Is varnish dangerous ?

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alec

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Have been on a number of wooden boats over the years and found that the cockpit areas are very dangerous due to varnish. This also applies to many GRP boats that have lots of wood.

I even fell for this on my own locker lids in the cockpit but now see it's just daft (personal opinion only).

Is there such a thing as varnish fetish over practicality ?

What does the team think ?
 
Varnished wood can be slippery when wet but so can GRP. Unless the wood is teak, which does not take varnish very well anyway, you have a choice between varnishing it or watching it deteriorate.

I know few boats where varnished wood is in places where there should be a non slip surface, so in general I would say it is not dangerous, (unless you propose to drink it).

My own boat has a gloss varnished cabin sole, but I have never slipped on it yet.
 
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> you have a choice between varnishing it or watching it deteriorate.

Err, teak oil. We removed all our varnish.

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I have been very satisfied with Sikkens Ceetol. Unfortunately, like varnish, it retains globules of water when everything else ( including GRP) has dried out. This fools one and is another contributing factor in doing the splits.

Have recently helped a narrow boat owner to paint his boat. Granules were going everywhere. They seem to be more of a safety conscious group in this respect than us lot. Tradition seems harder to let go.

Also, I am told that cork will be the new teak deck of the future. Much cheaper, more practical, looks good , feel better buying it, teak is like ivory etc
 
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I am told that cork will be the new teak deck of the future. Much cheaper, more practical, looks good , feel better buying it, teak is like ivory etc

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Unlikely, cork is getting more expensive such that the wine bottlers have moved over to alternative seals for the cheaper wines.
 
Three years ago, I've varnished the cabin floor and part of the cockpit with satin gloss "extreme-for stairs". It contains very fine microbeads, and isn't slippery at all. Definitely less so than the ugly high gloss-with-added-non-slip-powder. You hardly have to stir it as well to get an even gloss. On my old boat, The cockpit sole was varnished with "Le Tonkinois", which wasn't slippery, and kept very well. Funny smell though.
 
You could use sugar and wash it of after the varnish dried.
I use Tonkinois "huile d'impression" instead of "vernis marine" to cut down on maintenance. Basically tung and boiled linseed oil. Not quite as hard wearing as varnish but far easier to overcoat etc.
 
Read my post again, I did say "unless the wood is teak".

Teak is pretty long lasting, with or without teak oil.

I have not heard of teak oil used on other timbers, but it might possibly be OK on Iroko. The trouble I have found with teak oil, is that it seems positively to attract dirt, and I have given up using it on the cockpit teak, and prefer simply to clean it with oxalic acid and water.
 
I love all this crap about "Teak" oil, it's nowt to do with teak oil, its a mineral oil based goo, attracts muck, goes black and is rubbish. IMHO Either varnish it or leave it be.
 
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