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Cetol Natural Teak...nice results

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BenD
1st Mate

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USA
36 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/11/2010 : 14:34:46

I'm relatively new here with a 1981 Tall rig Fin Keel. Bought it in August and gradually have been doing work on the boat...in between lots of sailing. Sailing here in Marblehead is fantastic and the summer has been great for sailing. Just got back from a great Columbus Day sail...beautiful weather and 10-15 knots on calm seas. Wonderful.

Just finished putting my second coat of Cetol Natural Teak...after doing extensive research and asking questions of fellow sailors here, I decided on three coats of Cetol followed in the spring by 6-7 coats of varnish. Seems many have had good luck with that combo. Many have commented that using Cetol clear gloss as the topcoat hasn't been great as it can start peeling as soon as 6-9 months after application. Several had used this combo so that's the direction I'm going.

The wood started out looking almost unsalvageable. Grey, dry and drab but at least unvarnished which made the cleanup almost easy. Used a 2 step teak cleaner/brightener process and the results were dramatic. Hope the photo loads...

Ben DiScipio
ODE TO JOY #2579
C25 TR FK
Marblehead, MA

Edited by - BenD on 10/11/2010 14:41:27

calden
Navigator

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USA
194 Posts

Response Posted - 10/11/2010 : 17:01:12

Ben:

Greetings. I also used Cetol Natural. My woodwork was in similar condition - dry, grey, powdery. I first sanded, then oiled it well with teak oil. After a week of drying in the summer sun I used 2-3 coats of Cetol. Looks great, and it will be easy to touch up. I decided to forego using varnish or - as some do - Cetol Clear - on top. Your results look great.

Carlos

Edited by - on

jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1484 Posts

Response Posted - 10/11/2010 : 18:38:15

We became big fans of Cetol this spring, some sanding and then 3 coats and the teak looks super!

Edited by - on

piseas
Former Treasurer

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USA
2017 Posts

Response Posted - 10/11/2010 : 19:02:32

Ben, Your teak looks great which makes me miss it on my C250. Question, yours looks very natural and not the glossy look that varnish would. Am I off base here?
Steve A

Edited by - on

BenD
1st Mate

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USA
36 Posts

Response Posted - 10/11/2010 : 19:42:50

Yea, I haven't put any varnish on yet, but I think I want to. From all I've heard, the extra protection of a clear coating helps the longevity of the cetol. Several local sailors I spoke to did the same thing, using cetol as the base with its UV protection, and then varnishing over that...said as long as I keep up on my varnishing each year, it'll keep the same color.

I don't pretend to have all the answers. I did research, thought it out, and then picked what I thought would work. If anyone has info to the contrary, I'm all ears.

I also sanded after the cleaning and brightening....Arduous process, but ultimately very rewarding. I find it truely amazing that wood can look so good after looking all but lost.

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 10/11/2010 : 21:07:07

Cetol makes a gloss version specifically for overcoating their others. It does not contain the UV protection of their regular finishes.

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3465 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2010 : 03:30:38

The use of Cetol vs varnishes and teak oil have been discussed many times over. Each has it's supporters. From my perspective, I use Cetol because it is a very easy way to apply and a finish that holds up well thru the year and if re-applied timely (6 mos to 1 year) is easy to apply with minimal prep work and the finish looks very good. My past experiences with varnish is that it is much harder to prepare the wood and also for the re-application for what oftentimes results in a finish that is equal to Cetol...maybe slightly better but not over what oftentimes turns out to be a more labor intensive, successive re-aplications thru the years. I always liked the look of teak oil. It has the best appearance but oftentimes (and I am going back over 25 years ago when formulations may have been slightly different and not as good as they are today), I would procrastinate re-applications that would have to be done usually no more than about 2-3 months apart or else the teak oil would have to be completely removed and re-applied. This was a pain.

Since I keep my boat in the water all year-round and use it all year-round, Cetol turns out to be the best way for me to go. But I am considerine experimenting a bit. I may buy those rail covers that Catalina Direct sells and then redo my rails with teak oil. Then cover them up when I am away from the boat and see how that works out.
Even considering varnish may be the way to go considering my tiller is always covered with a tiller cover except when I go sailing and that tiller looks great with the varnish that must have been applied many, many years ago...and shows no deterioration. (I have had boat 5 years and never redid the tiller varnish...that varnish may be over 10 years old !)

I think that those that do not keep their boat in the water all year-round, options other than Cetol become more viable as long as re-applications are done timely. Also, if the wood is covered up, then varnish or teak oil would be the way to go since the those finishes are genrally better than Cetol and varnish is more durable as far as scuffing goes compared to Cetol. But for those that want to minimize the upkeep as much as possible and the wood is always exposed to the environment, Cetol is a good way to go.

Edited by - OLarryR on 10/12/2010 03:36:12

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2010 : 06:41:19

Then there's [url="http://www.semcoteakproducts.com/SEMCO_PRODUCTS.HTM"]Semco[/url]--seals like Cetol but looks like oiled rather than finished teak. I have no connection to them, but I might switch this winter.

