painting teak

[Wayne Brown]

I have a nice CD-27 that I like very much, however keeping up with the teak is getting to be too much for me. I was trying to think of a less labor intensive of protecting the teak before it is sanded away and needs to be replaced.
Does anyone have any suggestions? I was thinking of painting the trim with a brown paint that would, at a distance anyway, look like the color of teak.

[Gary M]

but there is just no way I could paint over teak.

I'll get a lot of disagreements on this board but I have been satisfied with Cetol. Sure is a lot easier and I get a lot of compliments.

I did have a friend that painted over a toe rail. He first built up several coats of varnish then sanded, primed, and painted.

His thought was by doing this the paint would not soak into the wood and it would be easier to return to varnish if he decided to. Say around the time he decided to sell the boat!!!!

Gary

[Jim Sullivan]

I would not recommend painting teak but that is just my opinion. I have had good luck with Cetol for many years and will continue to use it. You would be better off to do nothing to do the teak than to paint it. A number of CD owners let their teak weather (unfinished) to a driftwood gray. I.M.H.O., this looks better than painted teak.

Jim

[mgphl52]

I have to join in on the weathered look, especially for the toe rail and rub rail. Jeez, if I varnished the rub rail, I never want to leave the slip since usually use it as it's named when docking again... unless, of course, the pilings are concrete!

I like to to keep the cockpit area varnished, but I'm real bad about keeping it maintained. Probably too much of that "must go sailing" gene and not enough of the "must always look pretty" gene I reckon!

-michael

[Troy Scott]

Wayne,

The original, "muddy" Cetol is essentially paint. It is heavily pigmented. If you apply a few coats more than the recommended number, it will be opaque. This would provide a plain but long-lasting finish, and should be reversible. Even if you do decide to use actual paint, you will need a "tie-coat" of some sort (varnish or Cetol would do) because regular paints just won't stick directly to teak.