Brightwork

[Dcneuro]

Anyone have any pros/cons re: spar varnish vs. spar urethane for toe rails/coaming, etc.?

Also, I have a couple of spots that wore through since last summer. I presume I can just sand and reapply coatings as I have no real intention of bringing it all down to raw wood again any time soon?

Thanks.

[renbluefish]

I have always liked varnish, even though you need several more coats than a urethane for a uniformed look. Generally speaking though, its usally wise to stick with the same product that was on before.

I always like to wipe down with a thinning solvent after the first sand and tacking than apply my first coat. Its all about the prep.

[sailingfool]

Originally Posted by Dcneuro

Anyone have any pros/cons re: spar varnish vs. spar urethane for toe rails/coaming, etc.?

Also, I have a couple of spots that wore through since last summer. I presume I can just sand and reapply coatings as I have no real intention of bringing it all down to raw wood again any time soon?

Thanks.

The reason many folks get away from hard coatings like these is that you can't touch up wear without it looking bad, and its a real pain to remove the fimnish to start over. IMHO the Cetol is the way to go for exterior coatings, unless you can afford to pay a yard to maintain your varnish.

Sand and touch up and see how the result works out.

[CharlieCobra]

I cannot stand the way Cetol looks. Simply hate it...

[lancelot9898]

Originally Posted by CharlieCobra

I cannot stand the way Cetol looks. Simply hate it...

The Cetol natural looks much better than the regular stuff and the orange tinge of cetol light.

[sailingfool]

Originally Posted by lancelot9898

The Cetol natural looks much better than the regular stuff and the orange tinge of cetol light.

I bet you mean the "natural teak", which I also think looks excellent - it is very difficult to tell it from varnish.

[SecondWindNC]

I'm trying the Cetol Natural Teak for the first time on the companionway boards for one of our charter boats. Still have a coat or two to go, but so far I'm pleased with the color and appearance.

Being able to touch up or add a coat or two here and there is a big plus in this case.

The boards had gone gray - used a teak cleaner and gave them a light sanding before the first coat. Compared to before, they look great already. I'll post a photo when they're done.

(Of course none of that addresses the original question about varnish vs. urethane, but thought I'd chime in on the Cetol discussion.)

[SecondWindNC]

Here are the finished drop boards. I did three coats of the Natural on the inside, and four on the outside. I'm pleased with how they look. They'll get some abuse, so we'll see how the finish holds up over the course of the season.