Varnish Recommendations

[casampson]

Last season, I put some Danish Teak Sealer on my trim and it was a disaster. It protected the teak well enough, but it turned from a handsome soft brown finish to an ugly gray. I was going to paint my trim this year and be done with it: the teak on my CD25 is weathered, and I just didn't want to deal with it anymore. But I love my boat, and I decided to do the right thing and varnish. I've sanded off last year's coats of sealer and am waiting for warmer weather to start varnishing. I am home from work for the duration and will have plenty of time on my hands to work on my boat.

My question is, which varnish is the best? Or at least, which one do you recommend? I have a 500 ml can of Epifanes, so I am tempted to use that and stick with it. But the Lust varnish from Jamestown Distributors is appealing since you don't have to sand between coats, and you can put on several coats in one day. And there are plenty of other good ones out there. I am not interested in Cetol, as I tried it on a Typhoon once and was disappointed.

So please let me know if you have any recommendations as to which varnish to use.

Thank you.

Chris

[Jerry Hammernik]

I use Epiphanes Rapid Coat and their Wood Finish Gloss. Rapid Coat has a warm brown color, Rapid Clear is, wait for it..... clear. I like the brown tint. You don't have to sand between coats of Rapid Coat. Of course there's a lot of sanding before you start finishing.

I put on 5 coats of Rapid Coat. Then you sand with 220 and put on the Wood Finish Gloss. You wait 24 hours and then recoat with WFG. You can sand between coats of the gloss but it is not necessary. I don't. You have 72 hours to get next coat on. I do 3 coats of the WFG.

This generally lasts about 8 years. It would probably last indefinitely, but I always seem to get busy (lazy) on doing an annual maintenance coat.

I get tons of compliments on the finish.

Your mileage may vary,

[gonesail]

follow the directions .. thin the epifanes for the first coat. eventually you get to an almost full strength varnish. use the best brush you can afford. I like the purdey XL .. it is easy to rinse out with thinner. store the brushes in an airtight bag when not using it. wipe surface down with thinner after sanding and use a tack cloth. go slow. good luck.

[mhorton44]

I have been using Semco Honey Gold as a sealer on my teak rails on the Typhoon, and Epifanes on the coamings etc. Applied Semco last year in May on my other boat and it still looks good and has the appearance of the boats you see at the boat shows. As a water based product, it is easy to clean. Instructions say to wash it down and reapply but so far I am delighted with the results.

[Paul D.]

I have varnished a lot of the years in different applications and many different products. While in general I have pretty strict simplicity rules on board Femme, I realized I have five different types of teak finishing on her brightwork! Having said that, if you are asking about varnishes I recommend two for exterior work. Either Epiphanes Wood Finsh Gloss or Interlux Clipper Clear or whatever its called now - Actually its Schooner or Schooner Gold, their one part high UV resistant gloss finishes.

Epiphanes is wonderful stuff and takes a real beating. I know this from using it on cedar strip canoe bottoms in a teen wilderness camp application. Plus, we covered interior boathouse locker tops with it and even after shuffling old metal milk crates around on them it would not scratch very easily and is still there after well over a decade. Mind you this is out of the sun. Still very impressive.

Applying it may take a bit of experimentation with technique, and follow their directions. I swore by really good brushes for years but found a foam brush with Epiphanes Gloss works just fine. I too always thin the first coat say 40%. Then about 10% for the second seeing how it goes. If you get five coats on there (Rapid Coat or all WFG) your boat will raise the bar in the marina for everyone else.

Ahh varnishing. I got stories...

[tjr818]

. . . Ahh varnishing. I got stories...

Mayflies

[John Stone]

This is a topic that will get almost as many opinions as what produces the least drag when sailing, prop locked or left free wheeling. I have news for y’all...a prop that’s folded produces the least drag. Bet ya didn’t see that coming. Couldn’t help it.

Back to varnishing. As I always recommend, IMO Rebecca Whitman’s classic book “Brightwork” will present to you everything you need to know about how to treat wood and if you choose to varnish will lead you down the path to varnishing nirvana.

There are no shortcuts if you want high quality results. Many sailors are happy with something less and that’s fine. But, high quality means you do a fair amount of prep work and then sand between every coat. If you don’t it won’t be flat and smooth and imperfections will be magnified for following coats. We are talking minimum of 7 coats. Epifanes clear gloss varnish is very good varnish. I use it exclusively. But there are a number of fine varnishes out there. I’m talking about tung oil based varnish. Each has its own peculiarities. Pick one and stick with it. It takes practice. I ditched the badger hair brushes and use Jen-poly foam these days. I get better results with foam. In the beginning the learning curve is steep but Wittman will save you a lot of trouble. Once you figure it out it’s not that difficult and I would venture that those who stick with it enjoy varnishing.

