Mast varnish

[snowleopard]

I haven't had a boat with a wooden mast since 1974 but I have the task of restoring the mast on the centre's Drascombe. I plan to sand back to the bare wood and re-varnish so what's the best stuff to use?

 

[prv]

My vote is for standard Epifanes. Used it each year on Kindred Spirit's masts, booms, gaffs and sprits. Easy to apply and good result.

That's if you want varnish, anyway. Perhaps one of these low-maintenance oil/stain things might be more appropriate for what amounts to a working boat, but I know nothing about them. Except to avoid Sikkens Cetol, which looked horrible on the one piece I tested it on, but I don't think they still make it anyway.

Pete

 

[vyv_cox]

I recently did my mast, gaff and boom in International Woodskin. This stuff had very good reviews in PBO and I was most impressed with it on a friend's boat in Greece. So far the spars have seen no weather but my cockpit locker tops were done in it a couple of months ago and look as good as when they were fitted.

 

[Amulet]

I haven't had a boat with a wooden mast since 1974 but I have the task of restoring the mast on the centre's Drascombe. I plan to sand back to the bare wood and re-varnish so what's the best stuff to use?

You have two alternatives in my opinion. Two part polyurethane for a fast and easy job which will look good and do the job but bleach in sunlight and need taking back to the wood fairly often to look nice. I'd do Skippers "six coats a day system" if that was my choice. It does what it says and looks good for a few seasons. The other choice is traditional varnish and I'm afraid I'd agree with the reassuringly expensive Epifanes. This wants a lot of coats and takes a long time between coats but is beautiful and mellows wonderfully over time.

I do Epifanes on the boom - which I can take home in the winter. The mast - Skippers.

If you do the taditional version, at least save yourself cleaning brushes by bagging them in the freezer between coats. If you do the two part, use cheap brushes and chuck away after each coat, and maybe a more decent one for the final coat.

 

[Tranona]

International Woodskin. Advantage of this is that it is porous so breathes and does not flake, but wears, so easy to touch up. My mast is done in the similar Sikkens and easily goes 5 years without any attention.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

When I had a wooden yacht, with wooden spars, I was using oil based traditional varnish; but it did not last long and I had to repeat the process almost every year. Nowadays, for all external wood, I rely on the International Compass Polyurethane one part varnish; I have just re-varnish some external wood that I varnished five years ago which had shown some signs of discoloration only, after five years, that is no bad at all.

Personally, I don't like the two part polyurethane as it goes very hard and hence no very suitable for flexing. I bet you still have people who let the spars soak up linseed oil.....

 

[prv]

If you do the taditional version, at least save yourself cleaning brushes by bagging them in the freezer between coats.

I store mine (between coats, not long-term) by wiping off as much varnish as possible with clean paper towel, then hanging them in a cup of Epifanes thinners. When needed again, take out of the pot and wipe off as much thinners as possible, again using clean paper towel. Has worked fine for me over several years and god knows how many coats of varnish, and saves traipsing brushes in and out of the house.

Pete

 

[pyrojames]

I use Jotun's Spontan Varnish, which has lasted very well for the last 5 years. Little bleaching or cracking, but it is begnning to wear where then main rubs it as we roll downwind. It is relatively soft, so easy to touch up or take off and it's cheap, staggering so, compared to almost everything else.

 

[PhillM]

Ive used both Skippers and Epifanes and a few others.

Personally found Skippers to be poor. Lasted less than 1 season (last year) in UK even with 3 layers of one part UV restant on top.

Epifanes is a personal fav. I even like the smell. Looks good and is easy to work. So easy that it makes you want to use it all the more (which is just as well really).

Only problem is it leaves suspicious looking stains on one's beige shorts. Mind you I tend to get a table to myself in the bar.

 

[Rossynant]

Another vote for Epifanes (it's just oil/alkyd varnish, other existed, but hard to find a good one lately). With old wood might be good idea to first treat it with oil, thinned, to soak deeper; for UK climate even mixed with some preservative killing rot (those are also hard to get lately, the more toxic and eco-unfriendly, the better). Carefully not to overdo the oiling, excess should be wiped off, so varnish has where to soak a bit to.

 

[PhillM]

Rot / preservative - I use Ronseal wet rot wood hardner.

Do NOT dig rot out.

Ignore the instructions and do 2 or 3 applications. Then sand and it works a treat.

Learned this from a respected shipwright and I cannot fault it.

 

[Amulet]

I use Jotun's Spontan Varnish, which has lasted very well for the last 5 years. Little bleaching or cracking, but it is begnning to wear where then main rubs it as we roll downwind. It is relatively soft, so easy to touch up or take off and it's cheap, staggering so, compared to almost everything else.

Must try - good price and quotes same film thickness as Epifanes with a lower solids ratio and, I guess consequently, a shorter recoat time.

 

[Woodlouse]

Rot / preservative - I use Ronseal wet rot wood hardner.

Do NOT dig rot out.

Ignore the instructions and do 2 or 3 applications. Then sand and it works a treat.

Learned this from a respected shipwright and I cannot fault it.

I wouldn't like to see this done on anything structural.

 

[PhillM]

I wouldn't like to see this done on anything structural.

The idea is you harden what is save-able then sand the loose stuff away. Gives a good key to scarf a new piece in.

But if you keep digging when its wet you can easily lose a lot of good wood just because its wet, but not rotton.