Paint instead of varnish

[Geoff A]

I do not want to waist my life varnishing the exterior wood on my boat. I do not mind a one time job sanding down to bare wood and then I would prefer to paint it with something that will still look in keeping. All I would have to do is every three or four years or so give it a bit of a sand paper to abrade the wood and re paint. My question is what paint to use. Over to you lovely people.

 

[Wansworth]

I do not want to waist my life varnishing the exterior wood on my boat. I do not mind a one time job sanding down to bare wood and then I would prefer to paint it with something that will still look in keeping. All I would have to do is every three or four years or so give it a bit of a sand paper to abrade the wood and re paint. My question is what paint to use. Over to you lovely people.

If you an remove handrails etc better to paint well

 

[[70521]]

Le Tonk is all you need. Really easy to touch up.

 

[PetiteFleur]

I have varnished wood for exterior handrails and companion way, but all have canvas covers when not on board. First varnished about 18yrs ago, touched up about every 2/3 yrs, and they still look good. I used International Polyurethane varnish, initially 4 coats. Works for me.

 

[scozzy]

in keeping with what?

 

[Rappey]

Bit of a weird sounding suggestion , Sadolin Superdec. The rougher the wood the better the adhesion.
Its water based and you just put a new coat over the old without the need to rub down.
Suitable for wood, weathered plastic, steel, cladding, concrete, masonry, and exterior doors and windows.

 

[Poignard]

If you paint where there was formerly varnish, then when you come to sell the boat potential buyers might wonder whether it has been done to hide something.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

It can also be absolutely hideous. X58 for instance, has no varnish, she is all grey. She looks like a GRP boat. Which, for a 1938 classic, is weird.

 

[Daydream believer]

I do not want to waist my life varnishing the exterior wood on my boat. I do not mind a one time job sanding down to bare wood and then I would prefer to paint it with something that will still look in keeping. All I would have to do is every three or four years or so give it a bit of a sand paper to abrade the wood and re paint. My question is what paint to use. Over to you lovely people.

I used 2 coats of filter 7 on my launch just before covid & it had done quite well except for areas along the gunwhale were excessive abrasion has worn through it. The decks on the bow & stern sections & the engine casing etc are still pretty good though. . I origially tried superdec & that looked awful so after 12 months & spent some time abrading it off where I could.

 

[wasib.rehman]

Sand that boat wood down properly (grit 80, then 120, then 220—no skipping steps!), wipe away every speck of dust, and grab a marine-grade alkyd enamel paint (oil-based, like Epifanes Monourethane or Interlux Brightside in satin/semi-gloss). This stuff laughs at UV rays, salt spray, and your future neglect. Let it cure for a solid week—no shortcuts—and then forget about it for years. When it finally looks a bit rough around the edges, just lightly sand the surface (no stripping!) and slap on a fresh coat. Toss in a splash of Penetrol flow additive while painting to make brush marks vanish, so even your quick touch-ups look like you cared. Skip the water-based “miracle” paints—they’ll flake faster than your patience on a Monday morning. Now go sail, not sand.

 

[jwilson]

On a boat that "ought to" look varnished but you want longer between mainteanance work, painting OVER varnish is an option. It has the advantage that you can go back to varnish in a few years time without having to sand away paint ingrained into the wood.

 

[Sea Change]

If you really want it to last as long as possible, go with two pack paint. When I built my dinghy I painted it with Lustre from SML Paints and it's stood up well to daily abuse, much better than Toplac anyway.