Doing the Bright Work - I've had it!

[Paul Grecay]

Bright work...yuk...I'm over it. I've used Cetol...looked great...for about a 2 months...now the boat looks terrible and I won't do it again. I have seen some beautiful alternatives. In NJ I saw Kathrine Monegan's Realization...it looked great! Kathrine, how did you treat your exterior teak? Would you drive down to Lewes Delaware and do mine?

If anyone has some suggestions for preserving the wood without painting on some kind of sealant coating, I would love to hear from you. Thanks folks!

Paul

CD 28 PeaPod

Lewes, Delaware



pagrecay@aol.com

[Aimless]

...... ;-] n/m

[Chris Scheck]

Paul -

I agree ... but I'm still chasing the brass ring ... I literally can't get the all the teak on the boat done at the same time ... and I've been at it on and off for three years! And I'm using "easy" Cetol, not varnish. It's like the story about the Golden Gate bridge ... by the time they finish painting it's time to start painting again. I don't think you are supposed to get finished ... it's like going to the gym ... you have to forget about the goal and enjoy the process ...



cscheck@aol.com

[Don Sargeant]

Bright work...yuk...I'm over it. I've used Cetol...looked great...for about a 2 months...now the boat looks terrible and I won't do it again. I have seen some beautiful alternatives. In NJ I saw Kathrine Monegan's Realization...it looked great! Kathrine, how did you treat your exterior teak? Would you drive down to Lewes Delaware and do mine?

If anyone has some suggestions for preserving the wood without painting on some kind of sealant coating, I would love to hear from you. Thanks folks!

Paul

CD 28 PeaPod

Lewes, Delaware

[B. Miller]

I feel your pain. I spent the winter stripping and prepping a good portion of the brightwork on my CD36 and really agonized over what to apply. I tested three very different products -- Bristol Finish, TeakGuard and Armada. Bristol looks great, but see previous posts regarding inconsistent results, so it scared me away. TeakGuard is really easy to apply, but the lack of gloss and the yellowish color I got didn't do it for me. After reviewing the comments of others in the archive I took a leap of faith on Armada. I used Cetol in the past, and I wasn't too happy with the color and build-up issues. In my opinion, the Armada is VAST improvement over Cetol. The color and finish are great. Not quite like varnish, but nothing is except the real thing. The only downside to Armada is a pretty long drying time. I don't know how durable it is, but we'll see.

Brett

Bright work...yuk...I'm over it. I've used Cetol...looked great...for about a 2 months...now the boat looks terrible and I won't do it again. I have seen some beautiful alternatives. In NJ I saw Kathrine Monegan's Realization...it looked great! Kathrine, how did you treat your exterior teak? Would you drive down to Lewes Delaware and do mine?

If anyone has some suggestions for preserving the wood without painting on some kind of sealant coating, I would love to hear from you. Thanks folks!

Paul

CD 28 PeaPod

Lewes, Delaware

[Warren Kaplan]

I, too, would like a better result on my brightwork, but I realized than unless I am willing to spend hours and hours on the brightwork, year after year, I'll never get it the way I want it. It'll never look AND STAY showroom new. I bought my boat primarily because I want to go sailing. I take care of the teak every year on the boat. I use Cetol and it keeps the teak in great shape. My wife prefers the satin finish to the gloss, so the finish on my teak is "dull" by other standards. There is some black in the teak but not much, and I can live with that. A few guys in my yard "gave up" on the quest to make their boat's teak the envy of everyone and they've thrown in the towel completely. Their teak is bleached out by the sun to grey and it doesn't look half bad. Of course the wood will pay the price eventually. If not for that, I'd consider letting my wood go to grey too. But I want to protect it, so I use Cetol. But that's me. I try and devote one weekend a year to the teak, and let it go at that.

Warren Kaplan
Sine Qua Non
CD27
Oyster Bay Harbor, NY



Setsail728@aol.com

[Joe Sankey]

Varnish is still where I'm at, but doing nothing also has appeal. The problem, particularly as these boats age, is that neglect takes its toll on the wood. Slow Dance was such victim when we got her last year. The wood simply won't take weathering indefinitely. The alternative to coating it is replacing it eventually. This time what I've done is lower my expectations of myself. On our last boat, a 28, I made it almost "perfect". As time went on I attempted to keep it that way, until a friend down the dock reminded me:"It's a boat, not a grand piano". Some of the protection is wearing down a little, but I'm real glad I've got a covering on it, even tho it's showing some signs of needing attention. I've been sailing lately. I'll varnish again later this summer when it's too hot to sail, and there's no wind. Fun? Nah. Necessary? I think so.

I, too, would like a better result on my brightwork, but I realized than unless I am willing to spend hours and hours on the brightwork, year after year, I'll never get it the way I want it. It'll never look AND STAY showroom new. I bought my boat primarily because I want to go sailing. I take care of the teak every year on the boat. I use Cetol and it keeps the teak in great shape. My wife prefers the satin finish to the gloss, so the finish on my teak is "dull" by other standards. There is some black in the teak but not much, and I can live with that. A few guys in my yard "gave up" on the quest to make their boat's teak the envy of everyone and they've thrown in the towel completely. Their teak is bleached out by the sun to grey and it doesn't look half bad. Of course the wood will pay the price eventually. If not for that, I'd consider letting my wood go to grey too. But I want to protect it, so I use Cetol. But that's me. I try and devote one weekend a year to the teak, and let it go at that.

