Is bright work for dim wits?

[Drew]

No brightwork for me...

The only exterior teak on my boat is the companionway hatch covers, and that's too much as far as I'm concerned. I fully appreciate and admire the appearance of well maintained brightwork, and when I see it there is a sense of envy. However, that feeling only lasts about 10 seconds, until I remember how much work it involves.

 

[Walter]

brightwork

Between 1987 and 1996 we owned a Tayana 37 and know all there is to know about brightwork. We now have a Catalina 36MkII and now know the difference. I liked the look of the Catalina a lot and if I were to live on her and just live "the life", I guess the bright work would not matter (although I suspect it would "get to me" at some time). Otherwise, don't go near it!

 

[Robert Neville]

Take it or leave it.

Teak is nice and is easy to take care of if it's not varnished. All things considered it probably wouldn't sway me one way or the other. There's no doubt teak is nice down below...warms up a cabin. I'd like a teak & holly sole in the Mac26X.

 

[Dee Bernreuter]

I don't need to prove anything with my bright work

I disagree regarding the condition of brightwork versus the condition or maintenace of the rest of the boat. I hate varnish! I didn't buy my boat to spend hours of work varnishing. I love to sail and take the maintence of my boat very seriously. I can't personaly do all the work but spend plenty on professionals who do. I like the grey look of teak! It tells me where my priorities are.

 

[Robert Ragolia]

Does jewelry add to a woman's beauty?

Of course it does. So do nice clothes and the proper amount of make up.Well maintained brightwork enhances almost any boat's natural beauty.

 

[william Hunt]

Bright work for dimwits

To me, part of sailing/boat ownership is maintaining brightwork. I like varnished handrails, coaming trim, traveler bases etc. I have had teak decks on past boats and have had enough of them. Some of my teak is weathered and some is varnished with Captain's varnish-multiple coats. I just enjoy varnishing. As you might surmise, I am an old boat lover.

 

[fred]

More time sailing

Let me think ????? Sailing or Restoration ?no brainer.

 

[Rollyn Trueblood]

None

I would prefer a plastic embedded stain. Trying to get grab rail done right without dripping on the gel coat gets to be more than I want to do. I feel the same way about rub rails & boat seams.Besides its just me and my friends leaving from moorings & sailing back to moorings. I don't have to contend with a bunch of pedestrian spectators. If they get close enough to my boat to see that the bright work is dim, they swam there.

 

[Mike]

Part of boat ownership

I love to sail, and I agree with everyone out there that I would rather be sailing than fixing and maintianing stuff, but to me its a part of boat ownership. I don't have a lot of teak on my boat, but the teak that I do have I take pride in. I used to oil my teak, and admittingly, applying it so frequently got boring as it wore off quickly. After seeing some other boats that have been around for some time with good looking brightwork, I asked their owners what they do. Many have used cetol and the stuff holds up to the elements for a few years with no maitnence. So, Living in the Northeast, I removed and cleaned all my teak during winter layup with a two part cleaner/brightner and applied the cetol. So far the teak looks great and I am excted to put it back on the boat. When all was said and done, to clean it, brighten it, hit it with a sander, and slap on a few coats of finish, it took less than a week for less than half hour a night. Not a bad way to spend a little time, giving some TLC to your boat. I hope it holds up as well as some of the other boats I have seen finished with cetol, but if in the future I have to re-do some of it or touch up a few spots, it comes with the territory.Now again, I have a small amount of teak on my boat, companionway, slide hatch rails, tiller (oak) and a fair amount of interior teak. But the amount of work involved was really minimal. I really don't understand where all of the anti-upkeep statements are coming from. As I see it, its relativy easy and its a part of boat ownership. To me its like owning a car, sure you own it so you can drive it, but you still have to wash and wax it to keep it looking good and to keep the paint in good condition.

 

[Brian]

Bright Work ...work?

I stole a page from a friend of mine in the caribbean. All my bright work is sanded and prepped, coated with multiple coats of West System Epoxy w/207 hardener. For a finish coat I apply muliple layers of clear two part linear polyurethane paint. Just requires a wash and wax when needed.

