Lightening wood inside cabin of CD22

[robwm]

The wood finishes inside the cabin of my CD22 (bulkeads and strips lining the hull sides) are in very good shape but are also very dark. The wood appears to be teak, or perhaps mahogany, and there is no apparent varnish or other finish on it.

I think that the cabin would brighten up quite a bit if the wood was lighter in color. Anyone care to comment on what can be used to get the wood lighter in color with a reasonable amount of effort ?

Thanks in advance,

RobWM
Hunky Dory, CD22, hull#122
Lake Travis, TX

[Cathy Monaghan]

Okay, this is a really messy process, so you’ll have to get everything off the boat. it’s a lot of work too.

Use a teak cleaner followed by a teak brightener. Be sure to rinse it all off really well between products. Then you’ll either have to oil or varnish the wood. Years of oiling the teak is what made it dark to begin with (or a previous owner’s smoking, which will also have yellowed any interior fiberglass). But if you don’t varnish it, you should oil it every year as part of spring commissioning.

If you don’t ever want to have to oil it again, use varnish. Before you varnish, you’ll need to very lightly sand the wood. I can’t emphasize enough the “VERY LIGHTLY” part about sanding. Only hand sand, do not use a power sander, the teak veneer is very thin.

We used the above process on our CD32 and varnished the teak using Helmsman Spar Varnish with a satin finish. You can use any varnish that you like; it’s inside so it doesn’t get the sun exposure that the exterior gets. We love how it turned out.

-Cathy Monaghan
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay

[gonesail]

agree with using the teak brightener. another reason the teak darkens is because it has a resin in it and the dark color is actually oxidation. closing up the boat in the summer contributes to the problem. some boats you see in Florida have an unfinished teak that is almost a purple color. which is why it is a good idea to varnish the wood while it is still bright.

[robwm]

Hmmm Cathy,

I don't think that I can rise to your level of ambition and drive in doing all of that I bet your interior is beautiful.

I was kind of hoping that there was some magic foofoo dust/solution that I could sprinkle/spray on ... and voila, bright wood!

In that regard, what do you think about using a dilute peroxide wipe?

Thanks for the info, Robert

[John Stone]

Hmmm Cathy,

I don't think that I can rise to your level of ambition and drive in doing all of that I bet your interior is beautiful.

I was kind of hoping that there was some magic foofoo dust/solution that I could sprinkle/spray on ... and voila, bright wood!

In that regard, what do you think about using a dilute peroxide wipe?

Thanks for the info, Robert

When it comes to bright work there is no short cut. It darkens over time best case due to UV; worse case due to grime grit oil etc. it’s inevitable. Wood under 10 coats of varnish darkens over time due to UV and other natural factors.

IMO the bible for bright work is Rebecca Whitman’s Book “Brightwork: The Art of Finishing Wood.” Everything you want to know about caring for and finishing wood x 10.

There will be board members that will espouse oiling wood because it’s quick and easy and those that sing the virtues of varnish. You can’t really lighten wood per se. But you can strip away a lot of old grime and what not and restore it to a more natural color. If it’s cleaned properly it will be lighter. Varnishing (many coats) is a lot of work. Some very sick people actually claim they enjoy it. I wouldn’t trust them. But as Cathy stated, on the interior it will last for years. And gloss varnish reflects light like a mirror and makes the boat looks much brighter and actually appear larger inside.

Do heed Cathy’s warning. The bulkheads have a very thin veneer and if you burn through you have problems. The bulkhead trim is probably solid teak.

Whitman is worth the read so you can make the best most informed choice for you.

[Paul D.]

You can certainly lighten the wood interior if it is not varnished by using bleach, spraying it on over several applications, but I cannot recommend it. Google lightening up wood furniture or bleaching wood for more info on the process. If I tried this, I know I would wind up with a mess, or at least an interior that looked like something out of a late sixties b movie set. Could be interesting. The recommendations for cleaning posted above are about the most I would try.

Consider other things that would brighten the interior. Maybe painting a select bulkhead or two, changing to lighter curtains or berth cushions, a light colored rug for example.

I will continue on with the lemon oil once a season or two. If I got a real wild hair, a satin varnish job. CD interiors, while not custom quality, are above average. I reckon they deserve a lot of thought in the updating.

Good luck!

[John Stone]

You can certainly lighten the wood interior if it is not varnished by using bleach, spraying it on over several applications, but I cannot recommend it. Google lightening up wood furniture or bleaching wood for more info on the process. If I tried this, I know I would wind up with a mess, or at least an interior that looked like something out of a late sixties b movie set. Could be interesting. The recommendations for cleaning posted above are about the most I would try.

Consider other things that would brighten the interior. Maybe painting a select bulkhead or two, changing to lighter curtains or berth cushions, a light colored rug for example.

