Ron Magen wrote:
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.

The boat had varnished decks when it came to us 10 years ago (I
think...) As I mentioned, the boat is my dad's, so the decision to
varnish the deck is not mine to make. That being said, we have never
had a problem with slipping. The deck is not particularly large,
either, and all the haliards can be reached from the cockpit.

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 ?? }

Thanks, that is the kind of advice I am looking for.

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'.

It's not teak, so that isn't an issue. I found several options for
caulking specially made for teak decks, but that is not what I need...
I think it's made of oak, though that may be wrong.

Regards & Good Luck,
Ron Magen
Backyard Boatshop

Thanks again, Lily