Wood treatment for cockpit seats

bob26

bob26

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 Dec 2002
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465
Location
Sussex-by-the-sea
www.tridentlottie.com
I have iroko seat slats in the cockpit. So far I have left them untreated - and just wash them down. Inevitably they turn grey (like the floor boards in the pic) and if I scrub them clean repeatedly they are going to wear away like the set they replaced. Iroko is quite soft. So I am considering treating them in some way to protect them and restore and retain colour.

The treatment needs to be durable and non-slip as inevitably they get walked on a lot. It needs to be suitable for oily wood like iroko of course and resistant to weather, UV etc as they get maximum exposure. I would prefer something mattish rather than high gloss. They are removable so I can bring them home in warm and dry to work on if necessary.

Any suggestions for a durable and easily maintained wood treatment suitable for these seats?

I use Sikkens Cetol on my ply hatchboards but it seems a bit soft to walk on....
 
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bob26 said:
I use Sikkens Cetol on my ply hatchboards but it seems a bit soft to walk on....
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Yes, I have found this to be the case.

I use woodstain in the cockpit, but I have teak faced ply, which is a different matter. I have found this product is good (as is their marine varnish):

http://www.blackfriar.co.uk/shop/Blackfriar/Product.aspx?cId=88&pgId=62

It is yucci stuff though, and I would not use it on your nice solid timber.
I treat my solid teak edges with Danish oil which dries quickly and contrasts well with the muddy stain on the ply, but you might find it rather slippy. It would also need to be frequently re-done, if it is not to grey out.

So, all in all, I have not been much help. What I do have is a cockpit cover, which goes over the collapsed sprayhood and keeps water, dirt and sunlight totally at bay. I found it preserves brightwork, instruments and sprayhood. I rarely have to re-varnish my tiller, cockpit grating or washboards and it may help to keep the light fingered brigade at bay.
Sorry to suggest more bloody work....but it might be worth thinking about.
 
Teak oil is not slippery when dry. However it must be pure Teak oil which is expensive. What chandlers sell has Linseed oil in it even though it's labelled Teak. Over time the linseed oil goes black. I did think of a class action for misnaming, so we could all make some money, but it does say on the pack it contains linseed oil.
 
I use Wessex teak cleaner and restorer, followed by teak sealer.
The sealer is a very thin based product which seals the wood, it will last the season no problem.
 
Covers

Shamaya said:
Those iroko seat slats in the cockpit look great, did you made them, where did you get iroko...
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Yes, I got the wood from Covers at Chichester. They're not cheap but seem to have a wide range of timbers and cut it to size to order.

They made these mouldings for me as well in 4m lengths so I only needed to scarph once for a 7m toe rail.
 
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I'm not sure I would use Danish Oil on your exterior woodwork. Its not UV resistant and really aimed at interior finishing

Semco treatments seems very popular but needs reapplying every 6 months
 
Stork_III said:
See here http://www.rustins.eu/Details.asp?ProductID=851 , UV inhibiters added.
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Thanks for that. All my interior wood (which I've replaced) is finished with Rustins Danish Wood Oil. I love the finish and ease of application but I wouldn't have used it outdoors. Were you just pointing out the fact they make an outdoor version with UV stuff (which is interesting news to me) or have you actually tried it?
 
bob26 said:
Thanks for that. All my interior wood (which I've replaced) is finished with Rustins Danish Wood Oil. I love the finish and ease of application but I wouldn't have used it outdoors. Were you just pointing out the fact they make an outdoor version with UV stuff (which is interesting news to me) or have you actually tried it?
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I haven't use the uv Rustins, just pointing out. I prefer bare teak on my cockpit seats, but have just treated a new teak cockpit table which looks great. I agree about ease of use and also ease of repair.
 
Rustins UV Danish Oil looks interesting. I wonder how it would perform?

I'm really pleased with the finish I have on the interior woodwork of my boat. On this occasion I used Blackfriars Danish Oil. Its very tough and has a nice matt finish. Beats sanding back and varnishing anyday!
 
carrswood said:
Rustins UV Danish Oil looks interesting. I wonder how it would perform?

I'm really pleased with the finish I have on the interior woodwork of my boat. On this occasion I used Blackfriars Danish Oil. Its very tough and has a nice matt finish. Beats sanding back and varnishing anyday!
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Perhaps bob26 will be able to tell us in a year or so.
 
Deks Olje

bob26 said:
Has anyone any experience of the performance of matt Deks Olje saturating oil for this sort of application?
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I use Deks Olje N°1 on my cockpit seats. The first time at least 6 coats applied "wet on wet"(must not let it dry till the last coat, then wipe with a cloth if you want a mat finish,if not it will be rather glossy. One drawback, it has to be done twice a year on horizontal surfaces. Quick job though, as you don't have to sand;
 
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