The Great Cetol Debate

[Maddog]

I bit the bullet and redid the cockpit trim, lazerette hatches and the main hatch. I sanded everything down to 120 and started slapping Cetol Marine on the wood. After sanding, my teak had an orange hue. I belive this was from the PO using a sealer with a heavy pigment, "Starbright Tropical" maybe. The Cetol brought the wood back to a deep mahogany look, a nice rich brown, with all the grain showing clearly. Far and away better looking than before. 2 coats of Cetol Marine, then 2 coats of Cetol Clear Gloss and I couldn't be happier. All done in 2 days. I shall never varnish again.

I've seen Cetol that looks like thin orange paint. Not here. It may not be the classic varnished brightwork, but it works for me.

Has anybody else had success with Cetol?

[Hud3]

Maddog,

I did the same--strip, sand, two coats Cetol Marine, the two coats Cetol Clear. It looks great! Before, I was just using Cetol Marine, and it eventually lost all transparancy so I couldn't see the wood grain. The Cetol is very easy to apply, very forgiving, and you can put on two coats in one day, without sanding in between. It holds up better than varnish, in my experience. Doesn't lift and peel like varnish can.

I've heard they have a new version called "Natural Teak" or something like that. Do you know anything about it?

[Alan Wheeler]

I have just done all my woodwork with Cetol. I am using there outdoor stuff, not the dedicated Marine. That's NZ$89/ltr from Burnsco, ouch. There are two components to the outdoor one. HLS and the top coat of which the name evades me. I used the top coat only and it has worked well. I may try the HLS and top coat at some time and see if there is a difference. But in summery, the timber looks great an has held up well.

[AnchorageGuy]

Cetol changed their formula and came out with the "Natural" which we like much better and does not have that orange look. Sea Trek has a ton of teak and we removed all of the varnish a few years ago and went with Cetol and are loving it.

[svcattales]

I sailed a Crealock 37 for 10 years and the exterior teak mx was a real pain. When I switched from varnish to Cetol, my life got much easier. Initially, I put on 2 coats of basic Cetol and then 2 coats of gloss. After that I only needed a quick scuffing with 220 grit and 2 coats of gloss every year. We kept the boat in Florida and despite maximum UV exposure I could keep it looking good with annual mx. Much better longevity than any varnish I tried. Suggest bleaching the teak before starting with Cetol. On my first attempt, I develped a black mold under the Cetol after a few months so I had to start over. The bleach prevented any problems after that.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Chuck Baier

Cetol changed their formula and came out with the "Natural" which we like much better and does not have that orange look...

Siikens describes their CETOL colours as:
Marine: “dark amber” (read orange)
Marine Natural Teak: “rich golden” (read yellow)

[Maddog]

Well, the Cetol went great. Caulking with Boat Life polysulfide was another matter. I bought a nifty little tool that promised to give me a perfect caulking run, all it did was smear the Boat Life on my new finished Cetol. Acetone took some of it off, but it also attacked the Cetol if I rubbed too hard. I will have to resand half the cockpit next weekend and mask off before I do the caulking. Live and learn. I hate redoing things.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Maddog

... I bought a nifty little tool that promised to give me a perfect caulking run, all it did was smear the Boat Life on my new finished Cetol...

You can’t beat the Mark I Human Digit (thumb or finger), wet with SLIGHTLY soapy water*, for tooling any caulking job.

Clean thoroughly & re-wet after each time you lift your finger from the joint.

* A few drops of liquid dish soap (don't overdue it) in a couple cups of water.

[clausont]

Good to know Gord - Thanks

[Maddog]

I'll give it a shot, Gord. Which works better, left or right hand?

[GordMay]

Being a "lefty", I instinctively scratch itches, & etc, with my left hand. Accordingly, on those rare occasions when I think before I act, I use my right hand for "dirty" work.
YMMV.