A piece of advice if I may. Varnish while magnificent for protecting wood is not very resistant to abrasion. I don’t varnish toe rails or the tops of coaming, or companionway drop boards. I leave a lot of teak bare. I varnish our Douglas fir bowsprit and mahogany coamings. I do varnish all the interior. There is no one size fits all though. Nothing beats up varnish more than stepping on it, dragging lines across it or direct overhead sunlight. You must have a maintenance regimen and if you don’t stick with it the varnish will soon fail. Then you start all over stripping it bare.

It’s called bright “work” for a reason.

Good luck.

[John #126]

I've tried several different systems over the years--oil, Bristol, Cetol, and finally Epifanes. Epifanes is the most durable but requires the most initial time and effort. In part it depends on what you want. I must say that I get more comments on my brightwork than anything else, including a complete repainting job a couple years ago. Just remember the '5 foot rule' and you'll be fine.
John
CD 25D 'Rascal IV'

[Ben Miller]

Warning: Thread crossing alert! If you're a new (or old) subscriber to Off Center Harbor, they have a three-video series on varnishing. Search their archives for "Varnishing Tips and Techniques."

[casampson]

I am going to go with the Epifanes Wood Finish Gloss Varnish. Thanks for all the great information and suggestions.

[John Stone]

I am going to go with the Epifanes Wood Finish Gloss Varnish. Thanks for all the great information and suggestions.

If you are diligent and spent the time to overcome the learning curve you will likely be very happy with what you can accomplish with good varnish and a brush. But you will make mistakes. No doubt about it. We all do. And almost no coat is “perfect.” And when or if you do get a perfect coat, remember you are going to sand and apply another coat 4-6 months down the road. So enjoy the great ones and accept that when you get down on your hands and knees and look over the last coat you might see a holiday or a run. Aometimes perfection is the enemy of good enough. Again, 4-6 months later you can try for a another perfect top coat.

I hope my earlier comment did not imply I was disparaging those that use badger hair brushes. They are the Cadillac of brushes. I have a stable of them and when I get it just right with a badger brush the finish is spectacular. But I found I was getting better more consistent results with foam. I think the advantage to a foam brush is they don’t load as much varnish so you are less likely to get runs if you are not very experienced. So perhaps try them both and see what you like.

I have a couple spots on the interior where the 2-3’ rule applies. Most people have never noticed and you have to see it just right in the light. I was just learning then and since then I have applied gallons of varnish. When I redo the interior someday I’ll correct it. But for now, when I do notice it, I just smile and remind myself how much I have learned since then.

if you have any talent for it and you spend some time learning how to varnish you will often have varnish that looks perfect from a foot or less away. It’s very rewarding when it happens and if you enjoy that kind of thing it can be kinda fun.

You might also learn you simply don’t enjoy it. That’s cool too. We all have to figure out how to make sailing and boats give us maximum pleasure. No one size fits all.

[Jim Evans]

I just wanted to share an interesting site on varnish types and application tips from Epifanes FAQ: https://www.epifanes.com/page/q_and_a

I'm a big fan of Epifanes Clear High Gloss Varnish, though I've never tried the Wood Finish Gloss. In this FAQ a reader asked about the differences between Epifanes Clear High Gloss Varnish, and the Wood Finish Gloss. It's interesting that Epifanes won't call their WFG a varnish. The discussion, from the FAQ site, is below:

Question: Could you explain the differences between varnishes that require sanding between coats and those that don't require sanding? Is there a difference in life expectancy between the two? Also, what is the effective shelf life of varnish? Does storage temperature play a roll?

Answer: There are many, many varnishes; clear finishes and hybrid clear coatings on the market today. Most manufacturers have made some attempt in various directions in order to create an easier, faster, longer lasting finish. Unfortunately, we can only comment in any detail on our own products. For obvious reasons, it would be unfair to do otherwise. Twelve years ago, Epifanes produced a finish very similar to our Clear High Gloss Varnish, called Wood Finish Gloss. It is a tung oil, alkyd resin based finish just like our varnish however, it does contain ingredients not normally found in traditional varnishes producing one significant difference. Wood Finish does not require sanding between coats provided the next coat is applied within a 72-hour period. This feature has an obvious effect on the amount of labor and time required to build a finish from bare wood. Sanding is optional. Wood Finish changes the focus of sanding completely. You are no longer sanding for adhesion but appearance only. Are you sacrificing any integrity by using this product? At this point in time no. However, having said that, we are recommending top coating this product with our varnish for the ultimate in performance. We have 97 years experience with our Clear High Gloss Varnish and only twelve years with the Woodfinish. Time will tell. Unopened varnish has virtually no shelf life. We have opened five-year-old varnish that has been perfectly good. The oils and resins may change color and consistency slightly but essentially the product should be fine. Once opened however, the life of the varnish will be greatly reduced. Each time it is opened, a portion of the solvent evaporates leaving a thicker mixture more prone to solidifying. Store the container upside down, reduce the air space, and keep the varnish cool. I have more problems keeping varnish in Florida than Maine. The temperature plays a major roll. Store in a cool area of the basement.

