Is bright work for dim wits?

[mike C.]

if you believe

if you believe that your boat has a heart and soul, and will keep you safe while giving you some fun then doing the necessary brightwork isn't grueling. It can even be relaxing. Of course I'd rather be sailing, but keeping both the beauty and safety of the boat is paramount. All my cabin teak is varnished once a year. That takes 2 of us a weekend to clean, sand and varnish 3 coats ( a few weeks later I put another coat on) the woodwork below looks great. The Teak companionway hatches and handrails are done over the course of getting the boat ready for the water. If I can spend some time over 3 evenings sitting on my boat while it is out of the water for the season with a beer in hand doing some brightwork, that is 3 more days on my boat...

 

[Captain David Hoyt]

never enough Teak

Personally I love Teak. The effort to maintain it is theropy. The tedium of sanding, varnishing, sanding, varnishing, sanding, varnishing, sanding, varnishing, sanding and varnishing is a release. It distracts me from the reality that surrounds me in this land based world. I do it in the spring and think of my cruises to come and the time afloat that will allow me the automony my sailboat/home gives me.I sympathyze with those who opt for low maintenance craft that are plastic float boats. They loose touch with their only owned object and think of it as a get away craft when in fact it is the only object they own that is truly beyond the reach of government. They rent their homes from the federal, state, and local governing bodies yet they invest their hard earned money and effort in these government owned objects when their boat is the only asset they really own outright.Yes, I love Teak and the way it differentiates my home. The time I take to keep it bristol is a labor of love.Hope you can become lost in a shine of well finished brightwork.Capt. David Hoyt

 

[Tom S]

Need a little -- I have enough to take the "edge"

off the "all plastic and stainless steel" clorox bottle - 1960's 'mod' furniture look.I have the nice folding Edson teak cockpit table and beautiful teak cockpit doors and teak outboard engine mount. (These DO make the cockpit rich and beautiful http://www.cruisingconcepts.com/Codoor.htm )I understand the concerns for work, especially if its exposed to the sun all the time but I have had that cockpit table varnished for over 10 years now and never touched it up. Still looks great. Plus if I need to work on anything I can take it home and touch it up over the winter in my basement. Easy as cake.Without the little touches of teak, when I sat in the cockpit, I felt like I was in a hospital.I like it now. ;D

 

[Bob N]

Teak is Unique

Well maintained Teak aboard a sailing or any other vessel is one of the unique things that sets us apart from those who only wish and look longingly from the shore.

 

[jcherubini]

ADDING wood to Gen-1 Hunter

That's right, I am actually ADDING wood to the exterior of my 1974 H-25. All teak above and below deck is getting changed over to mahogany, which always looks better with varnish on it. New topside brightwork includes:--Foredeck hatch--Handrails (properly scalloped; replacing tiny, solid toerails)--Dorade box on cockpit seat aft of tiller--Hatch-board slides--Hatch rails--Small railcaps along 'license-plate' number boards inside toerail at bow--Trim sides of spray hood--Forward end of spray hood where it gets cut off aft of maststep--Trim on mini teak bridge deck to accommodate traveller(Weatherboards of hatch to stay teak.)Properly treated, brightwork can last very long without needing major refinishing or replacement. One secret is UV-barrier varnish. Also, brightwork is far easier on the eye, aesthetically and optically, than all-white fibreglass.Notice I did not select ANY of Gary's quiz choices since I would NOT prefer a teak deck at all, no matter what the trim wood. It's too heavy and too hassle-prone underneath it. I prefer a traditional yachtlike painted deck.JC 2

 

[Mark Wieber]

How much wood??

How much wood would a SAILOR chuck, if a SAILOR could chuck wood??I am right there with 'Robert Ragolia'. Wood really inhances the beauty of a classical sailboat. Wine glass transom, clipper bow, full keel cruisers with impeccably kept wood and well trimmed sails are the stuff of dreams and legends. The question should be 'if you had enough money to pay someone else to keep up your boat. Would you choose the sleek (chrome and glass)high tech, high speed, modern yacht. Or would you preffer something a little more elegant and comfortable lending fuel to the imagination for dreams of pirates, discovey, or adventure'??

 

[joseph Larsen]

Teak work

Teak represents both beauty and tradition. The wood accents the lines of the boat and adds depth and color to the boat. It is worth the work required to maintain it.

 

[Jerry Anderson]

I love bright work

The time I spend on my bright work is wonderful therapy. I wipe, Clean, sand, and recoat,. Some one always says" Your boat sure looks good" So to me its a point of pride as are my cars and home..

 

[Rick]

No Exterior Wood!

Maintenance takes away from sailing time!

