Need help with teak on a boat

[Dick Holt]

My son-in-law bought an older Grady-white boat recently. Most everything is fiberglas but there is a small amount of teak which he power washed. After power washing, there is some teak that is a weathered gray with no finish and some areas that have an old film finish on it. I am assuming the old finish if a marine varnish. What is the first step, sand all the teak? If so, does all of the old finish have to come off even if it is still sticking to the wood? Does he have to sand all the gray off to get to good wood? What kind of finish should he use? He was told to use an oil finish, but I don't know if there is an oil finish that would stand up to the rigors of marine life. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Dick

[David Pascoe]

Oils will cause the teak to turn black with mildew. Commercial teak "sealers" will make it look nice for a few months, then weather quickly and look nasty. After years of screwing around with every concoction imaginable, experienced boaters with large expanses of teak decks prefer to just leave them natural and let them weather. Then every five years or so sand them down to remove the grain left standing proud. Sand too often and you'll soon be left with exposed screw heads.

If you yearn for "golden teak" as advertised in magazines, be prepared for a lot of work.

[John TenEyck]

If he's prepared for some yearly maintenance, the go to marine varnish is Epifanes. Sand or strip off the old varnish, get all the wood sanded to the same color, and then apply the 7 coats required to do it right. It will look great, and continue to look great as long as he follows the yearly maintenance. For a small amount of wood it shouldn't be much of a chore.

John

[Scott Holmes]

You should be able to remove the grey with oxalic acid aka wood bleach; much easier than sanding.

[David Pascoe]

Teak removes the pleasure from boating unless you can afford to pay someone else to do it.

[Sandra St Laurent]

This is my first post, I'm not currently into wooden boat work, but I do have some expertise there. Until 2002, my husband and I owned a 1967, 42' Owens, she had a double planked mahogany hull, teak decks, and bright mahogany transom, handrails and toe rails. We did a lot of our own work, and I not only learned how to fix problems, but how not to make them worse.

Traditionally, teak was used on boats because it does not rot, even if left unfinished. It also has non-slip properties on decks, handholds and steps. Therefore, a minimum of treatment is best. If it gets really dirty, scrub it lightly with Bon Ami and a soft nylon brush. IMHO, it is best to think of the gray, weathered look as a patina, like the verdigris on a copper roof and accept it.

[Sandra St Laurent]

This is my first post, I'm not currently into wooden boat work, but I do have some expertise there. Until 2002, my husband and I owned a 1967, 42' Owens, she had a double planked mahogany hull, teak decks, and bright mahogany transom, handrails and toe rails. My first concern - where is the teak? Is it limited to rails and step pads? The purpose of putting teak on a boat is that it does not rot, and therefore does not require finishing. As is, on decks and steps, teak is non-skid; varnished, it is a slip hazard. IMHO, think of the gray, weathered look as a patina, like the verdigris on a copper roof and accept it. If it gets really dirty, scrub it lightly with Bon Ami and a soft nylon brush. If you attack it with stronger products, you will have raised grain, and then you'll have to sand it.

Believe me, I speak from experience - our boat's teak decks were her undoing. We used all those products to make them pretty, they hardened the caulking and caused it to leak into the underlying plywood sheets, and from there into the seam between the double hull. The boat rotted from the inside out.

[Julie Moriarty]

I would sand the teak and apply Defy Ultimate Stain. I like it because it has great UV protection, it lasts and doesn't leave a slick finish. Great for decks. I did my own test and the teak coated with Defy remained its natural color for the entire 9 months of the test. The unfinished teak turned grey in a few months.

If you want a finish made specifically for boats, in Practical Sailor (VOL 41 NO.6), they tested numerous exterior wood finishes. Their top pick was Bonstone Nautithane Pro. It was also their top pick in 2011 and they said it has not disappointed.

[Dick Holt]

Thanks for all your replies. I am not sure what I will do yet, but your answers have given me a lot to consider. Thanks again.

Dick