'lbeyer' ,
IF you varnish a deck, you WILL slip, and you WILL fall. If it is a
foredeck, hopefully that won't be overboard.

High gloss varnished 'decks' look great on the old 'Classic Chris Craft
Barrel Back' or similar powerboat. However on a sailboat they are actually a
hazard.

Take a look at the different products available for 'caulking' . Stay AWAY
from the 'adhesives/sealers' like 5200, etc. READ the 'specs' on the tubes
{ 'caulking gun' size }. Some are actually designed for this chore. Also
look at the manufacturers on-line sites. THEN . . . look on the shelves of
Home Depot, Lowes, etc. In several cases the SAME actual products are there.
In others, the only difference is the label. {20 years on a window exposed
to weathering 12-months of the year vs. the 'pampered Summer' of a cherished
sailboat ?? }

Finally . . . if that Buzzards Bay's deck is TEAK . . . it would be the
equivalent of barratry to do anything other than to apply several coats of
'teak oil'. Followed by an oil wipe-down 'as needed'.

Regards & Good Luck,
Ron Magen
Backyard Boatshop

wrote in message
oups.com...
I am working on a 18' Buzzards Bay Sloop of my dad's with varnished
decking. The varnish is completly peeling up, and in a few places the
caulking has come out.
SNIP