teak is the question

[neil]

I have an oday 23 that I'm improving little by little over the past couple of seasons. I've had the boat 2 years. I thought I'd tackle the teak this spring. I keep reading all these teak articles about stripping and sanding and varnishing and vapors and paint removers etc, etc etc. Very discouraging. Can't I just go to Rudy @ D&R, buy a pair of teak handrails for $60, put teak oil on them and be done? I'm told that the oil does a great job of protecting the teak, it looks great and just needs a good rubbing of oil a couple of times a year. I'd love some feedback from you experienced teakers. Why do I need to varnish if in a couple of years I'll have to do all the nonsense listed above? In addition, when reinstalling the teak, do I have to put some kind of sealant between the rails and the topside?

 

[John R.]

Teak

It all depends on your choice, oiling in fairly simple. As you stated you just give it a good cleaning a couple times throughout the year and reoil. The teak looks good. At the beginning of each season, for you northerners, you can use any of the teak cleaning products such as Tip Top Teak to clean off the winter dirt. Personally I prefer this choice. As for varnishing, when it is done with patiences it looks great. But any nicks need to be address right away. This means sanding and revarnishing. Again at the beginning of each season the teak should be lightly sanded and revarnished. Every several years the varnish needs to be sand down to the wood and redone. I am replacing all the teak inside and outside of my 87 272 and it will be all oiled. Either way it comes down to your personal preference. John R.

 

[Jeff]

Teak

Interior teak just needs to be oiled, in fact we use Orange Glo polish and it works great and does not smell as bad as teak oil. As for the outside teak be careful of teak oil because it will stain fibreglass. Clean the teak with a water/ bleach solution then litely sand, to knock the grain down. Teak oil is pretty but would only last about 2 months here in the mid-west. I've used Cetol for about 8 years on my 272 and 322.. Always gets complements and looks good through out the season.. A quart will last forever... Good luck

 

[EJ Tews]

Teak Oil In Texas

I was luck if the teak oil last 30 days in the Texas summer sun. I choose a varnish last sprong and it looks great, just need to apply it correctly.EJ