Which Varnish

[johnchampion]

Does anyone have any opinions of Epifane Clear varnich versus International GoldSpar for varnishing a mast. I've stripped mine right back and have a couple of coats of sealer on it but can't decide which varnish to use.
I think I prefer Epifane as a product but I'm unsure whether it will be as hard wearing on a mast as it needs to be. I don't want to end up patching it half way through the season.

 

[fluffc]

I've only had experience of Goldspar, and have had good results from it. Hard wearing, and hasn't discoloured in the sun over three seasons (in essex)

 

[ccscott49]

I prefer epifanes as varnish, but my masts are done in coelan, which has lasted 5 years so far in the meddy, it still shows no signs of giving up the ghost yet.

 

[sheeplove]

Epifanes every time, if you have to use varnish. I use Novatech on my spars & am very happy with results, looks a bit "loud" on first application, but soon weathers down to a lovely colour (on spruce). See this month's Classic Boat for a meaningful test of varnishes / stains...

 

[Mirelle]

Another vote for Epifanes; my mast, gaff and boom are varnished with it and are on Year 5; 8 coats to start with then a rub down and two coats annually, in Suffolk. However all other brightwork, including the bowsprit, is now Coelan, and the mast will be getting that treatment when it eventually needs taking back to bare wood.

 

[Ayeshaman]

Epifanes for me too. The only other thing I use is Deks Olje for wooden blocks - pickle them in Number One and then half a dozen coats of Number Two - seems to give better protection against knocks.

 

[Mirelle]

I do just the same.

 

[johnchampion]

I started at the weekend before all these votes for Epifanes so the mast is Goldspar, spars and bowsprit are Epifanes and coachroof sides and cockpit are Varnol with gloss finish with Varnol as a semi satin finish in the cabin, set of by various bits of brightwork in Blakes Favourite which is also on the rudder (tiller is Varnol).

Guess who had a few tins of everything!

Now I'm more like a floating long term trial though I suspect Epifanes will triumph in the longer term. I do however like the idea of Varnol for easy maintenance and also letting everything breathe as it does seem to me that the various urethanes and perhaps Coelan all do an excellent job of sealing in any moisture that does get through the odd spot.

What I do like about any of them is that you can see when something is going wrong whereas with paint this is not necessarily so.

 

[Mirelle]

Nope, Coelan won't oblige in that respect; it's vapour permeable, and it won't stay on at all if you put it on a damp substrate (not that anything else would, either!)

Do let us know how the test goes!

I find the bowsprit leads the hardest life; its horizontal, so gets the full blast of the sun's rays, it is over water so it gets reflected glare, and it gets chafed by the traveller.

Conversely, the boom, sitting smugly under its sail coat, will last for ever!