It’s teak time again … actually, it’s time to complete the recurring maintenance projects that happen just before we leave the boat for hurricane season.
It’s been 4 years almost to the day that we stripped the teak and started over with varnish and it still looks great. And even though I whine about it, keeping it gorgeous takes 1 full day and two half days twice a year — that’s 4 days a year that I hate my teak. The other 361 days I love it every time I look at it! (NOTE: Yes, we know it’s too early to be leaving the boat, but this year we’ll pull our little travel trailer cross country to explore those national parks that s/v Winterlude just can’t sail to… TrailerTraveler.net)
Anyway, we’re starting the countdown to being hauled out in a couple weeks. We’ve completed the topsides – rubbing compound, wet sanding, polishing compound and then wax … whew, glad that’s done, but there’s no more chalk which is a very good thing.
Yesterday out of frustration because the training winter storms up north are bringing northers here literally every other day – still beautiful and sunny, just the wind’s is either too much (30’s) or in the wrong direction (any variation of South) to really enjoy the anchorages we want to explore…. Anyway, yesterday I decided to blue tape the teak in preparation for two more coats of varnish. Then somehow before the end of the day, not only was the teak blue taped, but also sanded, wiped down and washed down.
As soon as the dew dries this morning, I’ll use the tacky-cloth and the first coat of varnish (Pettit Flagship Varnish) will go on … woohoo! Then if the forecast holds, we’ll wetsand (with the help of the dew) tomorrow morning, wipe it down, tacky cloth and the 2nd coat will be complete by a little over 24 hours from now.
Timing is everything with varnish (or whatever coating you choose to use) … several boats here on “C” Dock found out the hard way that when the boatyard just to our north is sanding and there’s a north wind, it’s best NOT to apply a new coat of varnish. Today the wind’s gone east and it’s a holiday, so we’re hoping for no sanding at the boatyard. Tomorrow the wind is forecast to be south.
If you’re curious the process we use, check out more information on the link below:
If you want to follow our teak project from the time we decided to strip the Cetol to bare wood and start over … click here:
Gotta run, the sanded teak outside has dried in the sun and I can hear it calling me …
Thoughts on keeping varnish pristine? Please leave a comment and share! Cheers! Jan
Jan you have inspired us. We have a new to us Beneteau 36 cc with a beautiful teak cap rail like yours. It is finished in Cetol light by PO. I read through your varnishing blogs last night and realize why there are black speckles in the Cetol finish. I think it is time to strip the Cetol and get her varnished this spring.
It seems the riskiest step , but most necessary and most often forgotten is the ” bleaching” to get rid of the mold spores in the teak. No bronze ports to be concerned with but we have a green cove and boot stripe which should probably be masked over to protect it
We wish you well I. The travel trailer travels this spring.
Tom