Dennis McChesney recently said he was going to refinish his interior on a Tartan 37 and was going to varnish with something called "Honey Teak". I know varnish looks great, but how well does it wear? Varnish or Oil - - that is the question?

Like the answer to every question, it depends. How much traffic does the boat get inside? Are we talking grab-holds or bulkheads? Cold climes or hot? A good varnish job will last twenty years, inside, and not used hard. A quickie can look old in three months. I don't like the feel of oil finish teak inside, so do not know how long it would look good. I suspect that oil finish gets tired looking fast. I refinished the inside of my Whitby with Bristol finish (11 gallons) and it still looks the same as it did when I finished the job. However I will not use it again. The cost is too high and it is dificult to use. I got no help from the maker, when problems came up. I have started using Helmsmen from Minwax. But have not had it on anything long enough to say if it's good or bad. There are others here in the Keys that are having success with it outside. Like all varnish, it depends more on the applcation than the product.

 ed watson:
Like the answer to every question, it depends. How much traffic does the boat get inside? Are we talking grab-holds or bulkheads? Cold climes or hot? A good varnish job will last twenty years, inside, and not used hard. A quickie can look old in three months. I don't like the feel of oil finish teak inside, so do not know how long it would look good. I suspect that oil finish gets tired looking fast. I refinished the inside of my Whitby with Bristol finish (11 gallons) and it still looks the same as it did when I finished the job. However I will not use it again. The cost is too high and it is dificult to use. I got no help from the maker, when problems came up. I have started using Helmsmen from Minwax. But have not had it on anything long enough to say if it's good or bad. There are others here in the Keys that are having success with it outside. Like all varnish, it depends more on the applcation than the product.

Thanks Ed, good answer. I had oil finished teak on my Swan 53, like you I didn't like the feel until a friend of mine gave me a trick. He told me to mix 50/50 white vinegar and water and rub down the teak - - that did the trick no more oily feel, it was clean and dry to the touch. We sailed mainly in the Caribbean during the winter and mover to Newport, RI in the summer. Once a year when I had nothing to do, I would move everything off the boat and hand-rub the interior with a very light coat of teak oil - - wait two days and then wipe down with the vinegar/water mixture and I was set for the next year. It was inexpensive (I can imagine what 11 gallons of Bristol cost) and no special skill required to rub teak oil. I know from experience that I have not talent for varnish, but if you can do it, nothing in my opinion looks better than beautifully varnished bright work. Thanks again for your answer, I hope others will comment. Randy

I agree with Ed. Nothing beats a good varnish job, but the key is the application. All varnish needs to be well thinned before use and you must work from the wet end. The key to a good varnish job is many very thin coats with a very light sanding in between. In Mobile where I live, or the Keys where Ed lives, it is hot enough in the summer to get two coats applied in one day. Of course if you are doing the whole interior it's best to do one coat over the whole interior, then come back the next day for the second coat, that way you can assure no color variation. For interior use you need a minimum of three coats, five is better. Once you have the base established, maintaining it is a breeze. Once a year, give the surface a light sand with 220 grit and apply another finish coat. A very nice effect which I use on our boat is satin finish for the large ares and gloss for trim and hand-holds, the contrast makes a nice look and satin finish is easier to work with. Dan