Teak Treatment - Forward Hatch

Hi All,

We are currently renovating the forward sliding hatch on my 43 (Firebrand II) and are currently debating over how best to treat the timber work.  We have had a lot of differing advice over what to do; everything from doing nothing, through oiling to varnishing.  The exterior parts appear to have been allowed to weather naturally (see below) while the  non-exposed parts appear to have been varnished at some stage.

I guess the same goes for the teak toe rail (the teak decks were long gone before my time).

Best regards
Andrew
Firebrand II (43/041)

Dear Andrew,
My 43 came to me with a cast aluminum Bomar hatch on the foredeck - which has been leaking badly for years before I bought her and has caused a lot of damage to the varnished opening.

It seems like you are asking for an opinion so here's mine. I love wood and I think that bright teak toe-rails and hatches add a lot to a boat's appearance. Since this boat has so little bright wood, I am planning to varnish all of the exposed teak (decks excepted, of course).

I have used most of the varnishes available but typically end up with high gloss epifanes. I used both natural brushes as well as foam brushes and I sand between coats.

Good luck!
Chris Mabel's Casse Tete 43/003

Andrew:

On my 43 I have been using Cetol "Teak" with clear coat on the teak work on deck.

I realize that this may be upsetting for the purist and I understand but I race my boat often and the the bright work takes a real beating. The Cetol is much more durable and easier to fix and compared to varnish much less maintenance. See the attached photos.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Fair winds,

Hiro

Hi Chris, Hiro,

Thank you for your responses.  Hiro, the photos of your boat provide a fairly compelling argument for oiling or varnishing.  Your bright work looks very smart and it's great to see how another 43 is set-up. 

My wife Karyn is a fan of the natural weathered look so it looks like I will be maintaining the status quo, at least for the time being.

Unfortunately, the timber on my Dorade vents and central hatch combing have all been painted.  This probably happened around the same time as the teak came off the decks.  I'll be looking at stripping these back and cleaning them up at sometime in the future.

Thanks again
Andrew

Firebrand II (43/041)