Varnishing

Varnishing is an ancient art. There are accounts of pre-Roman expeditions through the Pillars of Hercules (the straits of Gibraltar) north to Umber (in Britain) to trade for amber. Amber is a key ingredient in varnish even today. The very word amber is derived from Umber. The composition of varnish remained unchanged for thousands of years until modern polyurethanes were added. The use, however, would be familiar to ancient Phoenician mariners--protect and beautify the wood.

For years I had used Cetol on the minimal amount of teak on the C&C. Cetol is a synthetic mix that is easy to apply, very durable, and looks good for a while. Eventually it takes on sickly orange color. It is the perfect product for the busy yacht racer.

Jan wanted something better for White Pepper--real varnish. She stripped off the thick, old Cetol and sanded it all down. Then she bleached off the mold with a two part teak cleaner and sanded again. Using plain old Z-spar varnish she has lovingly applied 7 coats to the exterior trim. With taping off the trim and sanding between each coat the project has taken weeks. Part of the delay has been weather as only the prettiest days are suitable for applying the varnish. She told me that Z-spar has a 'soft' finish will take some abuse. Also it is cheap and available in ship stores anywhere we might need a touch-up. New coats have to be applied every 6 months, and the whole thing has to be redone every three years.

Why go to so much work for only 8 pieces of exterior trim? The effect is exquisite. Seeing the natural teak grain glisten under a silky smooth finish just makes me happy to look at it. It just glows in the sunlight.

Hopefully, later I can post about the interior wood. There is much more wood inside. The care of it is oil based and just as important. However, it lacks the ancient mystique of varnish.