Warren Kaplan
Sine Qua Non
CD27
Oyster Bay Harbor, NY

sankey@gulftel.com

[charlie palumbo]

Bright work...yuk...I'm over it. I've used Cetol...looked great...for about a 2 months...now the boat looks terrible and I won't do it again. I have seen some beautiful alternatives. In NJ I saw Kathrine Monegan's Realization...it looked great! Kathrine, how did you treat your exterior teak? Would you drive down to Lewes Delaware and do mine?

If anyone has some suggestions for preserving the wood without painting on some kind of sealant coating, I would love to hear from you. Thanks folks!

Paul

CD 28 PeaPod

Lewes, Delaware

Paul,
Owning a cape dory 36, and not being able to afford having a boatyard treat the teak, I do it myself. Teakwork on a cape dory is truly a labor of love and perserverance. Personally, I think varnish is the way to go. It is hard work and time consuming yet the results can be rewarding if you are willing to go the distance.
The mistake everyone seems to make is to think that they can prep and varnish a cape dory before their launch date. If it were that easy, boatyards would not charge thousands to do it. In my opinion the trick is to study the woodwork on your boat and thoroughly concentrate on doing half the boat one year and half the next year.
prep the area you choose thoroughly and concentrate on putting on as many coats of varnish as you can on that area. In other words preserve it by applying as many coats as you can. The next year you can concentrate on the other half of the boat while the first completed half is still in excellent shape. I use epiphanes.
sincerely............Charlie



jcp1347j@aol.com

[Joel]

One of the mags recommended sealing with a coat of clear epoxy before varnishing. Has anyone tried this? With what results? If one was choosing the "let it age" approach, might just the sealer layer provide some protection and be easier to refresh?

Joel
Pokey II
'73 Ty #549
Bayside, NY

[Joe Sankey]

Charlie, I agree, although I've not done it that way. In the past I've always tried the forced march approach, even with recoats. Initially, that may be necessary, but this time I plan to break it down into smaller increments; toerails/rubrails, cockpit teak, etc. for recoating and maintenance. I think that's a much more manageable approach. And, yes, I also agree, particularly in nice weather, that it's not such a bad way to spend a morning.

Bright work...yuk...I'm over it. I've used Cetol...looked great...for about a 2 months...now the boat looks terrible and I won't do it again. I have seen some beautiful alternatives. In NJ I saw Kathrine Monegan's Realization...it looked great! Kathrine, how did you treat your exterior teak? Would you drive down to Lewes Delaware and do mine?

If anyone has some suggestions for preserving the wood without painting on some kind of sealant coating, I would love to hear from you. Thanks folks!

Paul

CD 28 PeaPod

Lewes, Delaware

Paul,
Owning a cape dory 36, and not being able to afford having a boatyard treat the teak, I do it myself. Teakwork on a cape dory is truly a labor of love and perserverance. Personally, I think varnish is the way to go. It is hard work and time consuming yet the results can be rewarding if you are willing to go the distance.
The mistake everyone seems to make is to think that they can prep and varnish a cape dory before their launch date. If it were that easy, boatyards would not charge thousands to do it. In my opinion the trick is to study the woodwork on your boat and thoroughly concentrate on doing half the boat one year and half the next year.
prep the area you choose thoroughly and concentrate on putting on as many coats of varnish as you can on that area. In other words preserve it by applying as many coats as you can. The next year you can concentrate on the other half of the boat while the first completed half is still in excellent shape. I use epiphanes.
sincerely............Charlie

sankey@gulftel.com

[Gary L.]

I am a traditionalist. The venerable John Stratton of the Aucoot Boatyard, and former Cape Dory boatbuilder, told me in 1985 when I brought my CD26 to its mooring, "Do not seal the wood". I can understand and respect my fellow CD owners feelings in "dealing with the teak". Easier does not always equal better. However, I am still dealing with the dried Cetol on my deck and topsides. I cannot fault the previous owners for their feelings, only that teak oil comes off much easier, both on the wood and the deck, topsides, house sides, etc. Yes, it is a pain the butt to do a couple of times per season, but as one of the other responders stated, it is a labor of love.

Gary Lapine
Red Witch III
CD30C, #339
Somerset, MA



dory26@attbi.com

[Richard Gelfand]

I love the look of varnish on my CD27. I live in Southern California and re-varnish every 6 months. I can take all the hardware off the boat and put it in it's individual baggie in about 2 hours. Then light sanding with 220 grit paper, taping, and two coats of Schooner varnish, scratch sanding with 320 in between coats. Reassembly takes about three hours as I ususally take the opportunity to clean and polish things that go back on. I don't mind the time and effort as the results are just great. The whole job takes about 4 days of messing about. As I get to have good sailing weather year round out here it does not feel like too much of a loss for the gain of the wonderful look of the boat with true bright work, and for me it is part of the pleasure of owning a CD.



