varnish vs cetol

[RBEmerson]

Oil is actually more work, not less. It's a dust and dirt magnet, doesn't last long, and needs to be applied frequently to avoid looking like a rat boat. To keep things looking at least decent, oiled teak needs to be cleaned regularly and then there's the business of applying oil afterwards. If the idea is to not do a lot of work, it's better to let teak go silver and move on. Or, as some folks do, paint it all white.

Anyway, for interior work, I'd go with rubbed varnish even though we use Cetol topside.

[AnchorageGuy]

Originally Posted by cabo_sailor

The BIG difference is that SilentOption was asking about INTERIOR not EXTERIOR wood finishes.

With our experience on the exterior I would suspect it would last forever on the interior with no need for maintenance coats.

[Jim Cate]

We used teak oils of various brands whilst stillsailing in San Francisco bay. Even in this cool environment the oiled surfaces soon darkened (oxidation?) and became tacky. Not too hard to get back to looking good, though.

Then we went cruising... and found that in the tropics (both dry as in Baja, and humid as in most of the rest of the S. Pacific) the above degradation got a lot faster,and was followed by mould growing with great enthusiasm. After some agonizing, we stripped all of the oiled teak below decks and varnished with polyurethane based products. As in a previous post, we used satin on large flat areas and gloss (much harder wearing) on trim and on high wear areas. It lasted for years, except in the trim around the galley sink and the head sink where it required renewing after three years of full time use.

Above decks we had almost no bright timber, so no problems. We have seen folks who got tired of doing the brightwork simply putting one good coat of varnish on, and then painting over it with "teak colored" paint. The coat of varnish prevents the paint from getting into the grain of the timber, so that one can restore it to its original appearance if required.

Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II lying Gladstone, Qld, Oz

[SilentOption]

Thanks for the input. I am going to continue to sand and remove old varnish for now and read Rebbeca Whitmans book Brightwork.

Regarding working the boat vs using it Moonrsn. I understand what you are saying but in this case I bought the boat knowing I would have to rewire, repair, replace nearly everything on the boat. I get all the sailing I need in the mean time on other craft and when this boat is done it will be my home.

The work I am doing now is all part of the deal. Its my therapy and hobby and it mostly keeps me off the street.

I am only concerned with the interior right now. The small amount of teak I have outside is going gray and I may leave it that way save for some occasional cleaning and oil.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by RBEmerson

....... If the idea is to not do a lot of work, it's better to let teak go silver and move on. Or, as some folks do, paint it all white......

Gotta agree, if its exterior and you need the non-skid qualities, let it go silver (grey). If non-skid isn't an issue, paint it white. If you must have brightwork, go epoxy (with uv resistant hardener) and overcoat with 2 pack poly.

Interior is a different ball game. Choose the type finish you want and use that. Epoxy and 2 pack poly will still give the longest life IMO.

[RBEmerson]

Scattered thoughts... two things kill off interior finishes: 1) sunlight and 2) wear. If you're not on board, keeping sunlight out will do both the interior brightwork and the interior as a whole a great favor. A few simple covers for the hatches and portlights are all that's needed. An occasional washdown and oiling will take care of accumulated dust and grit - Murphy's Oil Soap in water and Old English wood polish have kept our interior going for the 15 years we've owned OWTW.

I beg to differ on epoxy on exterior brightwork, though. When it works, it's certainly a superior coating, but when it fails, it's close to death on a stick, between moisture working through the cracks and under the coating, and when it comes time to get the coating off to at least repair the finish if not the moisture-damaged wood underneath. Bottom line, IMHO: not recommended. YMMV.

[cabo_sailor]

RBEmerson - what you said 100%

Been there, done that, don't want to do it again.

Try removing a finish that boasts that it is chemical resistant and heat resistant - ouch