Refinishing dinghy floorboards; what to use?

[duffer1960]

The old finish on the plywood panels that make up my dinghy floorboard are in serious need of refinishing. The wood is still in good shape; the finish is flaking off and non-existant in some areas. What would be the best finish to use? Looks aren't a concern, just protection from the elements. Thanks.

[peikenberry]

An EPoxy Resin like West Or SystemThree. It will give you a nice finish and seal the wood.

[fishboyneil]

I've given mine a good sanding and then put on a couple coats of interlux brightside polyurethane with decent results. They do need a recoat every year or two. The brightside stands up pretty well to being consistenly wet (bottom side of boards). I also added some grip spheres(could also use sand) to the second coat on the topside. Without the boards are pretty slick when wet (splash and loss of beer in hand).

[duffer1960]

I was thinking of using epoxy, but I thought it wasn't UV resistant, and therefore wouldn't hold up in the sun.

[CalebD]

Epoxy will eventually breakdown under sunlight (UV) although it is a good waterproofing treatment. If you used a decent marine paint or coating (Brightsides was mentioned) over the epoxy coating that should hold up longer.
Good luck.

[JimsCAL]

If the finish is natural, not painted, then some good quality spar varnish is worth considering. The boards in my Achilles came with a clear finish and a light sand and coat of varnish each spring has kept them looking like new.

[LarryandSusanMacDonald]

If you NEVER want to refinish them again, replace them with Starboard, a polymer material. It comes in various colors and thicknesses. It's not cheap - but it will last forever. It's impervious to everything except atomic explosions, shark attacks, and idiots with power tools.

I used it to replace the slats in my first dinghy - not a whole floorboard, just stiffening slats, but it worked great. I've seen it used for just about everything - the only drawback is that there is no adhesive that will hold on the stuff.

[sailingdog]

Ultimate sole is a good product for refinishing the boards. Not slippery when wet... looks fairly good too.

[duffer1960]

What about a clear polyeurethane?