Bow sprit re-hab (hatch boards too)

G

gfroch

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Jun 5, 2004
73
Catalina 30 Rochester, NY
Hello all-
Big fan of this site (I was a 18 yr Hunter owner) so hope to learn lots here. I have a new to me 1987 C30 TRBS that I'm fixing up. We love this boat! I want to refinish my bow sprit. Ideally I'll sand it down, give a couple coats of epoxy and several more of varnish. Does anyone know what kind of wood it is, and if this is a good process?

I have the same question for the hatch boards. Presumably, they're teak. I know that varnish isn't suggested for teak. The ship's store at my boat yard suggested Cetol, but I prefer the epoxy and varnish method when I've done other woodwork.

Thanks!

-gf-
 
Anonymous 121765

Anonymous 121765

.
Jan 6, 2010
1,520
GF,

I have a 1980 Cat 30. It had a teak bowsprit & a swaged strand cable bobstay.
It was a perfect day & the teak bowsprit failed. Luckily, my 155 jenny stopped the mast from crashing down.

I visited Catalina Yachts here in St. Pete. FL. I bought a fiberglas replacement & went one step further. I found a material called Nitronic 20. They now have more advanced types but, I had them make this with mechanical ends, not swaged. This is a solid rod with 43,000 lb. tensile breaking strength. My boat will fold in-half before this fails.
The good news, it's not wood & I never need varnish it.

My spreaders were also teak & one failed. They are no longer teak but, lovely welded airplane-wing style type spreaders. JSI made the fit-up replacements. The original bolt holes lined up & they have been flying ever since.

Information is power, never use wood under load out in the elements over time. It will fail but, the question now is not if............but when.

Hope this helps pal.

CR
 
Fred

Fred

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Sep 27, 2008
514
Catalina 28 mkii 745 Ottawa, Ontario, CA
Hey GF! Great to see your getting back on the water!

Fred s/v Bebob
 
G

gfroch

.
Jun 5, 2004
73
Catalina 30 Rochester, NY
Thanks all.

Hey Fred!! Bought this C30 mid last summer. Great boat that needs a few things fixed up. Hopefully most is behind me. How is Bebob?!
 
ArkadiyS

ArkadiyS

.
Oct 28, 2013
129
Hunter Legend 35 Fairfield, CT
We also have a teak bowsprit. 3 years ago I sanded it and used Sikkens Cetol on it and the rest of the external wood on the boat. It has worked very, very well. Holds-up well in our Long Island Sound climate, just put a fresh (1 layer) coat last year and will put 1 more this year with a Sikken sealant. After using many different marine varnishes over the years, Sikken is by far a lot easier, faster and much more fool-proof than anything that I found/used. After anchoring and having things bang on the bowsprit, there are virtually no chips, no flaking or cracking. I have not tried polyurethane, so cannot speak to that.
 
BillyK

BillyK

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Jan 24, 2010
502
Catalina 310 Ocean City, NJ
Cetol, 3 Coats of Natural and 3 coats of the gloss.
I sanded it down to bare wood 5 years ago and now its time for some touch up. Its a good product. Use it on my hatch boards as well.
 
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