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Teak Finish

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JanS48
Navigator

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USA
141 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/25/2015 : 21:07:46

Greetings all, I'm currently using teak oil but I kind of miss the varnish look or at least a 'rubbed' satin varnish look.
What do you folks use to make your teak look shiny? Hopefully something that will last a few years in the sun.

Recommend finishes and brands please.

Thanks
Jan

82 C25 SR FK
Sailing out of Newport Harbor.

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3368 Posts

Response Posted - 05/26/2015 : 04:03:06

I am sure you will get quite a few recommendations as to what has worked for others.

I always liked the look of teak oil. I use to use teak oil on my ODay23 which was in Huntington, Long Island on a mooring back in 1980-1985. But my experience back then was that after a few months, it would start to weather and I would wind up having to strip/bleach it out and re-apply it. Perhaps, some of the products have improved but I always tired of having to bring it back to parade rest and re-apply it.

On my Cat 25 which I keep in the water year-round, I have been using Cetol for the past 9+ years. It is sort of a light varnish that lasts well thru the season/yearly but in some spots wears away or begins to chip after a year or two. This is mostly noticeable on the companionway boards. I generally re-apply, yearly. It is fairly easy to re-apply it as the surface needs only to be scrubbed when washed or lightly sanded and then I would generally apply 1-2 coats. However, after many years, the areas where there were chips become noticeable in that those areas seem much lighter in color having had Cetol applied fresh to the bare areas versus the majority of the teak that has had a buildup of many coatings of Cetol from annual re-applications. What I really need to do is to strip all of it off of mainly the companionway boards and start fresh. Since I keep my boat in the water year-round and minimize the annual maintenance chores...so after 9+ years my teak has Cetol on all teak, no grey weathered areas but the chips/lighter color areas are very noticeable.

Varnishing would look even better than Cetol but re-applications are generally more involved than with Cetol.

Regardless of what is used, there is always maintenance involved just a question if it is going to be every few months, yearly and whether you will need to deal with chips or bring it back to parade rest, occasionally, to have a real nice looking teak.

What I have wrestled with and still procrastinating about it, probably the best thing to do to really reduce the annual maintenance chore is to cover the teak with removable sunbrella covers. I say this because there is one wood part on my boat that has had perfectly fine looking teak for the 9+ years and probably life of boat (when POs owned it...and that is the tiller handle ! My tiller has varnish on it and has never been retouched and looks great ! This is entirely due to the tiller cover (made of sunbrella) which only comes off when I sail !!

Larry
'89 Robin's Nest#5820, Potomac River/Quantico, Va
http://catalina25.homestead.com/olarryr.html

sethp001
Mainsheet C-25 Tech Editor

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814 Posts

Response Posted - 05/26/2015 : 18:48:41

Two years ago, I sanded all the brightwork on our boat to bare wood and switched to Cetol. Cetol seems to be a nice balance between having decent brightwork and not spending so much time on brightwork.

I went with the original Cetol, but regret not going with Cetol Natural. To my eye, Cetol Natural yields better looking brightwork. The original Cetol covers too much of the natural wood for my taste.

There is also a Cetol high gloss overcoat, but I haven't tried it.

Seth
"Outlier" 1987 Catalina 25 SR/SK/Traditional Interior #5541
"Zoo" 1977 Morgan Out Island 30
"Nomad" 1980 Prindle 16
"Lost" 1988 Catalina Capri 14.2 (sold - yay!)
"Marine Tex 1" Unknown Origin POS 8' Fiberglass Dinghy
https://whichsailboat.com/2014/07/27/catalina-25-review/

Edited by - sethp001 on 05/26/2015 18:53:31

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 05/26/2015 : 19:34:17

Cetol "Natural Teak" has less pigment to protect from UV than Cetol "Marine" (the original version), so "Natural Teak" does show the wood a little better--but not so much from 10' away. It's a little yellower, while "Marine" is a little more reddish-brown (not unlike fresh teak).

Both are satin finishes, and the Gloss version is intended as an overcoat for them--it gives no UV protection on its own.

Spar varnish gives the ultimate display of the wood, but when is starts to crack and peel, it pretty much has to be completely removed. Some people feel it's worth the effort (or expense)... I'm not one of them.

Another option that just might be my next one is truly maintenance-free rails and other pieces made from teak-colored, recycled HDPE. For about a buck an inch, you have rails that look like satin-finished teak from a short distance--virtually forever. PlasTeak will also replicate other pieces that you send them, but I haven't investigated that. But it is plastic...

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 05/26/2015 19:39:56

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5232 Posts

Response Posted - 05/26/2015 : 20:53:29

I have a can of rub on polyurethane on my workbench. I used it on my coffee table and a few other interior pieces. It leaves a nice thin coating, unlike brush-on poly that goes on thick and cracks. I have thought about using cetol as a base and covering it with rub on poly. That said, my house painter says that nothing will actually stick to cetol. Is that true?

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 05/27/2015 : 12:06:15

quote:
Originally posted by Voyager

...my house painter says that nothing will actually stick to cetol. Is that true?

I suspect so. Cetol is a soft, permeable finish. Supposedly, it lets the oil in teak permeate through, especially in hot weather then the pressure can pop varnish or urethane loose from the wood. Another of Cetol's advantages is the simplicity of prepping it for touch-ups or an overcoat. Putting polyurethane on top of it would seem to negate both advantages, even if it did stick.

