Painting varnish work

stav

stav

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 Aug 2002
Messages
905
Location
Jersey
Visit site
Hi all. This is my first 'new post' I hope I follow the correct format. Views, opinions and encouragement sought on what to do with my varnish work? I have a 1965 Nic 36, GRP hull and wooden coachroof, cockpit etc. Have had the boat for several years but we now have a young family and looking after the boat does not get the time it used to. Though I have taken out the pilot berth this winter and have started taking out the chain plates to check and rebed in as two where leaking slghtly. So I am not adversed to working on the old girl. But I am thinking of reducing the varnish work by painting over it. This has been compounded by giving up the marina berth (electricity) and moving to a drying berth, additionally I can not afford to winter ashore at the moment.

As I see it the varnishing is in three parts: toe rail and rubbing strake, cabin trunk and cockpit. I was contemplating painting two of the three, ideally in a way that meant they could be stripped back in a few years and revarnished.

The alternative is selling and buying an all GRP boat, but then we are on a serious budgetary constraint at the moment.

Ideas and thoughts welcome. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif [image]]
 
Don't do it - you'll ruin the appearance of the boat and devalue it. Try using le Tonkinois varnish or something that lasts well and is easy to apply. Also try and afford a cover. Protecting the varnish from the weather will greatly extend its life.
 
If you want to keep a "bright" finish but do away with the constant maintenance, strip back to bare wood and re-finish with Sikkens Novatec/Novatop which is a two part microporous wood stain. The finish of the top coat is bright and if you use a light pigment you will see the grain of the wood. Needs only two coats of each and is really easy to apply. Refresh every 2 or 3 years with a new top coat. My mast did 5 years between recoatings. Although quite expensive per litre, because you don't need thick coats, nor rubbing down between coats overall cost is lower than conventional varnishes. Comes out top in durability tests such as those in Classic Boat. Only downside is less resistant to abrasion, for example from mooring warps, but brass rubbing strips deal with that.

I have no connection with Sikkens - just a long term (30 years) owner of a wooden boat who has tried almost everything else and would never go back to varnish or wood oils.
 
Some of the long distance cruisers in classic boats paint over their varnish to protect it while cruising and then strip the paint off at the end of their cruise to reinstate the varnish. The trick is to make sure that your varnish is in very good condition before you paint. If it isn't then you will get pigment into the grain of the timber, and it will be a huge (near impossible) job to restore to varnish at a later date.
 
I applied Coelan last year for the same reasons. After a season it looks the same as the day I applied it. A friend applied it several years ago and has not re-coated. I can't say it looks quite as good as traditional varnish but better than paint in my opinion.
 
Whether you use new or old style varnish, the secret is to keep it in great condition; then it is a matter of just one light rub and a coat at the beginning of the season. I would invest the time you would use in painting over to build your varnish layers up. Once you get to that point it really is no effort in yearly maintenance the areas you mention you can do in a morning.
 
Nick, are those covers hideously expensive? Could you PM me a dimensions/quote - I reckon one might fit Roach (and would be handy with my bird pooh problem too).
 
Thanks guys just the advice and kick up the deriere I needed, even SWMBO when she read the post was not for the idea. So I think I will try le Tonkinois first and book a weekend in the marina to access power. Long term though the toe rail and rubbing strake might get painted and I will investigate the coelan solution. Thanks again for your time and thoughts.
/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Im on to my second coat of Coelan today. Im amazed already. 30 foot teak deck just shining. I was afraid to walk on after the first coat because it looked so slippery but it was fine. I plan on doing 8 coats. i cant see stretching it any farther. Its consistency out of the can is like rubber cement but thinned out more like warm honey. Easy to apply.

Like anything. .Paints all in the prep. Spend trhe time to prep the deck properly.

I am in Hawaii so mine had to be flown and the Coelan did not like the high altitude. All the cans contracted some. I am thrilled however. I have been looking at this stuff for four years and have finally pulled the trigger and its working out as good as some of these sites look.!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top