bay) is more than just for looks, protecting from UV and minor bumps and scrapes. I guess painting over everything would also protect it from UV, fenders, and other stuff. In fact, my father had a BCC and painted his bulwarks and other teak on deck to minimize maintenance. I somehow felt this was an affront to Lyle Hess and the BCC's beautiful lines. Again, to each their own. Raw teak in my environment (Hawaii), eventually dries out and cracks if not washed with salt water once a week or covered. My latest idea is to keep the varnish up and sew some bulwark covers, hopefully allowing varnishing once a year. We will see how that goes!
Yes, "bright and shiny" requires work and might be deemed unnecessary but beauty might keep you in love! Yes, I have painted over my 30-footer's teak, but with several coats of quality varnish underneath. That way i have the option to go back bright if I choose yet relieves me of the work of maintaining the brightwork for the time being.
I liked your article, "Varnish or Vanish". Yes, how many of us spent many a fair sailing day sanding our exterior wood from previous varnish gone past its due date, to create a luster and shine as if it were a valuable antique. I remember how happy I was to do my brightwork one summer, just to think it should look like a well-cared for boat. Then after spending years cruising with all of the chores, maintaining maintenance items, adding new equipment meant to ease the chore of sailing or to add to its safety, I realized the brightwork is just vanity. There are other options, and might I add, better methods to coat over your wood. Once you sand down the brighwork and bleach it back to its lighter color if teak, you can coat it with a wood oil, like tongue oil, thinned linseed oil or teak oil. The maintenance requires you to add more oil, more often. Yet with that said, oil coating your porous wood is much easier to apply and maintain than to use through brush with varnish, while clean up is twice as easy too. I rigged an old cologne sprayer bottle with a thinned-out teak oil to recoat certain areas, especially near the bow where salt from salt water loves to hide. I would follow behind with a soft rag to wipe the excess off of the fiberglass and brass or SS steel. I found most of the maintenance areas occurred where the sun penetrated the most with its destructive U.V.
The negative comment on the use of oil on your brightwork is the fine dirt layer which is everywhere. Still the best application, I believe, for maintaining your brightwork is through a wood oil protectant. Once you sand it down to a 400 grade, removing all minute sand and dirt, you have less maintenance to keep up with the exterior woodwork. As far as the interior, Oil is the only finish to be used. The greatest mistake one can make is to varnish a teak deck, thinking it will seal out leaks. Varnish a teak deck is a horrible idea, besides creating a dangerous area to walk on when wet.
If you are someone who must use a varnish to maintain your teak or what have you, then consider using Cetol. Cetol may yellow the woodwork but its protection is greater than the best brand of varnish. Begin the first coat with Cetol Marine and use the gloss or glossy Cetol as a five to ten layer top coat. The Cetol Marine is a thinner oil and absorbs deeper into the grain of the wood.
In defense of varnish, the lifespan can be extended extremely effectively on trailerable small boats that have dedicated canvas covers, often lasting nearly as long as paint. Brightwork is an integral aspect of the romance of wooden boats, and I for one am happy to keep that spark alive despite the naysayers.
John Welsford once told me that whenever he was asked what his favorite varnish was, he always replied "white paint".
In the ancient past I used an in between strategy, using Sikkens Cetol or similar for a bit of brightwork, not quite as sublimely elegant as varnish but far easier to maintain. Now days I avoid the conflict by building without wood except for the woof flour in my epoxy.
I've got two EasyB 12' solo canoes built from the same form, one is mahogany and cypress, the other is gpet foam and basalt/innegra. Quess which one gets used very regularly in season.
I love (good) wood too much to paint it. Oil reveals the natural woodgrain while protecting it. I consider it a happy medium between the plasticky glossiness of varnish and the weathered-barn look of unprotected wood.
Yes! Oil is a great middle ground for the cabin. Working on a light interior refinish with some sanding & oil now... A good winter project. Any favorite products or tricks? Interior wood is a mix of solid mahogany & teak veneered ply.
I pressure-wash teak (not recommended for interior work ;) !) and just use regular teak oil. Another product I've used successfully is "Boat Soup", a mix of oils, turpentine, and pine tar. I recommend ventilation if using it in enclosed spaces because of the strong pine aroma.
