Teak

[rhpurcell]

Does anyone have experience with Cetol Marine from Sikkens?  Do you recomend it?

[selene]

I have been using Cetol on my teak for a few years now, and am happy with it.  Cetol has come a long way from the awful orange-colored product they initially sold - a product on which many still judge the company.  A guy a few boats down from me last year somehow got an old can of Cetol (cheap) - yuck - after the first coat, realized his mistake and had to start again!

My process:  Having cleaned, repaired and bleached the wood (to remove stains), I put on a couple of layers of Cetol Teak, and then 3 layers of Cetol Clear.  I now touch up any dings during the year (important!), and then recoat all the brightwork with Cetol Clear every season (a relatively quick and easy job; just clean with a kitchen scouring pad and recoat).  I said important above because if you don't touch up a ding quickly, water/weather will change the color of the wood under the ding, and it will stay a slightly different color.

Cetol Advantages: Very easy to apply, very easy to maintain.
Disadvantage: Not quite as nice as varnish (maybe 80% as good for 20% the effort...)

Varnish:
Advantage: Beautiful
Disadvantage: Difficult and time-consuming to apply.  Generally needs to be reapplied twice a year (a couple of layers, sanding between each layer).  Less forgiving/more fragile.

I have varnish below, Cetol topsides.....

[Dulcinea]

I agree with Selene and use a process pretty much as he described.  The clear over the regular makes it pop and it really looks good.  I used to be an Epifanes varnish guy, (and varnish well done does look good) but I think my Cetol actually looks better longer than the varnish did, for a lot less time and effort.  Of course it's not an easy fix and you still need to watch what you're doing, but I won't go back to varnish.

[Alma]

My Teak is so wasted with open grain from previous owner scrubbing with the grain it's hopeless. I did refinish a rubrail on a Pacific Seacraft 37 this spring. I used Smith's epoxy to penetrate the teak then I used 2 part Bristol Finish for the finish. The advantage of Bristol Finish is it's quick skin-over so many coats can be applied in one day.

I sure wish we had aluminum toerails with the holes to attach various Barber Haulers and other useful items.

My wood is so lousy the plugs are paper thin and they pop out. Did you ever notice the fine tooled non-skid under the toerail...

What a shame to perforate it with a million sheet metal screws.

The original Pearson parts manual lists both toerails for something like $300!

Try and replace them for $3000.00 today!

One day I'll scrounge an aluminum toerail from a wrecked Hunter 37 MK I and be done with it.

What a job removing the sail track to get 'er done. I've thought of epoxying a lid veneer because I'd never need to get at those mounting screws... I'd rather sail.

Two days after a perfect installation and finish I'd get T-Boned by a power boat!

[Vantage]

The teak toe rail on Vantage was beyond salvage (in my opinion). Damaged mid starboard from an accident and poorly repaired. Improperly maintained by the previous owner who sanded (#40 grit on a belt sander cross grain?) and varnished (or some plastic stuff that peels and flakes) every season. The frequent sanding left the rail uneven and thin. My plugs where also thin and falling out. Quick fix with drywall screws in some places. Just very ugly. Sorry Tim!

I stripped off the old teak before hull repairs and paint work. Professional FG work and paint is money well spent. I have found an after market aluminum toerail and matching t-track that will ultimately be less expensive (when the cost of my time is factored in) than all teak toe rail. I was planning on replacing all the teak toe with aluminum but ultimately my love of wood dictated that teak will remain (replaced with new) from the t-track area back (about 1/3) and the rest, new aluminum toe rail or aluminum t-track rail.

Other projects in progress: the stick is off and in my shop for complete restoration and paint. Halyards will be internalized to the mast and run back to the cockpit. Out haul has been internalized to the boom. New Schaefer mid-boom sheeting. Much, much more.

Boat name change to be announced soon!

Craig

[Rusty Pelican]

Good luck!  How about sharing some photo's?

[selvyselvy@aol.com]

Is Salene still around? I note that she used cetol on "brightwork". I thought brightwork was metal? Can anyone confirm her post above?

Thanks much.

Jim Selvy

[Mike]

Here's a good reference.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brightwork

In other words "make it pretty" :-)

[selene]

Selene is still around - she is the Greek goddess of the moon, by the way. And while Selene herself is a winsome Pearson 323, sail #212, 1980 vintage - I am none of those things!

As Mike says, brightwork is a term used for shiny stuff, including wood. Especially wood, on a pretty boat like ours.

I still like Cetol. Varnish is prettier - I use it belowdecks - but Cetol is 80% of the look for 20% of the work.