Aldajon@aol.com

[Catherine Monaghan]

Paul,

I use Semco on Realization's exterior teak. I like it but I know that others would hate it. The finish on the wood is a matter of personal preference and how much time one has to spend on it or a compromise of the two.

Personally, I love the look of varnish. But, I am not inclined to spend the time it would need for proper application and subsequent upkeep.

I also like the look of natural teak -- how it looks when it is new. It has a light golden color. That's why I like the Semco Natural. I like it for asthetic reasons, not because it's a superior product. As far as water repellency is concerned, Cetol is probably the best teak treatment on the market.

Anway, if you're looking for bright shiny teak, you definitely won't like Semco (they have a gloss clear coat, but I've never used it).

Semco is a teak sealer. It goes on like water and is super easy to apply. So in the Spring, you just clean the teak, or you can lightly sand it (only sand off the old Semco, try not to sand the wood itself) then apply 2 coats of the Semco. (By the way, I don't use the Semco teak cleaner or brightener. I use one-step product like BoatLife teak cleaner or the Starbrite Gel Formula teak restorer.) There's no need to tape off the boat either. Just keep a rag in your pocket, be careful when applying the sealer, and clean up any spills or splatters immediately with the rag. Six months later, if needed, you can apply another coat -- it goes on very quickly.

You said you liked the look of Realization's teak the last time you saw it. I used the Semco Natural. It is also available in Semco Gold Tone which has a more orange/brown color (like the Cetol, I guess, but it is a very matte finnish). You can also mix the two colors if you're looking for something in between. If you want a glossy finish, you can top it off with the gloss but I cannot say that I'd recommend it. I think that adding the gloss not only adds a step but may make it difficult to apply the subsequent maintenance coats without removing the gloss (don't know for sure).

Anyway, you should be able to purchase Semco from any marine store. And I know that West Marine has it. At least they do here in NJ.

Good luck with your wood

Cathy
CD32 <a href="http://www.hometown.aol.com/bcomet/real ... ization</a>, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay

Bright work...yuk...I'm over it. I've used Cetol...looked great...for about a 2 months...now the boat looks terrible and I won't do it again. I have seen some beautiful alternatives. In NJ I saw Kathrine Monegan's Realization...it looked great! Kathrine, how did you treat your exterior teak? Would you drive down to Lewes Delaware and do mine?

If anyone has some suggestions for preserving the wood without painting on some kind of sealant coating, I would love to hear from you. Thanks folks!

Paul

CD 28 PeaPod

Lewes, Delaware

catherine_monaghanNOSPAM@merck.com

[John R.]

Epoxy has no UV protection and must be top coated with a final finish of one type or another or the epoxy will break down from UV.

Yes, you can do an epoxy base coat and then a varnish (or other finishes). I have done it in the past using West and Captains 1015. The epoxy helps adhesion as far as tooth is concerned but it is not a solution to varnishes ultimate vulnerability to the elements. The problem isn't just adhesion of varnish it is simply a matter of varnish itself breaking down after prolonged exposure to the elements.

You must use the appropriate hardener when precoating/sealing with epoxy or you will not get a clear finish. If I remember correctly you must use #207 Special Coating Hardener with West for varnish precoating to obtain a non hazed finish. Other brands such as System 3 or Smith may be different. Check with specific manufacturers for recommendations.

The greatest advantage I found with an epoxy precoat is the high build of the early finish coats because the epoxy seals the grain.

One of the mags recommended sealing with a coat of clear epoxy before varnishing. Has anyone tried this? With what results? If one was choosing the "let it age" approach, might just the sealer layer provide some protection and be easier to refresh?

Joel
Pokey II
'73 Ty #549
Bayside, NY

[Gerry/Barracuda]

I started one surface at a time over a year and a half(ie. companionway slats first then hand rails then cockpit coamings these were removed as the rubber sealant was dried out and had to be rebedded anyway finally toe and rubrails these were left in place as they do not leak). I've scrubbed my weathered teak with cleaner then sanded with 100,150 amd 220. Mix 50% Epiphanes High Gloss Varnish 50% mineral spirits(Epiphanes thinner is nice to use) in another can never place back into original varnish can as this will lead to ruin your varnish supply(store varnish cans upside down). Apply with inexpensive china bristle brush. This penetrates the wood. Apply at least 6 coats. First coat or two or with a cheap china bristle brush. Thin coats are better. As you build up coats decrease your amount of mineral spirit mix.(80-90% varnish is good as a little mineral spirits causes better flow characteristics and decreases bubbles. Save the foam brushes for final coats which help produce a nice high gloss finish. Sand minimally with light 220 sanding and wiping with a tack rag between coats. 2-3 coats over 6 months just won't work. It will fall apart. You'll be kicking yourself. Then every 6 months lightly sand apply 2 more coats. I've been doing this 2 years and all wood looks great.

Gerry
s/v BARRACUDA CD25
Upper Machodoc Creek Potomac River