Brightwork

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Hello, I just purchased a 1996 Legacy 34. This is my first boat with wood trim on it and I plan on maintaining it myself. I'm looking for suggestions on what type of varnish to use. People have suggested sikkens by Cetol Marine as well as Schooner varnish. Is one better than the other?? Any, suggestions are welcome.

Thank you, Eric
 
I just saw an article about that in DIY Boat Owner Magazine. Might be worth a read by you.
 
Cetol and varnish are two entirely different approaches to brightwork. Cetol has the advantage for a long lasting finish with fewer recoats while most will agree that varnishes are the best looking finish for brightwork.

I like varnish. For the longest lasting varnish you should start with bare wood if the existing finish has failed, apply a good sealer first followed by an initial eight to twelve sanded coats of varnish. Dark stain provides some UV protection for the wood. Four coats can get you by through the winter if the boat is kept in a covered slip. Varnish and Cetol must be recoated as needed. Recoat much less often for the Cetol.

Varnishes vary widely in composition and quality. I use Pettit Old Salem Clear Sealer as a primer for varnish followed by Pettit BAK-V-SPAR (with UV filter) varnish. This is a very stable combination. Our boat is kept in a covered slip. I recoat the exterior varnish just about every fall. Used indoors, varnish can go many years without recoating. Scroll down to the "yzer's boat" thread for photos.

Natural oils are present in some woods (like teak) making them less desirable for varnish.
 
I use the cetol light on my exterior teak. It is the most durable product that I have used and other than high maintenance teak oil, it retains the natural look of teak the best.
 
Eric-

Congratulations on the purchase. I also own a 34 Legacy with LOTS of brightwork.

I have used several products by Epifanes and have had excellent results. Last year I had the varnish done for me, and the contractor also used Epifanes. Once you build up 5 or 6 coats, you should only have to recoat once a year.

I am interested to hear about your boat (year, power, broker, etc). You can email me direct if you like.

Dan
 
The Pettit BAK and Epifanes are both traditional spar varnishes and are excellent marine varnishes. One is American, the other is Dutch.

Keep in mind that the demands made on varnish are different for wooden boats. I keep the boat in a climate that is very humid during the winter and bone dry during the summer. Like all wooden boats, the boat will actually expand and contract as humidity changes with the seasons. Varnish on exterior wood joins can develop tiny cracks each year that allow moisture penetration during the winter. This condition is corrected with new varnish coats every fall.

On exterior varnish without joins (like the masthead pole), I only have to worry about UV damage to the varnish. I recoat these exterior pieces when the surface begins to show some dullness: about three to five years.

Local climate means everything for your varnish recoating schedule. We get tule fog in the winter and the boat gets wet just about every morning, even in the shed. UV at our lattitude can be pretty significant during the summer. Boats that are kept outdoors in more tropical climates may need exterior varnish recoats every two months!

Follow the manufacturers instructions regarding the number of coats required. This usually appears on the varnish can labels. To get the maximum UV protection, you must follow their recommendations.

I just checked the can of Pettit BAK-V-SPAR. The recommendation is a "minimum of six coats."
 
I have an Egg Harbor with LOTS of wood trim. I have found Cetol the easiest and longest lasting durability on my boat. I know it is not what the purist would use, but for my time spent working my boat, Cetol can't be beat. If I knew how to post pictures here, I would show you.
 
I have used Epiphanes on my Chris Craft, as well as other wooden boats that I have restored with excellent results, minimum of 12 coats and proper surface preparation is the key.
 
A long time Sikkens user here too. No question,a good varnish job is a sight to behold. I have only used the Sikkens mat finish but Sikkens also offers a gloss which may or may not produce the depth of finish that a high quality varnish will.

Another consideration may be where the boat is kept. A tough saltwater enviroment will be much harder on the finish than freshwater.
 
Sikkens Cetol comes in 'Marine', 'Marine Light', and a new 'Natural Teak' product. The 'Marine' is what most people use, the 'Marine Light' actually has white pigment added to give a 'light' look... check out the new 'Natural Teak' which probably has a pigment giving a more golden natural look.

To make it look like glossy varnish, apply Cetol 'Marine Gloss' as an overcoat over whichever product you choose, then each year a maintenance coat of 'Gloss' makes it look new. This procedure will prevent that orange look that people get after many coats of just undercoats. Warning, don't use 'Marine Gloss' by itself as it has little UV pigmentation and won't adhere for long.
 
I used 3 coats of Marine Light as a base on the abundance of exterior teak on my boat - to avoid masking too much of the teak's natural graining. Then 3 coats of Marine Clear were applied - which is a glossy finish, as ronbo stated. The effects are outstanding, with much lower maintenance than traditional varnishing techniques - just one annual maintenance coat of Clear.
 
What you use on brightwork depends on what the brighwork is. Teak - as it was originally used - was never intended to be coated with anything. It was a durable non-skid material that was (when I was a kid working on a charter boat) stoned clean each night with an abrasive material that looked like a brick. I can remember rubbing until the fish blood was gone. The teak bleached in the sun until it was almost white.

If you have to coat teak, as I do with my teak swim platform, us Sikkens Cetol. Mine lasts two seasons here in New England.

If you are refinishing mahogany or mahogany plywood, use real varnish. Be careful sanding and just rough up the surface, removing any trace of loose old varnsh. Recoat with the varnish thinned as much as possible and repeat for as many coats as you want to apply, drying 24 hours between applications.
 
Sikkens suggests using three coats on bare teak. I put on five the first time and a maintenance coat every year. Varnish does have a somewhat richer look, however the ease of use and durability of Cetol is hard to beat. A few characteristics that make it easier to use than varnish:
- No need to sand between coats if the coats are relatively fresh.
- Even after a year, a light pass over with scotchbrite before the maintenance coat is all that's needed.
- It is very forgiving of brush marks as compared to varnish - almost hard to leave any.
 
Cetol is for boats the equivalent of fake tan
 
Rebecca Wittman wrote a book on the subject entitled "Brightwork". It is by far the best and most complete, imho, work on the subject. She covers ALL the techniques detailing what the upsides/downsides are, step by step technique for each, equipment needed etc., etc. She has saved me and many friends countless hours of wasted efforts along with beautiful results.
 
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