I will continue on with the lemon oil once a season or two. If I got a real wild hair, a satin varnish job. CD interiors, while not custom quality, are above average. I reckon they deserve a lot of thought in the updating.

Good luck!

You are correct Paul. You can bleach wood but it’s a high risk proposition. Bleach without a neutralizer applied can burn the wood uncontrollably and with a thin veneer can easily be damaged. It can also end up splotchy. I’ve use Te-Ka two part cleaner but never inside a boat. There are some one part cleaners but again huge caution with thin veneer. Whitman addresses all these options and challenges in her book.

[Cathy Monaghan]

These are old photos of our CD32s interior that were snapped in 2007 while we were refinishing the Cabin sole. The rest of the interior teak was varnished in 2006. But you can see how nice it looks once it’s been varnished.

[John Stone]

These are old photos of our CD32s interior that were snapped in 2007 while we were refinishing the Cabin sole. The rest of the interior teak was varnished in 2006. But you can see how nice it looks once it’s been varnished.

Beautiful Cathy!

[wikakaru]

If you are interested in lightening things up down below and are not adamant that you have wood grain everywhere, you can always paint the non-trim surfaces white. "White and bright" is a time honored traditional yacht interior finish. Here is a half-million dollar yacht that my wife and I looked at (just to gawk, not to purchase) during the Morris Yachts boat show in Northeast Harbor, Maine in 2014.

2014-08-02 IMG_9814 Inside a half million dollars.JPG

[gonesail]

If you are interested in lightening things up down below and are not adamant that you have wood grain everywhere, you can always paint the non-trim surfaces white.

I believe that may be called the "herreshoff style" finish .. beautiful. It is really easy to get a nice level satin finish with interior paint .. even from Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams. And it will last forever.

[robwm]

Thanks for all the replies and advice.

I don't know that I will attempt to achieve the beautiful finishes that are shown on these pictures. Alas, other areas of my CD need more attention right now and since the interior wood is in good shape, other than its darkness which is arguably a matter of taste rather than utility, getting it to true "brightwork" status will probably have to wait. I will however, try to some tests using solvents to see if they will remove surface dirt/wood resin that has darkened to any appreciable degree. Anyone attempt doing this?

Again thanks, this group is a great resource!

Robert

[gonesail]

i wiped my bare teak down with acetone once. it definitely removed the oils and some darkness from the wood. you could test that on your teak. make sure the boat is ventilated when you do it. also lemon oil did not darken my teak.

[Boyd]

Hi All.

I had a similar teak darkening issue with a previous boat. Not my CD which was varnished with semigloss and was gorgeous.

I used this quick method to restore the teak. Much less messy than teak brightener. Safer than acetone.

Mix a dilute solution of TSP and Bleach. Do not go too concentrated with either ingredient. Depending on what is on the wood you can vary the two ingredients to target the actual darkening agent. Its potentially old oil, dirt, or black mold or all the above. The TSP will remove the old oil and the bleach will kill the mold and lighten up the wood. BTW teak oil is a perfect mold food. Try a few test spots with slightly different concentrations to get the best result.

Use a DAMP rag and the absolute minimum of the solution. Do not over wet the wood. You dont want to raise the grain or delaminate the veneer any more than necessary. Put on the mix and wait. Gentle rubbing sometimes helps. A very minimal rinse with clean water is helpful. You will get some dirt and staining off with the rinse. Actually you dont absolutely have to rinse off the TSP solution.

As to finish, after the teak has dried completely, give the wood a diluted initial coat of varnish (50% varnish 50% mineral spirits +/-). No sanding first unless you really have a nasty case of grain raising or spot stains. You shouldnt if you used the minimal amount of water. Sand very lightly after the first coat by hand with very fine paper...200 or less to take off the raised grain. Your not looking for perfection at this point. Follow up with a second slightly diluted coat and sand lightly again. Go for full strength varnish for the last coat. You can go more coats if your seeking perfection.

Use gloss varnish for all but the last coat then use semigloss for the last. If you use semigloss for all coats the "semigloss" agent actually creates a cloudy finish. You get a much cleaner grain look using gloss and a final semigloss top coat. Do not use gloss for the final coats it magnifies all imperfections.

I suggest that varnishing is a worth while investment. It doenst hold odors, or mold as easily, and cleans up with minimal effort. Nothing as nasty as a big dark area where hands touch continuously.

This is not as much work as it sounds.

If you skip the varnish and want to continue with oil DO NOT use teak oil use lemon oil. Lemon oil doesnt darken the wood and its death to mold. Makes the boat smell nice also.

Boyd Former CD owner
s/v Cat-a-tonic
Prout 34 Catamaran
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.