In closing, I would just say that the satisfaction of a varnish job well done is worth the effort. It's a source of pride for a long time. However, for exterior teak, a boat cover helps reduce the varnish maintenance a lot!

[gonesail]

you need to sand lightly between coats but many sand too much because they want a mirror finish .. so they sometimes end up taking off as much as they put on. Epifanes says not to worry if your finish is not perfectly smooth. after all .. the idea is to put down layers of varnish that will survive the sun and weather. the guys around me go by the 10 foot rule: if it looks good from 10 feet away then it looks good enough.

[John Stone]

you need to sand lightly between coats but many sand too much because they want a mirror finish .. so they sometimes end up taking off as much as they put on. Epifanes says not to worry if your finish is not perfectly smooth. after all .. the idea is to put down layers of varnish that will survive the sun and weather. the guys around me go by the 10 foot rule: if it looks good from 10 feet away then it looks good enough.

I can’t comment on Wood Finish Varnish. But I can tell you this. I personally would never be satisfied with a 10’ rule. For me, it would be far too much labor to get results like that. If that was my goal I’d go with one of the cetol products or paint. No doubt about it. The fit and finish of all the work I do and have done on the Far Reach is strictly for my own enjoyment. And since I am never more than a foot or two away from the brightwork when I’m on the boat it has to pass that standard. Otherwise what’s the point?

In my experience if you don’t sand, regardless of adhesion issues, you won’t get a flat level finish. No place is that more true than in the corners. Inside corners are the truth tellers for the quality of your varnish work. There are tricks to make it manageable. Again Rebecca Wittman covers corners in her book. I use her techniques as she describes and achieve what I consider as great results. You are correct too much sanding can be a problem. But interior and exterior varnish requires different approaches. For the interior I sand with 220 for first couple coats then nothing but 320 there after. The results I get are good for me. Exterior I typically start with 180 and never sand with anything higher than 220. I want the best adhesion I can get. If you only sand with the grain, as you should, I doubt you can’t tell the difference. I know I can’t.

The basic rule is sand lightly between coats but insure no spot is left unsanded. Then, every fourth coat or so, and the last coat before the top coat, sand more aggressively to get the surface back to level. I never sand with only my fingers applying pressure. I wrap the paper in blocks, putty knives, and small pieces of wood I cut and trim for specific surfaces, corners, and joinery. Once you make them you can use them over and over again.

All this depends on what is your goal. I don’t want to sound harsh, but while I have seen some great brightwork out there I have also seen plenty of poor results. It’s a balance and while different folks have different standards good bright work is good and lousy bright work is well...just lousy. It’s true that the first mission of varnish is to protect the wood from the environment. But the second mission is to show the beauty of the wood. And let’s be honest, if you want to take on the work of varnish why settle for the 10’ rule. If your goal is not to show the beauty of the wood, or it’s just more work than you want to tackle, I’d consider painting it. Paint is very seamanlike. I painted my bulwarks as there was just no way I was willing to get sucked into a never ending maintenance schedule like that.

I sail my boat hard. And in the south and in the tropics the environment is hard on varnish. If you limit what you varnish it’s not that much work. I don’t look at the Far Reach as a “Yacht”. So I don’t shoot for 20 coats that look like a mirror. I leave that to professionally crewed boats where the owner demands that kind of finish. My goal is good gloss, flat surfaces, clean corners, an no breaks in the surface. I view the Far Reach as an elegant athlete, not a debutant.

As mentioned earlier I think it’s important to know what results you will be happy with then approach the project to achieve those results. With some reading, a little practice, and a reasonable maintenance schedule you can achieve results easily able to put a smile on your face at far less than 10 feet away.

[Paul D.]

I need to correct my original post here. The Epiphanes finish type I've used and wrote about was the Clear High Gloss not the Wood Finish. I went down to the basement and found my current liter can (Thanks Bloxygen!) and it is the Clear High Gloss. I have a good memory, but it's short.

Also, regarding the 2' or 10' rule, my brother has an interesting method. He varnishes all the wood in the cockpit of his nearly perfect CD36 (the envy of many in the marina. Not me though as I have a CD33!) and uses Cetol elsewhere. Due to the abrasion resistance and less durability of Cetol we both use Signature Finish Honey Teak on our toerails, which I recommend. It is based on acrylic, which basically raises its middle finger at the sun and its UV rays.