Keeping my teak safe but maintenanece free?

[Perithead]

I am gogin down to the boat Friday, and the exposed teak hasnt been kept up but is still there and in decent shape. I want it to stay in good enough shape so that I can bring it back to prime condition when I want to. I dont want to do the regular maintenance on it but just something that will keep it from rotting away.

The color doesnt matter much to me right now so just whatever is the best for the wood and the best for the laborer (myself).

Thank You All.

[tonic]

Cover it up one. As for low maintaince forget it's unless it bare, just use teak or lemon oil. Best thing to do is keep it covered whenever possible. As for no regular maintainance if it's varnished forget it. PEACE

[billangiep]

Thats a million dollar question....I'd just back it in the garage.
Seriously though might just give it a cleaning then oil it until you have more time to do it proper?

[soulesailor]

I wouldn't worry too much about the teak 'just rotting away' because its natural oils preserve itself quite well. The longer you let it sit before you get around to bringing it back to prime condition will make a huge difference in how successful you are in that task. Unless you clean, sand and varnish now, or cover it completely from all the elements, mold will set in (that's the silver stuff which affects exposed wood). The more mold that sets in the deeper into the grains it will go and the harder it will be to get out. All the books about cleaning with bleach or oxalic acid don't relay how hard it really is. If mold sets in deep it is probably there to stay unless you physically remove it by sanding a lot of the teak away. Oiling helps replace some of the teak's natural oil it loses through exposure to the elements, but it doesn't keep away the mold. Oiled wood eventually turns silver, too. Either varnish now or soon, otherwise, your boat will look like mine: a beautiful salty silver.

[Stillraining]

some "Teak Guard" as we just had this discussion a bit ago. Look in archives.

Anyway I hate wood care and dont want the work either. Other then ripping it all off I'm giving this a try. Seams well liked by thoes who use it. And from what they say one quick coat a year after initial 4 is all it takes. Product says it wont peal either which is the bane of other systems ..Water soulubal too!

I will be doing mine this summer so I cant realy vouch for it yet..

[SailorMitch]

As Soulesailor says, chances are slim the teak will rot away. If you simply want to do something now to keep it from getting worse until you have the time to redo it, I recommend just using teak oil on a regular basis. If you use anything else, such as the Teak Guard or (God forbid) Sikkens, whatever you put on now you will have to remove later when you do a proper job. The teak oil won't be that hard to deal with when the time comes. But if I were you in FL, I'd make some teak time and soon. I now use Epifanes Wood Finish gloss, which is a type of varnish but you don't have to sand between coats if you recoat within 72 hours.

[CalebD]

Perithead,
What is that status of the finish on your exterior teak? Is there any varnish, er finish on it now? Do you know what finish was last used on it? Is it still brown (with yellowed spots), silver or mostly black in color? How much do you have? A picture of some would be nice perhaps.
The reason for these questions is that a lot depends on how the teak was previously coated and what is the best way to make it look nice, 'easily' and last for a decent amount of time.
Covering your exterior teak is a nice idea and would probably serve to minimize UV rays but not necessarily mold (as mentioned previously as the dark stuff) depending on the covering. I only do this in winter when my boat is on the hard and even then with a tarp and frame for the whole boat. So no teak covers for me right now. In FL I might think differently. My boat is located just south of tonic's in Nyack, NY.
Most everyone has recommended teak oil and I concur. I know that the wood loves Teak oil every time I apply some to some old piece I have 'restored'. The teak looks best when the oil is applied after a minor prep job of the areas that may be failing. I am not a big fan of sanding mounted exterior pieces of teak in place so for my all teak toe rail I have begun to use a carpet cutting razor blade (3/4" x 4") which I can gently rub back and forth over the area I am trying to clean. It still makes some dust and will require a quick rub with some 220 grit paper afterwards before oiling.
Once oiled the wood and oil need some time to get acquainted so leave it for up to a week and then start applying whatever finish (hopefully 'maintenance free') was there previously AFTER you have wiped the work down with Acetone which removes the surface oils (supposedly, it smells a bit too so wear gloves if you like as Acetone is a bit nasty). The oil is good for the cellulose in the wood but not so good for finishes to adhere to and that includes just about all of them (varnish, Cetol, Bristol Finish, Honey Teak etc).
I am no expert after only 5 years of ownership of a Tartan 27 with a good amount of exterior teak but I understand the tyranny that varnishing can be when you would rather be sailing than worrying about looking good.
Good luck with your teak.
TONIC,
Maybe this summer we will come up to Haverstraw and share a rum and tonic!

[Stillraining]

looked like last year ( perfect ) and now it looks like a bad case of leprosy.
this was a traditional shellac finish of 4 coats. Evidently not enough coats to prevent UV damage lifting the finish. Some suggest up to 10 coats I am just not into that.

So whatever a proper job is, you can have it....I'm into improper but easier. From what I'm told Teak Guard is a permanent option .
Google it and read up on it for yourself , as i stated i have yet to use it but I'm excited about it's reviews.

[Rockter]

Jet wash it once a year, at the start of the season.
Set the washer to "fan" pattern, and do not get too close.
The mould floods away.

Some don't like the idea, and argue that the teak washes away.
Instead they reach for sandpaper, and the wind blows their teak away.

To each their own.