Saloon Deck Maitenance

[PeterGee]

The wooden deck of the saloon on our Shipman 28 is looking very tired. Lots of mild detergent washing makes it clean, but still leaves it looking very dull. (Much duller than when we bought the boat three years ago) I am little loath to use standard polishing products for obvious reasons. Does anyone have any suggestions to brighten it up without making it slippery?

Thanks for any help.

Peter

 

[gianenrico]

I tried the following:
take all the pieces off; sand paper them lightly (very ligthly) either with an orbital sander or, if available as in my case, ask a friendly carpenter shop to use a long ribbon sander machine (be very careful in applying only very light pressure over the wood panels) and remove dirt and old varnish; clean the dust using a microfiber mop; apply two or three layers of two component epoxy resin (sorry folks, I hope it is understandable for You: in italian is "resina epossidica bi-componente") using a roller; if there is a lot of direct sunlight exposure, it might be worth protecting with some varnish.
The result is a very bright and shiny surface which shows all the niceties of the woodwork and the little irregularities generated by the use of the roller assure a decent foot-holding surface.
I did it around three yaears ago on a floor 12 years old and very exploited: the boat suddenly looked brand new and still does.

 

[Stemar]

I use le Tonkinois on my woodwork. So far it's proven to be hard wearing and very non-slip. Preparation as above. Only problem is you can't walk on it for several hours, and 24hrs between coats (you'll need at least 3)

 

[RMA]

Or, do it the easy way. Lightly sand and then apply a coat of clear quick drying floor varnish. It’s easy enough to do every year. The finish is pretty durable and looks quite good, I think. I use a satin finish.

 

[LittleShip]

Peter sent you a PM.
Tom