Rokkomelon
New Member
Hello, I have a bit of a dilemma I fear many boatowners will also have encountered.
I have just sanded down the teak decking on my Chris Craft Corsair 25, and I am wondering how to keep it looking nice in the long term.
A bit of context: a year or two ago, we started using StarBrite teak sealer, a solvent-based sealer that is quite common and has a good reputation, and it did look good in the beginning (the colour was great), but after even just a couple of months, the colour had faded and become patchy under the Marbella (South of Spain) sun. That's why I became fed up with the product, after reapplying it in the meanwhile, because it not only faded in patches, but also left a residue on the wood. Now I've completely cleaned and sanded down my teak decking to make it flat, smooth and clean, and I have been thinking of leaving it bare (uncovered) as this seems the easiest. That said, however, I'm not entirely a fan of having grey decking, and love a nice orange sheen as much as the next person, but I need something that fades evenly, and doesn't require me to sand the decking down every season or to to keep it looking nice. Does anybody have any suggestions?
I spent some time asking Chat GPT about this, and it suggested using a water-based sealant on the wood, as it should fade neatly. It said oil based sealants become black over time, and solvent-based sealants, while effective, leave a coating and don't work well in the sun, is this true?
If anyone has any advice on maintaining a nice teak deck, it would be highly appreciated, ad I am quite a pedantic boat owner.
Many thanks beforehand.
Guillaume.
I have just sanded down the teak decking on my Chris Craft Corsair 25, and I am wondering how to keep it looking nice in the long term.
A bit of context: a year or two ago, we started using StarBrite teak sealer, a solvent-based sealer that is quite common and has a good reputation, and it did look good in the beginning (the colour was great), but after even just a couple of months, the colour had faded and become patchy under the Marbella (South of Spain) sun. That's why I became fed up with the product, after reapplying it in the meanwhile, because it not only faded in patches, but also left a residue on the wood. Now I've completely cleaned and sanded down my teak decking to make it flat, smooth and clean, and I have been thinking of leaving it bare (uncovered) as this seems the easiest. That said, however, I'm not entirely a fan of having grey decking, and love a nice orange sheen as much as the next person, but I need something that fades evenly, and doesn't require me to sand the decking down every season or to to keep it looking nice. Does anybody have any suggestions?
I spent some time asking Chat GPT about this, and it suggested using a water-based sealant on the wood, as it should fade neatly. It said oil based sealants become black over time, and solvent-based sealants, while effective, leave a coating and don't work well in the sun, is this true?
If anyone has any advice on maintaining a nice teak deck, it would be highly appreciated, ad I am quite a pedantic boat owner.
Many thanks beforehand.
Guillaume.
