I'm about to redo the teak on my H31 and am interested in learning what everyone is using these days. I'm in the Pacific Northwest on the Columbia River. Steve when you read this let me know what you use on your Hunter.
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Teak Finishing
That question here in Texas is kinda like "which bbq sauce do you like on ribs?" There are a zillion different kinds and everyone has their own preference!! The Purists will tell you nothing less than 25 coats of Skipper 96 varnish with sanding between each coat. The Ultra Purists will tell you nothing more than a generous daubing of Teak oil on a regular basis. Heretics like me -- who eschew the copious amounts of labor masochistically embraced by the Purists and Ultra Purists -- use synthetics like Armada's MC2000 which is a type of polyurethane that actually cures best in the presence of moisture because of its quasi-pre-catalyzed nature, doesn't require sanding between coats, and 3 or 4 coats basically glopped on with some semblance of care will give you nice shiny brightwork that will hold up underneath the Southern summer sun in a salt air environment for a couple of years. Hell, I bought the boat to sail, not to spend all my time redoing wood. Actually, I have a dim view of wood on boats since I grew up on a coast working on wooden boats and consider them nothing more today than bonfires in search of a beach and the scant amount of wood on my 78h30 nothing more than kindling! There's Cetol -- regular, not the Gloss overcoat which flakes off in chunks -- if you want to go with a tried and true. If it's good enough for Island Packet, I figure it's good enough for Hunters! Well, that's a bit of an overview. Good luck.
That question here in Texas is kinda like "which bbq sauce do you like on ribs?" There are a zillion different kinds and everyone has their own preference!! The Purists will tell you nothing less than 25 coats of Skipper 96 varnish with sanding between each coat. The Ultra Purists will tell you nothing more than a generous daubing of Teak oil on a regular basis. Heretics like me -- who eschew the copious amounts of labor masochistically embraced by the Purists and Ultra Purists -- use synthetics like Armada's MC2000 which is a type of polyurethane that actually cures best in the presence of moisture because of its quasi-pre-catalyzed nature, doesn't require sanding between coats, and 3 or 4 coats basically glopped on with some semblance of care will give you nice shiny brightwork that will hold up underneath the Southern summer sun in a salt air environment for a couple of years. Hell, I bought the boat to sail, not to spend all my time redoing wood. Actually, I have a dim view of wood on boats since I grew up on a coast working on wooden boats and consider them nothing more today than bonfires in search of a beach and the scant amount of wood on my 78h30 nothing more than kindling! There's Cetol -- regular, not the Gloss overcoat which flakes off in chunks -- if you want to go with a tried and true. If it's good enough for Island Packet, I figure it's good enough for Hunters! Well, that's a bit of an overview. Good luck.
Bob summed it up!
Mike: We have been using Cetol for several years. The problem in our area is that it is so damn hot during the summer and I have very little desire to do much varnishing with ANY product during the heat. Once the weather get a little cooler all I want to do is sail. I must admit that a good looking varnish job is hard to beat. But if you do not stay on top of it, it looks poorly very quickly. So much of it depends on your climate, proper preperation and proper application. If you can take some of the pieces home it makes the prep and application much easier. Cetol needs about 24 hours between coats and you need a minimum of 3 - 4 coats. Varnish usually needs 6-10 coats depending on the condition of the wood. I have to agree with Bob, the less wood the better. We are in the process of replacing the eyebrows over the ports with a product called Plasteak. I will give you a follow up report in the next few weeks on the look, installation and total cost. I already replaced the hand rails with Stainless Steel.
Mike: We have been using Cetol for several years. The problem in our area is that it is so damn hot during the summer and I have very little desire to do much varnishing with ANY product during the heat. Once the weather get a little cooler all I want to do is sail. I must admit that a good looking varnish job is hard to beat. But if you do not stay on top of it, it looks poorly very quickly. So much of it depends on your climate, proper preperation and proper application. If you can take some of the pieces home it makes the prep and application much easier. Cetol needs about 24 hours between coats and you need a minimum of 3 - 4 coats. Varnish usually needs 6-10 coats depending on the condition of the wood. I have to agree with Bob, the less wood the better. We are in the process of replacing the eyebrows over the ports with a product called Plasteak. I will give you a follow up report in the next few weeks on the look, installation and total cost. I already replaced the hand rails with Stainless Steel.
Bob, Bob, Bob,
Everyone in Texas knows good BBQ does not need any sauce at all. If some is offered turn around and walk out. Only the transplanted Yankees throw sauce on their meat and the new ones ask for their Chicken Fried Steak "medium rare". Now I am hungry and have to make another trip back home. As for the finish on the teak I use 4 or 5 coats of Cetol Light and another 3 or 4 of the gloss on top of that. If possible I bring the pieces home and do it inside. it is not a difficult chore it just reqires some time and patience.
