Varnish Recommendation

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Marc14857

Marc14857

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Jun 5, 2004
485
Hunter 44 Mystic, Ct
I'm looking for a recommendation for a Varnish to use on rail seats of my Hunter 44. I've used Cetol in the past and while it holds up well, my wife is a little put off by the orange hue. I've already removed the wood slats and sanded them down so new varnish seems like the way to go. I'm looking for something with high gloss and of course durability.

All recommendations are welcome.
 
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Captn TJ

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Nov 24, 2012
586
Cetol comes in three versions with natural being most like varnish in color. Cetol also has a clear coat that wears like iron.

I've used varnish, armada and most recently (last 6 years) Cetol light then natural. There are major benefits in using a coating vs. varnish: generally better uv protection, easier to apply and fewer coats. It's not unheard off to put 10-12 coats of varnish to get a deep gloss finish
 
CalebD

CalebD

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Jun 27, 2006
1,479
Tartan 27' 1967 Nyack, NY
I'll 2nd that there is a big difference in looks between Cetol Natural vs Cetol Marine and even Cetol Marine Light.
I only use Cetol Natural now as it does not look like that orange/reddish crap they made years ago. Two coats of Cetol Gloss on top make it shine.

That said, if you really want to be able to see the grain in the wood clearly then maybe a varnish is the way to go - but it is more work, guaranteed.

Asking a group of sailors which varnish they think is best is like asking a classroom full of kids what candy they want after lunch. They will never agree on one kind.

That said, many swear by Epiphanes varnish and I have seen some jobs done with this product that look like a million bucks.
 
Joe

Joe

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Jun 1, 2004
8,323
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
I'm leaning away from cetol after all these years.... I purchased a quart of Min-Wax Helmsman Spar Urethane from Home Depot to redo my hatch boards... 3 or 4 coats at first ... looks fabulous... I used clear satin... applied with a chip brush.. I'll never use cetol again for my precious teak hatchboards.
 
Tim R.

Tim R.

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May 27, 2004
3,626
Caliber 40 Long Range Cruiser Portland, Maine
We have been using Bristol Finsh 2 part urethane for our cabin top eyebrow over the last couple of years and it works and looks great. Easy and fast to apply as you can do wet on wet application. Allows for multiple coats in one day. Can also be buffed to get that really high gloss smooth finish.
 
hewebb

hewebb

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Oct 8, 2011
329
Catalina Catalina 25 Joe Pool Lake
I guess I am old fashion. I sanded all the teak and oiled two years ago.Last summer I wiped on another coat. Still looks like new. Varnish seems like too much work for me and I like the natural wood look best.
 
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rmargeson

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Mar 15, 2010
7
Hunter 31 Watkins Glen, NY
I have had GREAT success (at a reasonable price) with Minwax Spar Urethane - comes in glass, semi-glass, satin. Good surface prep and then 3 - 5 coats results in a mirror finish.
 
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