Exterior wood treatment

[Willjacocks]

Hello fellow sailors!

I am curious about the best way to treat the wood on my Capri 16, mainly the companionway hatch, cover slide rail, hatch jambs, etc. These appear to never have been stained/sealed properly and I do have some wood that is really dried out. I will sand down the old finish to the wood and scrape off all this old sealant, (foam...sheesh) and what looks like dried out glue between the boat and the wood. Most seems in pretty good shape, just needs a good cleaning/sanding and then stain and seal. Can you give me ideas on stain and seal? I am not looking to make this really high fashion pretty nice as it is a beat up daysailer but I don't want folks thinking I neglect my boat. LOL

Thanks!

 

[digby sailor]

I would be careful picking out what looks like dried up glue between the boat and the wooden fixtures as this may result in leaks though it is a pain in the butt those things should be removed and rebedded in 5200 3m sealant.As for finish for exterior teak I think cetol is the best for interior teak oil.

 

[Steve Dion]

Never ever ever use 5200 to attach wood to the boat. If I were you I would forget that digby ever mentioned this stuff to you.

Depending on what type of maintenance you want to do in the future there are some options.

Varnish looks great but will not last for an entire season unless it is covered when you boat is not in use.

Cetol will last for a couple of seasons but a lot of sailors do not like the looks. There are options on which types of Cetol you would use, but it does NOT have that "brilliant" look that the purists like.

Sand it and leave it natural or oil it.

With any of these methods, you should consider having covers made to protect the wood.

As for caulking you should check out the West Marine Catalogue. They have a table that outlines different caulking materials and the suitability. Not all caulking materials are suitable for all applications. You also want to stay away from silicone unless there are no better options (ie acrylic/lexan to fiberglass this would be a good place for silicone).

 

[shemandr]

Cetol
You stated your not looking for bristol - just maintained. For ease of application and re application I think it fits your need. You need to re apply but its fairly easy to do.

 

[Joe]

I agree with steve...do not use 5200.... or 4200 for that matter... on the wood. In fact, I wouldn't use it on anything except the hull/deck joint....or something totally permanent.

No matter how or what you do to refinish your wood trim (often called "brightwork") the best thing you can do to keep your hatchboards looking good is to invest in a canvas cover made of a UV resistant fabric called Sunbrella. Real teak hatchboards are very expensive.... if you cover them it will be worth your while to go with the varnish.... otherwise I like the new Cetol light, and Cetol teak... No need to stain.. just follow directions on the can.

 

[digby sailor]

Never ever ever use 5200 to attach wood to the boat. If I were you I would forget that digby ever mentioned this stuff to you.

Depending on what type of maintenance you want to do in the future there are some options.

Varnish looks great but will not last for an entire season unless it is covered when you boat is not in use.

Cetol will last for a couple of seasons but a lot of sailors do not like the looks. There are options on which types of Cetol you would use, but it does NOT have that "brilliant" look that the purists like.

Sand it and leave it natural or oil it.

With any of these methods, you should consider having covers made to protect the wood.

As for caulking you should check out the West Marine Catalogue. They have a table that outlines different caulking materials and the suitability. Not all caulking materials are suitable for all applications. You also want to stay away from silicone unless there are no better options (ie acrylic/lexan to fiberglass this would be a good place for silicone).

Just curious as to why 5200 isnt suitable to use to bed wood?Ive used it and stopped leaks with it find it superior and more durable than any other "marine grade sealants"I realize it makes it near impossible to remove the fixture later but the only way I would remove it was if it was damaged and then damaging it removing it becomes a mute point.As to cetol I agree with you if I was a "purist"however I love to sail thats why I have my boat therefore anything that gives me more time on the water and less time doing maintanence is what im after.(im actually considering changing my handrails to stainless)Cetol is a very durable finish in my opinion it will last a season up here which is great.If you want the best looking finish go with hand rubbed oil by far the best finish for someone who doesnt mind a regular ongoing maintance shedule.

 

[Willjacocks]

I am cleaning up the old adhesive and will reapply with something that will hold, I do need to be able to remove them at a later date. Maybe I should consider sealant in the joints to keep from leaking and not gluing them to the boat. They are all screwed in so that helps. I think cetol will be good for what I am looking for, I don't mind a little maintenance to keep the brightwork looking decent. I am just thinking these pieces of wood need to be replaced down the road, but I am not a carpenter. Every time I cut, I make the wrong angle and can't do a straight line even with a jig. LOL! This will give me time to improve on my carpenter skills.

 

[DougM]

Never, ever, use 5200 on anything that might have to be taken apart or replaced some day. Its great stuff, but overkill for a lot of applications.

I agree with the person on this site who said that anyone wanting to purchase 5200 from the marine store should bring a note from their mother.