Everyone in Texas knows good BBQ does not need any sauce at all. If some is offered turn around and walk out. Only the transplanted Yankees throw sauce on their meat and the new ones ask for their Chicken Fried Steak "medium rare". Now I am hungry and have to make another trip back home. As for the finish on the teak I use 4 or 5 coats of Cetol Light and another 3 or 4 of the gloss on top of that. If possible I bring the pieces home and do it inside. it is not a difficult chore it just reqires some time and patience.
Cetol
I've tried all three and finally settled on Cetol. Varnish didn't stick well to the teak. Oil turned black with mold and had to be redone every couple of months. Cetol lasts and is easy to re-coat. I'm sold.
I've tried all three and finally settled on Cetol. Varnish didn't stick well to the teak. Oil turned black with mold and had to be redone every couple of months. Cetol lasts and is easy to re-coat. I'm sold.
Watco Teak Oil
I just finished putting two coats of Watco on my 1991 30T. Bought the boat on May 1 and wanted the interior teak to have more of the "glow" I see on newer boats. Don't know if or when the teak was done last. I did the job in 2 or 3 hour segments, just wiping the oil on and letting it dry (took about 5 days for it to lose the tacky feeling). I took the floorboards home and did them there along with the cockpit seat and the pulpit seat. Entire project took maybe 12-15 hours. I'm very happy with the outcome but can't say how long it will last. Here in the Pacific NW it's usually cool enough so the boat stays below 75 degrees inside. Don't seem to have a mold problem. Although the Watco instructions directed me to wipe the oil down after 30 minutes, I only did that on the first few panels. It dried to a dull finish that was not what I was looking for so for the rest of the boat it was wipe it on and let it dry. Two coats seems to work pertty well.
I just finished putting two coats of Watco on my 1991 30T. Bought the boat on May 1 and wanted the interior teak to have more of the "glow" I see on newer boats. Don't know if or when the teak was done last. I did the job in 2 or 3 hour segments, just wiping the oil on and letting it dry (took about 5 days for it to lose the tacky feeling). I took the floorboards home and did them there along with the cockpit seat and the pulpit seat. Entire project took maybe 12-15 hours. I'm very happy with the outcome but can't say how long it will last. Here in the Pacific NW it's usually cool enough so the boat stays below 75 degrees inside. Don't seem to have a mold problem. Although the Watco instructions directed me to wipe the oil down after 30 minutes, I only did that on the first few panels. It dried to a dull finish that was not what I was looking for so for the rest of the boat it was wipe it on and let it dry. Two coats seems to work pertty well.
BBQ Sauce
Rick's right about the use of BBQ sauce, but it's nice to keep it on the side -- not dumped over the meat -- just in case the brisket got a bit overdone. Helps with the swallowing and is polite to the host!
Rick's right about the use of BBQ sauce, but it's nice to keep it on the side -- not dumped over the meat -- just in case the brisket got a bit overdone. Helps with the swallowing and is polite to the host!
Yep, PlasTeak.
We have PlasTeak trim on the cabinsides and I just replaced the tops of the dorade boxes(new cowl vents on order). And I am cutting the pieces to go under the travelers. Only problem is the color, much lighter than my beautiful varnished handrails. They make a darker color but the board sizes are so limited. The light board($25. for 8') only comes in 6" width if 3/4" thickness and 8" if 1/2" thick. I think the darker wood is only available in 2" thickness. The shop is near where I work so I can see the products close up. You should see the teak decking, right color and right look. But to do it right you would have to remove the toerails. My next project is the handrails. You can buy custom to match your mounting holes at $12/foot(I have 30 feet) or cut your own from the 12'x6"x3/4" board, about $50. Pretty simple decision for me.
We have PlasTeak trim on the cabinsides and I just replaced the tops of the dorade boxes(new cowl vents on order). And I am cutting the pieces to go under the travelers. Only problem is the color, much lighter than my beautiful varnished handrails. They make a darker color but the board sizes are so limited. The light board($25. for 8') only comes in 6" width if 3/4" thickness and 8" if 1/2" thick. I think the darker wood is only available in 2" thickness. The shop is near where I work so I can see the products close up. You should see the teak decking, right color and right look. But to do it right you would have to remove the toerails. My next project is the handrails. You can buy custom to match your mounting holes at $12/foot(I have 30 feet) or cut your own from the 12'x6"x3/4" board, about $50. Pretty simple decision for me.
Goldspar
Putting Cetol on teak is like covering beautiful hardwood floors with carpet....why would you do it? Nothing looks better on teak than Goldspar varnish. It is simple to apply and it does last. Yes you have to maintain it but the results are worth it and it doesn't have that aweful brownish/orange color of Cetol. I too live in the Pacific Northwest and have been very happy with Goldspar.
Putting Cetol on teak is like covering beautiful hardwood floors with carpet....why would you do it? Nothing looks better on teak than Goldspar varnish. It is simple to apply and it does last. Yes you have to maintain it but the results are worth it and it doesn't have that aweful brownish/orange color of Cetol. I too live in the Pacific Northwest and have been very happy with Goldspar.
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