I replaced the wood on my Gloucester 19 with PlasTeak. Same great look of wood with zero maintenance. I did the toe rails, hand rails, hatch slides and cockpit coaming box trim rings with it. True story: after I replaced the hand rails my neighbor stopped by and asked if I had just varnished them. As for my varnished tiller, I have a Sunbrella cover for it. The original varnish still looks as good as the day it arrived from Rudder Craft over six years ago.
Thanks, Ted, for identifying another wood replacement. Hopefully it's not too terribly expensive or hard to find.
https://www.plasteak.com/plasteak-recycled-plastic-products/custom-boat-trim
I also used their PlasDeck decking products on my boat.
Trying to post a pic of my boat from my iPad, but can’t seem to figure it out. Any thoughts?
To each their own...I have brightwork on my Bristol Chanel Cutter that requires coatings at least twice a year. I also sail 2 to 3 times a week in either my BCC or Montgomery 15, so you can do both. I see bright work as necessary and not that big of a time suck. Where I live (Kaneohe Bay) is more than just for looks, protecting from UV and minor bumps and scrapes. I guess painting over everything would also protect it from UV, fenders, and other stuff. In fact, my father had a BCC and painted his bulwarks and other teak on deck to minimize maintenance. I somehow felt this was an affront to Lyle Hess and the BCC's beautiful lines. Again, to each their own. Raw teak in my environment (Hawaii), eventually dries out and cracks if not washed with salt water once a week or covered. My latest idea is to keep the varnish up and sew some bulwark covers, hopefully allowing varnishing once a year. We will see how that goes!
I think the sailor who likes what he does and how he does it is a happy sailor.
I also think he who has a lawn, pool & varnish is into self flagellation.
Different strokes!😁
Yes, "bright and shiny" requires work and might be deemed unnecessary but beauty might keep you in love! Yes, I have painted over my 30-footer's teak, but with several coats of quality varnish underneath. That way i have the option to go back bright if I choose yet relieves me of the work of maintaining the brightwork for the time being.
I liked your article, "Varnish or Vanish". Yes, how many of us spent many a fair sailing day sanding our exterior wood from previous varnish gone past its due date, to create a luster and shine as if it were a valuable antique. I remember how happy I was to do my brightwork one summer, just to think it should look like a well-cared for boat. Then after spending years cruising with all of the chores, maintaining maintenance items, adding new equipment meant to ease the chore of sailing or to add to its safety, I realized the brightwork is just vanity. There are other options, and might I add, better methods to coat over your wood. Once you sand down the brighwork and bleach it back to its lighter color if teak, you can coat it with a wood oil, like tongue oil, thinned linseed oil or teak oil. The maintenance requires you to add more oil, more often. Yet with that said, oil coating your porous wood is much easier to apply and maintain than to use through brush with varnish, while clean up is twice as easy too. I rigged an old cologne sprayer bottle with a thinned-out teak oil to recoat certain areas, especially near the bow where salt from salt water loves to hide. I would follow behind with a soft rag to wipe the excess off of the fiberglass and brass or SS steel. I found most of the maintenance areas occurred where the sun penetrated the most with its destructive U.V.
The negative comment on the use of oil on your brightwork is the fine dirt layer which is everywhere. Still the best application, I believe, for maintaining your brightwork is through a wood oil protectant. Once you sand it down to a 400 grade, removing all minute sand and dirt, you have less maintenance to keep up with the exterior woodwork. As far as the interior, Oil is the only finish to be used. The greatest mistake one can make is to varnish a teak deck, thinking it will seal out leaks. Varnish a teak deck is a horrible idea, besides creating a dangerous area to walk on when wet.
If you are someone who must use a varnish to maintain your teak or what have you, then consider using Cetol. Cetol may yellow the woodwork but its protection is greater than the best brand of varnish. Begin the first coat with Cetol Marine and use the gloss or glossy Cetol as a five to ten layer top coat. The Cetol Marine is a thinner oil and absorbs deeper into the grain of the wood.
75 degrees. Music on at an anchorage. Rail wood lightly sanded. A new coat of Epifanes. Oh baby... She looks like your girl dressed up for date night.