This is a first attempt to post to the List, so I hope I'm observing all the protocols. That said, I expect this stir up some controversy, but after reading the endless postings on teak maintenance, I was inspired by the those which recommended using latex as a bottom paint. So, here goes. (The current www.pilothouseonline.com has an abridged version of what follows.) A few years ago, I finally tired of cleaning and re-varnishing the so-called "bright work" on my boat every year. "Bright" obviously does not apply to those of us who labour long and hard to keep marine teak looking like indoor furniture. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to leave it flaking where the varnish was trying to hang on, and dirty grey where it had departed. But that's exactly the condition it was in as I kept putting the job off in favor of other chores. One of which was putting a coat of semi-transparent preservative on the cedar siding of my cottage. I had just finished when I looked out at my boat and had the proverbial light bulb go on. Both cedar and teak contain natural oils that continue to leach out almost forever. That's what makes them such terrific woods for outdoor use when left unfinished. It's also one of the two reasons that varnish and polyurethane don't last very long on either wood. They lie on the surface, and the leaching oil lifts them from within while the sun's ultra-violet radiation, acid rain, etc., etc., beat on them from without. However, the cedar siding preservative had endured the same conditions on my cottage for several years, and although I had given it another application as preventive maintenance, the original still looked okay. The best part was that no preparation was necessary. I just slathered on another coat. It has a consistency not much heavier than water, so it's really easy to apply, but watch the runs. The first time around, the cedar had drunk that stuff at an amazing rate. This time, the original 2 coats had effectively sealed the wood so all that was going on was another surface coat, i.e. no absorption. By the way, this was a house-brand preservative that only cost about $15 per gallon at a discount outlet, but for those who want to pay more, a similar product is available at higher prices from any major paint supplier. Basically, it's just clear oil with two added components: dryers to ensure that a hard surface forms quickly, and a bit of teak-like color to provide protection against UV rays. The key to getting close to a natural looking finish is to buy the semi-transparent product, not the opaque. I reasoned that if it did such a good job on the very porous, soft cedar, why wouldn't it work just as well or better on tight, hard teak? I decided to find out. Back on the boat, I stripped what was left of the old varnish, and cleaned and sanded the teak one last time. Then I gave it 2 coats of the preservative with about 12 hours in between. On a roll, I even put it on a couple of heavy wear areas including steps. The result looked like a piece of semi-matte Danish furniture. Since the stuff seals the pores effectively and is petroleum based, masochists determined on a high gloss finish could probably lay on a coat or two of varnish or poly within 12 hours of the last coat of preservative. (Check with your supplier on compatibility.) Weathering will undoubtedly remove the varnish almost as quickly as normal, but replacing it should be a lot easier since the underlying preservative should keep the teak in good shape. The big question now was whether it would stand up on a boat that sat out on a mooring all summer, and was laid up exposed to weather all winter. Three years later, I sold the boat. The buyer commented on the good condition of the teak, including the steps. He simply wouldn't believe me when I told him that I had not touched it again since that first application of cedar preservative. The stuff works. Whether it's for your boat depends on you. Because it contains some color and dries to a semi-matte luster, it is not going to look like clear varnish. However, the labor and dollar savings are tremendous, and my results drew lots of cheers and few jeers. The product is so cheap that before you strip, clean, sand, and varnish again this year, buy a can of preservative, try it on a test piece of teak, and decide for yourself. Cheers

E16@telus.net writes: >The stuff works. Whether it's for your boat depends on you. Because >it >contains some color and dries to a semi-matte luster, it is not >going to >look like clear varnish. However, the labor and dollar savings are >tremendous, and my results drew lots of cheers and few jeers. The >product >is so cheap that before you strip, clean, sand, and varnish again >this >year, buy a can of preservative, try it on a test piece of teak, and >decide >for yourself. What's the name of the "stuff" and who manufactures it? Seems to me you are describing CETOL or ARMADA which many of us have been using for years with excellent results but we pay a tad more than $15/gallon for it. I did the outside teak (including some steps) on my boat three years ago with Armada and give it a light refresh coat every fall (the boat stays out all winter). I inspected it today and the teak looks like it was treated yesterday. Ciao - George of Scaramouche in Lake Ontario, Canada

----- Original Message ----- From: "E16" <E16@telus.net> To: <trawler-world-list@samurai.com> Sent: Saturday, April 15, 2000 7:38 PM Subject: TWL: Not For Teak Freaks > This is a first attempt to post to the List, so I hope I'm observing all > the protocols. (snip) > Cheers > In fact, Mr E16, if I may call you that, your post was an excellent contribution to TWL. There's nothing like a good debate about teak finishing to get the blood flowing once again. You only failed in one point of our protocol, which perhaps should be called the "11th Commandment of Posting/Email with special application to TWL": "Thou shall identify thyself, thy location and thy vessel, if any." Since you probably possess all of these attributes, we would appreciate knowing who you are (first and last name, unless you are a star and only have one name), where you live or are presently located, and the name of your boat, if, in fact, you have replaced that teak decked beauty that you sold three years ago. There is no need to hide behind a cloak of anonymity here. No laws are being broken or even bent, just a shared appreciation for beautiful boats and sunsets. Rick Austin in Austin TWL Help Team Netiquette Specialist