Teak trim; Varnish or not

[jim148]

I have a 1981 H22 that I purchased late last fall. PO didn't spend much time on maintenance. I plan on re-finishing the exterior wood this spring, if it ever gets warm here in Michigan. So I went to my local West Marine for teak oil and the sales person added a can of spar varnish and said I would need this to cover the teak oil. I'm a real novice at this so I'm wondering if I wasted my money or not.

 

[Sanfelice]

Varnish

I would recommend Cetol light unless you really enjoy sanding off varnish, especially if you leave the boat uncovered during the winter. Easy to apply and touch up.Need to be careful about drops. Wipe up rigfht away with a damp cloth.

 

[Forrest15112]

I was given some advice from my sailing mentor 17 years ago. He recommended boiled linseed oil only. His point was that it was as effective as teak oil but much cheaper and that varnish would require stripping. The BLO has to be reapplied about once a year and only requires a good scrubbing to remove dirt and maybe some light sanding. My 23.5 has very little exposed teak but after almost 18 years of South Louisiana weather, it has held up nicely - even through the neglected years.

 

[Dan Johnson]

Jim...

the teak oil will give you color and the varnish, with at least five or six coats applied, will give you the appearance of depth.

For a more simple approach, I prefer Cetol as Sanfelice said. Light or regular according to your preference of color range.

 

[Ed Schenck]

I wonder if my thirty-two year old rails would still be as strong had they been oiled instead of varnished? It is probably just preference but I like how my rails look after a couple of coats of varnish. Pictures don't do them justice. You have to see them sparkle in the sun.

Yeah guys, I know how I whined about the southern climate destroying my teak.