Varnish

[grinfax]

Hello,
I need to repaint the wood on the outside of my boat. There is not much of it, but it still needs care. The previous owner seems to have used Cetol. Since it's not that much wood and the old varnish is peeling off at spots I think I will just sand the old paint off and start anew. I would like to know what varnish to use? Why do so many people use Cetol?

Thanks,
Kim

[sailingdog]

Grinfax-

Asking what varnish to use or what anchor to use are basic questions that can start crusade like holy wars... ask four sailors, and you'll get four or more opinions. I'd recommend Behr Spar Varnish.

Cetol is popular because it is simpler to apply and maintain than varnish.

[camaraderie]

Yes you can sand the old stuff off and begin anew. People use Cetol because it takes less care than Varnish...but many people use Cetol badly and it ends up looking really ugly after a while. Do a search on Cetol here and you will see how good it CAN look and it is easier to take care of than varnish.
On the other hand...nothing looks quite as good as good varnish applied correctly. With only a little teak to take care of on your boat, that may be the best way to go. It all depends on how much time the "look" is worth to you each year!

[Gary1]

You can start here by reading what I do with teak.
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-m...pit-table.html

Products? I use West Marine's high end varnish. It's actually Z-spar's stuff that's been repackaged. I also use Epifanes if I have more time, because it's slow drying.

[grinfax]

Ooops I did not want to start a war. Thanks for the info. Off I go to start sanding. Thank you all for taking tim eto reply, Kim

[Gary1]

No problem, Kim. We sorta beat up on each other around here like brothers and sisters do. No serious flaming.

[labatt]

And there are a variety of options to Cetol. We use West Marine Wood Pro Plus, made by Epifanes. Practical Sailor said it was as close to the varnish look as you could get with the products out there. You can also put a new coat on every 4 hours vs. every 24 hours with Cetol. I'll let you know how it is when the season is done.

[killarney_sailor]

use Epifanes gloss varnish. It is what the pros use and was highly recommended by Practical Sailor. Note that it is not the easiest stuff to use by any means. I put 11 coats on my boat with sanding after each coat. Looks great but a great deal of work.