Best varnish for oars?

[jdc]

For wooden rowing blades I use moisture cure polyurethane. For my sculling boat I follow the advice on Carl Douglas's site, which says:

either
Single–component moisture–cure clear polyurethane varnish or lacquer (often available from a marine chandler y),
or more preferably
Two–component acrylic clear–coat lacquer as used for automobile refinishing over metallic or base-coat finishes.

He also advocates trading damaged areas by steeping in slow cure clear epoxy resin.

However, rowing blades and boats are not kept in the sun, they are protected from UV when not in use.

 

[KevinV]

I'd be awfully tempted by the idea to varnish, then paint for while you're out there - remove the paint on the journey home. Water droplets concentrating the sun on varnish is a recipe for lots of work - over and over again.

 

[geem]

I'd be awfully tempted by the idea to varnish, then paint for while you're out there - remove the paint on the journey home. Water droplets concentrating the sun on varnish is a recipe for lots of work - over and over again.

A friend of mine used to sail a wooden ketch. It was all varnished brightwork. They were heading to the Pacific for a few years so varnished everything, then painted it white. Once they returned from their Pacific cruise, they sailed through the Panama canal to Florida. They sanded off the paint and revarnished all the brightwork. Then sold the boat. Paint is far easier to deal with in the Tropics.

 

[Wansworth]

Sand down and paint white

From pictures a lot of stuff is painted white