Light spots?

[SalingSue]

So this is like 8mo old fresh sekins natural teal with their clear on top.

Any idea what would have caused this?


It is a low latitude boat.

[Orion Jim]

Improper surface preparation.....improper application.....failure to follow manufacturers application instructions....

[Bill O]

Possibly epoxy or glue used to adhere bungs was not fully removed/sanded off. W/o this removed, the cetol could not penetrate properly.

[SalingSue]

It looked good for months

It was sanded waaay down as the surface was just naturally grayed

Followed the instruction to the point of checking humidity/temp and setting a alarm for recoat time

Hmmm

[Rucksta]

How many coats?

For exterior varnish 6 coats seems to be the minimum I can get away with.

The timber and the varnish have different expansion rates.
If there are any small voids - unfilled grain texture - a pathway for water ingress is created.

Stabilising the timber surface with a non yellowing epoxy, sanding until smooth then applying multiple coats of a UV varnish works for me.

Bote Cote have a viscosity modifier TPRDA that according to their published test results penetrates side grain further than traditional products like Everdure.
The deeper penetration allows the epoxy to better stabilise the timber surface.

The more varnish coats the longer between service intervals.
I have 2 year old external bright work that looks great.
6 coats including 2 x epoxy.
The items where the timber was not epoxy stabilsed look shabby after 9-12 months. 8-10 coats no epoxy.

https://boatcraft.com.au/

[SalingSue]

Hmm, as I recall

3 hot coats natural teak
2 or 3 clear

[er9]

did you coat the undersides? water/moisture getting through from the back side possibly

[SalingSue]

I only coated the top, so fixing this and going forward if ones doesn’t fully coat will this be the outcome?

For the toerails will I need to pull them off the decks to coat the bottoms?

Thanks guys

[JPA Cate]

I see 7 plugs over screw holes in the grate. The ones where there is water damage, it may well be wicking up. Once the salt water has got into the wood, the salt stays behind. Every evening, after sunset, it will absorb moisture from the air as the air loses its ability to hold the moisture.


If you think you really want to fix this, the first thing is to remove all the plugs where there are "water tracks", or rust, and see what you really have. Although resistant to rot, I have seen teak rot from wet just sitting in it. The cracks you see are from swelling, both the ones in the cetol and in the wood.

De-construct the whole grate, and flush it thoroughly in fresh water. Soak it overnight in a bathtub, and then hose each hole and crack. (Don't use a pressure washer, it will eat too much of the soft grain.) Then rebuild, using sealant so that the screws won't be able to wick up the water. Spend more money and get good quality varnish.

On the other hand.... the least labor intensive thing to do is let it go gray and self destruct over time, and some day at your leisure, build a new one from scratch.

Now, about the toerail. It may be in better condition. If the caulking where it is is still in good shape, then sand and varnish.

I've never tried the trick suggested above, of using two thin coats of epoxy first. It will seal it, and you could try that. You will have to use varnish with lots of UV inhibitors to protect the epoxy from UV degradation. But I would not try it if there is considerable overall cracking, because I don't really believe than one can ever get rid of ALL the salt, and it is that that works with the timber to create the problems.

Ann

[SalingSue]

what’s the chance of this being a issue on the non screw capped items?

So just a major flush with fresh water?

The gray isn’t too bad, but I need more of a bling factor on the boat

[JPA Cate]

Your wood looks like some water may be getting in the end grain, too. Imo, the basic problem is salt left over from sea water. It will be VERY hard to get it all out. That is the reason for the overnight soak, to loosen it, and "melt" it, so it can be flushed out. The problem is that there is salt in the air, too, so it is very hard to keep out. Your wood has salt in it. And, it is hard to tell whether you have got it all out. You can try testing it with your tongue, and then hosing more, till the salt flavor is gone.

Some of the wood has already split where the screws are. There may be rust in there too.

What the fellow above wrote about sealing it with epoxy, once it was ready for varnish would mean on all the surfaces, including the end grain. His plan might work for you, but use good quality varnish (not the cetol) with the most UV inhibition, and also cover ALL the surfaces. Remember that the wood shrinks and expands with cold and warmth.

You can make it beautiful, if you start over from scratch. But it is still quite a lot of work, hence expensive to hire out, and have done for you. And, what you have left is not a gymnasium floor, it is something to stand on in the cockpit. You will have an easier time to make the toerail look good, if the caulk under it is still good.

Ann