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BigAl.NZ · 28-07-2018, 02:18

I am going to have a go at re varnishing the thin strips of wood in the roof of the cabin on a Waiquez Hood 38.

Much of what I have read says that gloss is a bad idea in the cabin of a boat.

I am wondering if that applies to the strips of wood you can see on the roof of the cabin in this picture?

Could I mix, or just stick to satin?

Cheers

Al

**Wotname** · 28-07-2018, 05:20

I quite like gloss on thin strips of trim below decks.

Attikos · 28-07-2018, 05:30

Oil finishes do well in salons, I think.

Suijin · 28-07-2018, 06:00

I have oiled teak throughout the interior of my boat. It’s lovely but does require maintenance. Over time the oil will dry out, wear off, or darken. It’s also not impervious to moisture and can get slightly “sticky” if the humidity is really bad.

Every now and then it requires re-oiling, which is simple. Every few years in some areas it requires cleaning off the old oil and reoiling, again not terribly time consuming or difficult.

My future plan is to take it off and do a hand rubbed varnish finish. You get the lovely patina of an oil finish with more durability and less maintenance. But that’s a big project.

Captain Puget · 28-07-2018, 08:51

I have enjoyed Star Brite, rather than varnish. Does require uv/ sunlight for curing

AJ_n_Audrey · 28-07-2018, 09:01

I use Helmsman Spar Varnish satin on things that are at eye level, because (personal taste), I don't like the reflected glare of, for example, the stowed salon table being the first thing I see coming down the companionway. More by chance than by design, I used gloss on the overhead pieces, and I've stayed with that because I like the look.

Greg Mason · 28-07-2018, 09:02

Im my Pedrick Cheoy Lee 41, if it wasn't counter top or headliner, it was teak. I revarnshed every piece in that boat, in flat. Very tricky to apply, because it started to flatten right after application, and always looked like a spot was missed, but if I had to do it all again, I would do the same. I have seen gloss boats and although you may be able to save in the reflection, personally, I did'n't get the look. The process for me, involved removing all existing varnish with a heat gun and one of this orange handled scrapers that don't get hot to the touch, carbide blade and worked great. Oh yeah, and took me about 2 years of casual work.

danielamartindm · 28-07-2018, 09:06

Always remember that you will either seal the wood, or service it. Given the naturally high humidity of vessel interiors I prefer varnished wood trim and the softer-to-the-eye nature of satin finishes. It's all a matter of personal taste and how much time you want to devote to upkeep.

sv.antea · 28-07-2018, 10:07

I have owned and lived aboard my boat for 38 years now. Here are my observations. On the interior teak, particularly where direct sun or your sweaty hands do not land, doing a meticulous job with varnish is worth the trouble. Those areas on my boat are still in great shape after 25 years. I started with bare wood, acrylic clear sealer, two coats of West System epoxy with 207 hardener, 2, 3 coats of Epifanes gloss varnish and 2 coats of Rubbed Effect. Sounds insane? But I have not had to retouch it yet.
Those overhead strips would be a good candidate for such treatment, particularly if you can remove them for refinishing.
Where the hands reach but not sun it is a different story. The varnish gets dirty and gummy, easy to scrape off with your finger nails. If you started with epoxy, as above, as soon as the varnish starts getting soft, you have to re-varnish, while the epoxy still keeps the dirt out of the wood. But if you don't insist on fine cabinetry finish, do the epoxy and stop there. The 207 hardener is pretty good at leveling the surface, hard to tell from varnish, just not as good as Epifanes, Epoxy doesn't get hurt by sweat and skin oil, and you have reasonably nice finish for 10 -15 years. Discovered this by way of procrastination. On couple of my bright work projects never got around to those varnish coats.
Where the sun shines, it's work, work, work, whatever system you use. Years ago, among professional yacht captains, the consensus was that in the long run, quality varnish and timely maintenance is the way.

Jesse · 28-07-2018, 14:18

Look into "rubbed varnish finish", it has an "oil finish" appearance that is durable with good penetration and is easy to maintain. Application and repair is far easier than brushing and it requires less varnish. It is simple and easy to learn.

**JPA Cate** · 28-07-2018, 14:54

Hi, Big Al,

My two cents:

The satin is better at hiding flaws in previous varnish, than high gloss. High gloss is a bit harder, so is more resistant to wear when that's an issue. We had teak ceilings like that on our previous boat. I'd say, it is a question of what appearance you will prefer in that space.

Personally, I've had oiled finishes support mold growth, and would only use varnish. I don't like mold on my boat.

Ann

BigAl.NZ · 28-07-2018, 18:20

Thanks for all the replies. It sounds like on those strips I could easily go either way.

I read on another forum that applying 4-5 layers of gloss and then finishing with a satin gives a good overall finish that is a good compromise, and the bottom layers of gloss stop the satin giving a milky finish.

Anyone +1 on that?

**Wotname** · 28-07-2018, 19:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigAl.NZ

Thanks for all the replies. It sounds like on those strips I could easily go either way.

I read on another forum that applying 4-5 layers of gloss and then finishing with a satin gives a good overall finish that is a good compromise, and the bottom layers of gloss stop the satin giving a milky finish.

Anyone +1 on that?

FWIW, this trim was done about 14 years ago, still going strong.

I used about three thin coats of epoxy (wet on wet) to seal the wood, a very light sand, then 10 coats of a single pack exterior gloss varnish (forget what); took awhile but so far has never needed redoing and I reckon it will go another decade or two.

Exterior varnishes contain UV inhibitors which make it darker; sometimes a good thing, sometimes a bad thing. Some caution is required using an exterior product below decks as some need exposure to UV to cure properly but some are OK to use.

Note the teak box with the fiddle rail is not coated with anything and is perhaps 30 years old and is showing it's age!