Exterior Teak

[Paul Woo]

I am in the process of preparing all exterior teak trim for refinishing.  I am debating between 1) applying teak oil over new wood, 2) revarnishing and 3)applying CETOL, which I understand is a finish that will not peel like varnish.  I am leaning towards CETOL as it would require less maintenance in the long run.

Thanks in advance for your input.

Paul Woo
1986 Hull # 165 SYMPLISTIC :eek:

[Stu Jackson]

Paul

This is one of those "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" issues.  The downside of Cetol, as some have mentioned, is the color, which some say looks like a used baby diaper.  You get the idea.  

On the other hand, my experience on two boats has been that the significantly reduced maintenance issue is a far more positive influence on our decision to use the Cetol.  It's like paint, you put it on, and then paint over it regularly, never have to sand, no, absolutely no, peeling, ever.

We went through what you are going through now with our old C25.  I stripped the teak down, and tried teak oil.  Ended up a lot of work, and turned gray anyway, even with regular effort.  Used Cetol, never looked back.  We first learned about Cetol from a boater on Vancouver Island, BC in the early 90's.

When we got our C34 almost three years ago, one of our first jobs was to diss the varnish and switch to Cetol.  Still looks great, just a touchup now and then.

If you'd rather sail than varnish, you already have the answer.

Armada is another Cetol like material.  I understand it is a tiny bit lighter in color, but pretty much the same kind of stuff.

Cetol makes two colors, one is much lighter.  A dockmate tried the lighter stuff, and didn't like it because it was too light.  Don't know if you can mix and match.  Another option is to use the darker (regular) stuff as a base coat (or two or three) and then use the lighter stuff on top - it's said that the lighter stuff has a higher gloss shine to it and may look more like varnish when you're done.

Good luck.

Stu

PS  We bought our "older" boat because we like the wood trim.  The Cetol keeps it looking great, most people don't know it's not varnish.  Another one of our dockmates, with a Mason 33, spends most of his springtimes revarnishing, not sailing.

[dave davis]

If you like a nice look(in my opinion) AND MUCH LESS WORK I would recommend CETOL. One of the downside is that it is a bear to remove. So be very carfull that you do not splash or get any on the fiberglass. Use good shielding and mask off. A good brush will help.

[PLKennedy]

Cetol is the answer.  Used it on our catboat which had way too much teak; cockpit staving, rubrails, grabons and trim.  Now that we have a c34, all those trim item get WD-40; much easier.

Peter :cool:

[Ted Pounds]

Here's another vote for Cetol.  I even use it on my cockpit grate.

Ted Pounds

[Brad "Captivated" #1285]

Cetol gets my vote as well. It holds up well and doesn't turn colors, fade out, or evaporate quickly. . It is a lot quicker than varnish and doesn't nick as easily.
 But it is a bear to clean up if you are not careful when applying it.

[Mike Smith]

Go with Cetol - I did my teak 3 years ago and havent touched it since!  Put the clear coat on also, either satin or gloss. Wonderful stuff!  By the way, I've seen a lot of used baby diapers, and they compare to many things, but my beautiful teak, *NOT*!

[Paul Woo]

I am glad I asked for your input on the use of Cetol vs. teak oil vs. varnish.  Thanks for all those who responded and provided valuable do's and don'ts.  What a great bunch you C34 owners are!

Paul
#165 Symplistic