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1736 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2015 : 19:51:17

I have used teak oil since I got my boat and must say that love the look for the first three months but after that period weather takes it's toll on the appearance. On previous boats I did not like the way Cetol looked, but agree that it lasts a full season and does protect. My asthetic preference is for varnish, but having "been their, done that" my compromise is . . . . . teak oil! All depends on what you like I guess

Peter Bigelow
C-25 TR/FK #2092 Limerick
Rowayton, Ct
Port Captain: Rowayton/Norwalk/Darien CT

Edited by - bigelowp on 05/29/2015 19:51:34

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3312 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2015 : 20:23:53

I'm a great believer in Cetol - it's one big advantage over varnish is that it can be touched up without major surgery.
Incidentally, there is one better finish - it's called "Honey Teak" (you would have to Google it). It's more expensive than even varnish but it is remarkable. Practical Sailor did a 5 year test on it and gave it 100%. It comes in a kit and requires mixing but everything including measuring cups and stir sticks comes in the kit. We used it on the 50' catamaran on the Texas Coast and it lasted for years.

Derek Crawford
Chief Measurer C25-250 2008
Previous owner of "This Side UP"
1981 C-25 TR/FK #2262 Used to have an '89 C22 #9483, "Downsized"
San Antonio, Texas

Stu Jackson C34
Admiral

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844 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2015 : 22:01:10

Ladies & Gentlemen,

The "natural" progression of "dealing with exterior teak" usually runs like this:

--- teak oil

or

--- Nothing

--- varnish

--- cetol

--- nothing

---teak oil

--- nothing

--- varnish

--- cetol

Repeat as nessary... Very Happy:D:D

Nothing much has changed in the last 25 years about this subject... Crying

Stu
1986 C34 #224 "Aquavite"
Cowichan Bay, BC Maple Bay Marina
(formerly San Francisco)
(formerly C25 #2459 "Capricorn Two")

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2015 : 07:16:14

quote:
Originally posted by Stu Jackson C34

--- Nothing

--- varnish

--- cetol

--- nothing

---teak oil

--- nothing

--- varnish

--- cetol...

...and finally HDPE. Done.

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

Akenumber
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
247 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2015 : 08:44:01

I just removed all teak and sanded and applied cetol natural teak. It looks great and weathers well. I recommend thinning the first coat at least with Xylene. It says not to, but all it does is hurt the gloss if used on a final coat. I did a lot of research.

Ken
San Diego
84 C25 SR/FK 4116
The KRAKEN

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3754 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2015 : 15:10:42

Cetol Natural after years of oil. Practical Sailor just started a new wood finish test. It includes Awlwood, a new product from the maker of Awlgrip and top rated topside paint. It was as easy to apply as Cetol, but a summer in the Florida sun will tell more. Ill stick with Cetol this year and see what the outcome is at the end of the test next year.

Dave B. aboard Pearl
1982 TR/SK/Trad. #3399
Lake Erie/Florida Panhandle

sailboat
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
149 Posts

Response Posted - 06/01/2015 : 12:52:52

Cetol for all the reasons listed above. We get very nice compliments on the appearance and the prep required to repair or touch up is minimal.

Mike
Chariots of Fire
1981 Cat-25. sail number 2230
SR/SK Dinette Version

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5232 Posts

Response Posted - 06/01/2015 : 15:22:47

Cetol is nice however if you try to use it in place it WILL stain your fiberglass. Do yourself a favor and remove the teak first, sand and apply 3-10 coats (your choice), then reinstall with bedding compound. Some folks have tried to stain the teak in place using masking tape. That too I've seen go awry.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Peregrine
Admiral

Members Avatar

830 Posts

Response Posted - 06/01/2015 : 16:36:06

Over the years I have used a few products. Starting with Watco (Danish oil), I like it because it has resins that penetrate the wood and has a natural look but it is not tough enough to be used on the exterior. Still using it in the interior.
Next I used Armada a Cetol like product that works well and had a better color than Cetol. Ultimately I have ended up with Cetol using the natural color. I wish it was more satin but it out performs all the others. This year I went back down to bare wood and applied three coats. Nice look and should be an easy touch up for the next couple of years.
BTW I use real varnish on the tiller but it lives under a cover on the boat and inside my apartment in the winter.

John Gisondi
Peregrine #4762

*

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4275 Posts

Response Posted - 06/01/2015 : 18:02:10

So how do you know when you've sanded enough? I need to redo my teak but have never seen it done. Do you have to use a bleach on it before putting the Cetol on?

Association Member

GaryB
Andiamo
'89 SR/WK #5862
Kemah,TX

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3754 Posts

Response Posted - 06/01/2015 : 19:24:26

There is no reason to bleach if you are sanding to fresh wood. Just sand until the color is light and even; you should be almost there when all of the old finish is gone. Incidentally, Mr. Clean Magic eraser easily.removed Cetol from the fiberglass from the previous day's application. I always have a box of Magic Erasers on hand. Note John's comment - Cetol is not hard enough for high wear areas like a tiller. I use varnish for the tiller too. Nice rope work John. I'm a bit of a nut for limited, tasteful ropework and would like to see more sailors embrace the tradition.

Dave B. aboard Pearl
1982 TR/SK/Trad. #3399
Lake Erie/Florida Panhandle

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