Finish for cockpit seats/locker tops

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Vitalba

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The cockpit seats/locker tops on my 1966 East Anglian are Iroko and badly split and warped. I can fill the splits but they will alway show and the warps will be highlighted with a varnished finish. I am minded therefore to go for an 'oil'type finish that will be satin or even matt but at the same time protective. I realise such a finish will need regular maintenance during the season but the area is small.
Liberon have recommended their Teak oil which contains a high % of Tung oil.
I'm not not keen on Coelan so what should I use/do? Comments/suggestions welcomed
 
I have found that Sikkens is very durable, easy to put on and has an acceptable finish. They reccommend a maintenance coat be applied once a year but I have found that it will last longer than that if enough coats are put on at the start.
 
Many thanks to both for Sikkens and Deks Olje suggestions . I've heard of both but never used either--- how do they differ from varnish ?
Was particulary pleased to hear from Ayeshaman and hope he/she will not object if I ask for some of Vitalba's history via a PM
 
I used Epifanes for my thwarts and centreboard box on my dinghy and was delighted at the ease and the semi-matt finish. Ideal for seats.

(the planking still needs doing)

Serendipity.Fellfoot3.jpg
 
a friend uses Cetol on his Iroko & very nice it look to /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
any stain finish start with a light colour you can always darken it /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
start with a dark colour & you cant lighten it /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Deks Olje D1 is the oily varnish which soaks into the wood. It gives a pleasing sheen. It is usually followed by D2 which is a flexible gloss.

D1 is fine on its own and has the advantage over teak oil inasmuch as it does not dry out and only needs overcoating every so often.

I intend using D1 on my cockpit teak laid locker tops this summer - if it arrives.
 
If you go for Sikkens, I would recommend the 'pine' colour over 'natural' (which in my opinion/particular colour vision turns out a bit unnaturally orange). This is what we have on our Iroko cockpit seats etc. Any kind of Sikkens does make the wood a bit darker than clear varnish would - as I understand without the tint it doesn't stand up to the UV (no doubt someone here knows for sure). This might be good, though, for evening out the differences between your repairs and the wood?

It's dead easy to apply - you can go back over bits you've just done without trauma. It does get scraped off a bit by use and abuse (e.g. where we wrap the mainsheet round one of the cockpit posts) but then I suppose anything does :-).

Only thing I would say is that it's just as slippy a surface underfoot as varnish!! After far too many bruises from stepping on wet seats with bare feet we are currently musing as to what might look good and be non-slip...
 
Not exactly a finish, but have you considered overlaying them with teak veneer? I have used 2.6 mm teak veneers from Robbins, laid on epoxy and seams filled with Sikaflex. Not as expensive as you might think and gives a superb non slip finish.
 
Hmm - don't want to hijack the thread - teak veneer is a thought. Thin is good as the planks themselves are already like a park bench for thickness!!!

I dont' think iroko will stand up to the weather left bare :-(.
 
I did my cockpit seats getting on for 20 years ago and they look as good as when I first did them - but I do have a cockpit cover which helps.

My Bavaria (shock horror) has similar covering for the cockpit seats and sole and has stood up to 7 years use in the Med. I have just made panels for the bathing platform using the same technique, so you could say I am sold on the idea!

The veneer comes in strips about 200mm wide and up to 3m long and can be cut into narrow strips to suit your design and layout.
 
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