 

[Neil Franklin]

I'd rather be sailing; however....................

There are plenty of windless, glassy days at the lake when time can be spent "sprucing up" our boats which includes sanding and varnishing exterior wood, polishing and/or waxing the gelcoat or paint, and replacing the non-skid. It is appalling to see how many boats seem to be all but abandoned and fall into dis-repair. But you know someone still owns them because the slip fees are not cheap.

 

[Harley Nygren]

DULL IS BEST

Silver teak is beautiful. Scrub it up with salt and sand to keep it clean if you feel driven. I opt for low or NO maintenance every time. I wish to sail, not slave. My current boat has minimum teak (Newport30) but would be OK with less.

 

[Andy Anderson]

No Teak is wonderful.......

On our Pearson 31' we have limited teak.We sail a lot in the Northwest.I would prefer no teak exposed to the weather.aa

 

[John Shullo]

Brian, tell me about the West Epoxy process

Brian: That really sounds interesting. How does the final product look? Shiny, teak colored, dull. How often do you need to recoat? Do you ever need to remove and start over?I am on lake Lanier in Georgia so I have the same climatic conditions. I have been using Clorox to clean and Thompsons water seal to cover. Has worked well, look OK, but does not have that finished look. After walking the docks in S. Cal a few years ago, I have always wanted that incredible high shine varnished look that all the boats seemed to have there. All looked freshly detailed, absolutlely no dirty boats in Souther Cal. John

 

[Ron Riedemann]

Clorox or Classic

If a clorax bottle with some shiny stuff on it is what you want then that's the thing to do. If you have a more classic boat with teak then keep it classic. It is pride of ownership and I agree with one other who made the remark that it is not as much work as one might think. Don't tell me that when you see a boat with beautiful brightwork that it does's not turn your head just a little. When it comes to resale guess who wins. It is an individual thing. You can still sail and have beautiful brightwork. Signed Mr Varnish.

 

[Kurt]

Love the look

Bright work.....Love the look so much that I can't help but keep it varnished. Lots of work, I know, but WOW! what a great look. Its nice to hear the comments of the other boat owners who admire the effort in keeping the teak so nice. Besides, beautiful boats most often come with beautiful girls! HURRAY FOR SUMMER!!!!!!!!

 

[Pat Coulter]

Teak is good

I've always been glad my little 272 had some wood on it...the style of the gray-hulled boats that O'Day built in the mid to late 80's hasaged very gracefully, and the boats although modern looking have retained the very nice tradiional look that I like. I do wish i could start over w/new toe rails but I figure that would be a lot of work re-installing new onesthru the hull to deck joint, etc.....have tried to use Cetol twice yearly...I used varnish one year and was so impressed with the look after one coat that I stopped at one coat....bigmistake....but I like the wood

 

[Cindy B.]

Exterior teak care.

I have a fair amount of teak on the exterior of my 85 hunter,I like the look of teak on the outside of a boat, I think it look's warmer. Last year, I treated my exterior teak two ways, I sanded, stained and re-varnished, I also sanded, and just used a teak oil. A little work on the exterior is ok, in moderation, I'd rather be SAILING!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Bill]

We're on the side of a little wood is nice (+)

Our boat is probably pretty typical--teak toe rail, hand rails, dorade bases, and drop boards, companionway trim. It's a nice touch, and I enjoy the pre and post season refinishing...but we are Cetol/Armada fans as opposed to "purists" ;-).Fair winds, BillS/V "Ngemelis"

 

[Rich]

Tek Dek and Marinedeck will be the future

There are some imitation teak deck materials such as Tek-Dek and Marinedeck which are being widely used in Europe but aren't generally distributed in the US yet. They are glued in place with powerful glues which help seal the deck rather than punch it full of holes, are light weight, last a long time, and look very good. They are what everyone restoring an older boat is looking for and when they finally get distributed here the modern age of brightwork will begin. (and no, I don't work for those companies). I like the aesthetic of clean fiberglass and stainless steel exteriors but I think teak-like cockpit floors, seats, and step pads always add a warming touch.