Teak coaming help

[Laura]

I just removed and sanded my teak coaming and now am in the dilemna of how to finish it (before putting it back on?). Teak oil? Varnish? What kind?
My boat will be moored all summer (when not sailing it!) in salt water. In addition, is it best to try and reattach the coaming before putting on finish coats, to avoid any cracking of the finish, or is it best to put on finish coats first, to avoid making a mess of the rest of the boat?

Any help would be appreciated,
Laura

[michaelyogi]

Check out the Teak oil vs. varnish thread in the Repair and Improvement page... Good luck

[michaelyogi]

It's easier to paint then install. Any good finish should have enough elasticity to allow some movement. Shouldn't be an issue...

[calden]

I just removed and sanded my teak coaming and now am in the dilemna of how to finish it (before putting it back on?). Teak oil? Varnish? What kind?
My boat will be moored all summer (when not sailing it!) in salt water. In addition, is it best to try and reattach the coaming before putting on finish coats, to avoid any cracking of the finish, or is it best to put on finish coats first, to avoid making a mess of the rest of the boat?

Any help would be appreciated,
Laura :)

Laura:

I'm new to sailing and all the how-to's of maintaining a boat, but I've got lots of experience working with wood. Last fall I did exactly what you're doing and, after doing some research, chose Pettit 1015 Captain's Varnish. There are several good products out there, so I'm not necessarily advocating this particular one. I might find out after a few seasons it's not the best - but it worked well putting it on. I'm not intending on using my boat in salt water, nor will it be left in the water, so I don't know if the Pettit stuff will be most appropriate for you.

I suggest getting some of Don Casey's books and articles about finishing. He's very knowledgeable about all things sailing and sailboat maintenance, and he's an easy-to-read and witty writer. A very good resource in learning about materials and how to use them.

Whatever you do, be sure and prepare the teak the right way - it's an oily wood and that will interfere with some varnishes adhering. Each brand of varnish has it's own proprietary thinner/cleaner that should be used on the wood first.

The mercury got up to 70 yesterday, and I'm in the backyard finishing some mast maintenance and putting on the refinished coamings. I'll post a picture on this forum when they're on, maybe about a week from now.

Carlos

[Laura]

Thanks, Carlos. As it turns out, I have no idea whether my coaming is teak or mahogany--I read yesterday that some DS1s were made with mahogany. I'm going to see if I can find someone who can identify my wood before I go forward. Thanks for the book tip--I'll see if I can get a copy of his work.
-Laura

[Laura]

Thanks, Carlos. As it turns out, I have no idea whether my coaming is teak or mahogany--I read yesterday that some DS1s were made with mahogany. I'm going to see if I can find someone who can identify my wood before I go forward. Thanks for the book tip--I'll see if I can get a copy of his work.
-Laura

[calden]

Laura:

Here's a Don Casey website with lots of archived articles and great suggestions:

http://www.boatus.com/howto/howto_lib.htm

Read a bit and see what I mean. I got his book "This Old Boat" for Christmas after reading it at a sailing friend's house. I couldn't put it down. It's greatly enhanced my enjoyment of my boat.

Carlos