Refinishing Teak

Some of the Teak Before Refinishing

   The teak on our Islander was all natural (unfinished). Some of it was badly split and weathered (especially the binical/traveler base and cockpit coaming boards. The fact that earlier owners had not chosen a "bright" finish was actually good for us since very little of the original thickness of the boards had been sanded away. But we like the look of finished teak. And the boat will probably undergo very few restorations in future years. So we used two part teak cleaners and sandpaper to prepare the teak for finishing with Sikkens "Cetol Marine Light." It is worth noting that the cleaners and the sanding removed a substantial thickness of teak (roughly 1/16 inch) so use them in moderation.

Toe Rail with Two Coats of Cetol Marine Light

   Wherever possible, the teak was removed. This makes it possible to do a better job painting the boat, but it also makes working on the teak easier, especially with the two part cleaners which have instructions urging that contact with paint and gel coat be kept to a minimum. The teak was simply bolted in place with calk sealants that were so old as to be nearly ineffective.

   Splits in the teak were glued with epoxy and clamped together. In some cases (the coaming rails) it was necessary to bond new teak to parts of the boards that had split entirely away. The joints were made just as they were originally by cutting 1/4 inch kerfs in each edge to be joined and inserting a quarter inch marine plywood spline in that kerf to reinforce the joint. The teak blocks at the cabin coaming junction were badly cracked. These cracks were filled with Boat Life Thiokol, a black sealant that can be sanded when cured. This sealant is intended for the seams of a teak planked deck.

Teak Parts Removed for Finishing

   At least 4 coats of Cetol Marine Light were applied. After bolting the boards in place and touching up the wood countersink plugs that can only then be glued in place, I intend to apply 2 coats of Cetol Gloss topcoat finish.