Whilst we dont have a teak deck, we do appreciate the teak trims that we have and like to keep it in good shape. This includes our cockpit table, the "princess seats", the helm steps and our cockpit drain cover. Here's how we manage to keep it looking its best.
The Princess Seats
Like the table the princess seats are sanded and varnished to give them a protective coating. We started by sealing the wood completely. In Australia we are able to get a product called Everdure (from International Paints aka AkzoNobel) this a 2 part timber sealer and hardener. It is very thin and soaks extremely well into the wood before curing, this creates a great base for your finish coats but still protects the wood if an area becomes worn through exposing the timber. Sadly the same Everdure product was not available outside of Australia and New Zealand. The advice from AkzoNobel was to start with a very well thinned down coat of their Perfection Pro varnish, then apply 3-4 coats of straight Perfection Plus. The first photo above shows the light sand that was done when preparing for a recoat after 3 years.
The Cockpit Table
Like the princess seats the table was sanded and varnished in exactly the same manner, with the Perfection Pro products.
As it is in daily use, we keep the table covered with a custom made, clear top table cloth (edged with Sunbrella) and our current paper charts are tucked underneath.
As it is in daily use, we keep the table covered with a custom made, clear top table cloth (edged with Sunbrella) and our current paper charts are tucked underneath.
Table looking good and well protected
The Helm Steps
Helm steps are a high traffic area. Due to concerns about the potential for the tops of the steps to be slippery when wet if varnished them, we decided to use Tung oil to the topsides. After a light sanding, the steps were masked up and varnished on the underside using the method outlined above for the table and princess seats. The Tung oil was then applied to the topsides. Whilst this is subject to wear it can easily be redone as needed. A light sanding followed by a fresh coating of Tung oil, then leaving the for 24 hrs is all that is needed to keep them looking good.
Cockpit Drain Cover
This covers the drain in the cockpit, just outside the saloon door. Its a high traffic area and not wanting it to be slippery, or to have to re-do it every week we decided to leave the topside "au naturel" or untreated. The underside was protected by also using the thinned down Perfection Pro and then finishing with 2-3 coats of straight Perfection Pro. As the underside is not exposed to sunlight and has no foot traffic this hasn't needed a recoat yet after 4 years.
