DaySailer.org Forum

I have read everything I can find here about refinishing the coaming and decking on a DS I. There is no consensus as to what is best... each approach (Do-Nothing, Oil, Cetol and Varnish) has its proponents. I'm still open to anything except the Do-Nothing approach.

I'd like to try a different spin on the question. What have you tried that you did not like? And why?

I'm considering varnish for the coaming and (light) Cetol for the decking. Mine is a New Hampshire boat only fresh-water trailer-sailed and in a garage when not in the water, so it does not get much exposure.

For those who use varnish on coaming... do you re-coat on-the-boat, working around screws? Or always pull the coaming for new coats? How often do you re-coat? How many coats in a re-coat operation? I know it looks nice, but I'm trying to get a true picture of the varnish "hassle factor".

For those who use Cetol on decks... is there adequate grip underfoot? How long has it lasted (under what degree of usage and weather exposure?). What do you do for upkeep? How often?

Thanks for your thoughts.

When I redid my woodword I removed it all from the boat. The coamings are easy to remove and you will get a much better finish.

I just re-varnished the coamings and the floorboards, and followed this guide:

http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey/41.htm

I stopped after about 4 or 5 coats, and everything looks great. The "primer" coats dry quickly, so if you coat in the morning you can apply another coat in the afternoon (even though the guide says 24 hour drying time). I removed the coamings and completely stripped them. The floorboards were a pain to get all the previous finish off, but using the 50/50 mix for "primer" coats seems to have evened the finish out.

I used Interlux Goldspar. The also have a product called Jet Speed for building up base coats quickly, but you need to topcoat with a UV finish like GoldSpar.

MrPlyWood...

What was the prior finish... varnish? How long did the prior finish last before you had to re-do it this time? Are the varnished floorboards slippery underfoot?

I just saw your response and question.

I assume the prior finish was varnish, they were new to me. The floorboards and coamings were quite weathered and peeling, so I decided to take everything down to wood, within reason. I didn't take the floorboards apart, so the edges in the inside gaps weren't completely stripped. But I made sure that they were thoroughly sanded. I'm hoping they will last a couple of seasons. Like any paint/finish job, good prep and good materials are really worth it.

The floorboards are not slippery at all. Excellent footing.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is the use of wood bleach (oxalic acid). Works very well and will remove most staining completely with just a single application. This step is done before applying any finish. Stain can be used to color match in=f necessary, but should be done after the first coat of varnish is applied at 50% reduction. Additionally, Minwax sells a Wood Conditioner that can help to provide a more uniform color and finish. It is applied prior to any finish. Lastly, Polyurethane can be slippery when wet, marine or spar varnish is softer and not as slippery; it should provide good traction underfoot. (it does on my DS1)
Just my .02

I used standard PU "marine" varnish and did not like the results. The PU is brittle and given to "flaking" off (possbily because of a hidden defect when applying a coat, but finding out six weeks or months later is not my idea of fun, and no help in improving technique..).

I switched to using epoxy base coats, with a special "cross-linked" PU clearcoat (both from SystemThree) to provide UV protection to the epoxy. I've posted a picture of the results. So far, there've been no nicks on the coamings, so this method looks like it's more durable.

Not enough time to gauge weatherization issues with the PU crosslinked topcoat.