Maxprop wrote:
For her birthday or next Christmas, get her a copy of Rebecca Wittman's book
"Brightwork." A nice coffee table book as well as an anal retentive
brighworker's treatise. She'd love it, if she doesn't already have it.


We already have 2 copies... she keeps one in her office... but thanks
for the recommendation...


I really enjoy properly varnished teak, but my personal experience is that
teak is simply too oily to hold varnish properly in hot summer sunlight.
Mahogany is another story, and our former Mariner 31 ketch had
lovingly-varnished mahogany brightwork.


That depends on the wood and how it's been treated, but for the most
part you're probably right. Using thinners can drive out much of the
near-surface oil but it will always come back... at least for ten years
or so...


I'm probably a bit like your wife in my approach to varnish, but I prefer
Cetol simply because it lasts, and with minimal problems.

That's not the case, from my observations. Given two equally prepped
pieces of wood, the Cetol will outlast varnish by about 10% at most, and
require about 10% less work to maintain.

The new clear stuff doesn't look as bad as the old orange Jell-O Cetol,
but it still doesn't look good up close. If the wood has pretty enough
grain to be worth any type of bright finish, it deserves varnish IMHO.

BTW we had a professional do some of the wood on our boat when we first
bought it, the former owner had slapped on a terrible coating of
polyurethane. He also takes care of a number of boats with Cetol and he
swears the stuff is actually more work than varnish.

... Perhaps when we retire to Oriental,
we'll reconsider varnish for the brightwork.


That part of NC (around New Bern as well) is getting to be worse than
Florida. They're four-laning the highway to Oriental, so that the
blue-hairs will have an easier time. But hey, there's plenty of room for
more!

But if you move the boat down South, you'll be astonished at the
difference in the longevity of any type finish. UV is very destructive.
If you don't have varnish now, you certainly won't want it down here
unless you put the boat under a cover.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King