 

[Janet & Steve]

Say no to TMT -- too much teak!

Our 2002 C-320 has exactly the right amount of exterior teak -- the hatch door! We'd rather cruise than do teak, and with our spider colony, we have enough boat cleaning to perform!

 

[Don]

Teak Maintenance or Sailing Time?...

I don't buy it when people say they would rather be sailing than maintaining their teak. It just doesn't wash!Maintenance is part of boat ownership, whether it be washing and waxing the hull, engine tune ups, bottom jobs, rig inspections,...etc, and attending to the teak is a very small part of the overall maintenance picture.Firstly, I know some prefer to have their teak weather to a natural grey and that's great. But those who say that the reason they don't do teak is because they would rather be sailing, well that's a bunch of hooey.Of the boats in my marina, I have what others say is the best looking brightwork in the marina. Does it take me a great deal of time? Absolutely not! As a matter of fact, I haven't touched my exterior teak since the spring of 2002.Does maintaining my teak take away from my sailing time? Again no...of the boats in my marina, my boat is the hands down winner when it comes to being out on the water and coincidently, those boats with neglected brightwork are the ones that never leave the dock. This tells me that those who insist that maintaining the teak takes away from their sailing time are just using that as an excuse to not do it. So if you let your teak go grey because you like the look, that's great, just don't say you do it because maintaining it would take away from your sailing, because those that know what it really takes will think you are full of it.

 

[Cap'n Bob]

Teak is Woman's Work

We don't have a great deal of teak on our boat ( i.e. hand rails, companion way, combing boxes, etc) but we love it and once you gain control, it's not much work for your wife to keep it up. When we got our boat it was in bad shape and we both spent a lot of time cleaning and sanding and then gave it a few coats of sikkens. Now my wife maintains it with a light sanding and a fresh coat each year. She enjoys it and we both enjoy the results. We think teak adds character and wouldn't have a boat without it. Without it you just have another motor home!

 

[Dale]

Sail or sand?, a no brainer!

The more brightwork there is, the more maintanence required. I may enjoy looking at a teak deck, toe rails, and trim but wouldn't want to cut into the little time I have on the water for other than sailing and socializing. I'll take my few sticks and boards and be happy with the rest being sterile plastic.

 

[Dave Oberle]

Well kept Wood Softens the Sterile Appearance

Wood and Teak seem to give a Sailboat it's Owners own Personality. To me, its that little part of Caring that makes the Boat a "Sailing Beauty".

 

[Brian]

Answer on West System

To answer John's question. Using a roller designed for epoxy application coat the wood as if you were doing a clear laminate then tip it with a roller brush. Make sure that you apply a smooth finish with no defects. Three coats is enough, then clean with scotch bright and water. Let dry then paint it with three coats of clear two part linear polyurethane. It produces a very deep glossy finish that is very durable. Basic care from this point is wash and wax as with any painted finish. This is a very difficult finish to remove, and that should be considered before using it. I suggest that anyone considering it try it on some scrap wood and see if they like the finished product. I know that I do.

 

[Rick D]

Size Counts

I was thinking about this since I had a 26' wood boat for 19 years. Really pretty. People on large yachts used to swing by just to get a close look. Here is the difference; size. I have a Legend 40.5 and it is big and complex and lots of systems. The 26 allowed lots of time to pretty it up. The 40.5 demands that time and more to keep the systems going. Just a matter of priorities and comfort. It is a matter of where the time is spent. Varnish is great below and trim above. Rick D.

 

[Chuck]

No teaky no leaky

I Luv the look of wood inside my boat but prefer to ahve minimal amounts of high maintenance wood outside my boat

 

[Kay]

Way Back When

When I was a child most boats were wood, all wood inside and out. I was one of the kids that got paid two-bits and a soda to scrape and sand boats by hand! Just being allowed in the boatyard was a thrill It was a way for kids to earn their way into the boating community. The skills learned and the traits learned lasted a lifetime. Now I have a plastic boat with the wood trim, it isn't the same. This boat is different more techy than traditional. Would I own one with more wood? Not unless I had cheap labor to keep it up. Doing the trim now and then reminds me of where I came from and how long the journey has been. I am still thrilled to be working on the boat again only this time I get paid better A glass of wine and the pleasure of my own boat.

 

[Phil Herring]

Final results

Final results for the Quick Quiz ending April 18, 2004:Given enough time to care for exterior wood, I would prefer: 46% Just some wood accents like grabrails and bench seats 25% No wood at all 22% A fiberglass hull, but teak decks and wood trim07% An all-wood boat 1,223 owners responding

 

[Rodney Sheaffer]

No more teak

I have been replacing all my teak with a composite wood.