Ben, your brightwork looks magnificent! Cetol should use that photo! I happen to prefer the satin finish--I bought some Cetol Gloss back when I first re-did Passage's teak, but never used it.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 10/12/2010 06:45:28

ckroll
1st Mate

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50 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2010 : 06:48:41

Wow..your timing is impeccable!!! Just pulled my handrails and all of the wood off my companionway in preparation to refinish. Looks like I'll be taking the Cetol route now. Hopefully I'll get the same results! Thanks for the pics.

Edited by - on

crcalhoon
Captain

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USA
303 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2010 : 10:45:45

I changed to SEMCO about two years ago because I like an oil finish. We had a real problem here with mildew more or less feeding on the teak oil, or so it seemed. I had replaced all of the topside teak and within three years mildew had really messed it up. I learned that SEMCO contains a mildewcide and decided to give it a whirl. I like it very well. It goes on easy and cleans up easy if you do it immediately. I did not care for their stripper--very caustic. But I really liked the SEMCO product.

Edited by - on

JAB
1st Mate

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USA
38 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2010 : 12:15:39

BenD,

Nice job. I've been using the Natural Teak Cetol and also like it.

Tip: Keep aboard a nail-polish bottle with some leftover Cetol for quick touch-ups. Even small chips quickly succumb to salty mists and turn grey.

Edited by - on

calden
Navigator

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USA
194 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2010 : 14:40:09

Another before and after view using Cetol natural. Note that Cetol Natural does not have the same solids content. Practical Sailor noted that because of this it degraded a bit faster, being more susceptible to UV. However, it does not look as painted as what I had seen Cetol look like. Also, I am pretty far north and in freshwater, and don't deal with the relentless sun and salt conditions of, say, Florida. When I read about the Cetol Natural I decided to try it. I did not use a teak cleaner, which would have made it even brighter, but I did oil the wood well.

Before:

After: - not the best shot, but you can see a bit of the gloss on the companionway trim at the bottom.

Edited by - on

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5376 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2010 : 16:05:37

You've all seen my photos of Passage's crib boards and my results with Cetol. The stuff lasts and lasts....

The wires are for my solar panel.

It has been about 3-4 years and I've touched them up where scratched using a small bottle with a built-in brush in the cap.

Next spring, I plan to sand them lightly and give them another coat or two "in place", being careful to use a lot of masking tape to keep the stain off the fiberglass.

Edited by - on

piseas
Former Treasurer

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USA
2017 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2010 : 17:33:42

Bruce, what wires?

Those boards are a sight to behold.
Steve A

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Tim M
1st Mate

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60 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2010 : 21:42:29

Here's another vote for Cetol. Over the years I've used every kind of teak oil and process of cleaners as well as every hard finish made for the marine environment with various results. Especially because I keep my boat under cover half of the year I decided that sanding and Cetol - since almost all the teak can easily be removed for tackling with a belt sander if needed - was the best look and has proven to be extremely durable. A little touch-up every other year. Drips or spills are also easier to remove from gel-coat than teak oil as an added bonus.

Edited by - on

DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2015 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2010 : 07:50:51

Most of you know me as a hard line bleach and stainer, but cetol sure does a nice job. Maybe in a few years

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NautiC25
Admiral

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USA
957 Posts

Response Posted - 01/04/2012 : 13:40:09

I'm bumping this for a question on the tint of the Cetols. According to the chart I found, the "Marine" gives a darker tint than the "Natural" that the OP used. But, his teak looks fairly dark already. A lot of people have mentioned using Cetol, but fail to add what tint they used. Has anyone done any comparisons to know how much darker the Marine is than the Natural?

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 01/04/2012 : 17:46:01

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by NautiC25
 Has anyone done any comparisons to know how much darker the Marine is than the Natural?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">I've used Marine and Natural Teak. Marine is indeed darker, with more of a reddish tint. Natural Teak has more of a yellow tint. Practical Sailor did a test (I think reported around a year ago) of finishes including those two, and found that Cetol Marine was one of the best for durability, while Natural Teak did surprisingly poorly. I recall seeing that Cetol called Natural Teak a new formula... apparently it isn't also "improved." I've reverted to Marine.

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NautiC25
Admiral

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USA
957 Posts

Response Posted - 01/04/2012 : 19:49:59

Thanks for the input. I'll give the marine a try. I also brought home the tiller with the new rudder, so that'll be the first to coat.

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pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2012 : 08:50:59

I like urethane on tillers. Lots of it.

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DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2015 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2012 : 10:24:43

This is the Marine

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2012 : 10:51:12

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by pastmember
 I like urethane on tillers. Lots of it.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">I agree... I think Cetol is a bit soft for a tiller, although some have used and liked it. My choice is Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane--you can also get in in spray cans.

I'm suspicious Dave Robins' pix above include Cetol's gloss top-coat, which I don't use. I prefer the satin finish.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 01/05/2012 10:54:17

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2012 : 10:53:16

Yep, that is what I use.

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DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2015 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2012 : 13:35:15

Yeah Dave, I did use the gloss. I also used the Marine on my tiller but not the gloss. I keep a cover on the tiller and the cetol has held up for 6 months now quite well.

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glivs
Admiral

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USA
836 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2012 : 17:13:35

Must be winter....as we're discussing Cetol again hopefully in anticipation of coming spring....

I've used both Cetol Marine (C22) and Cetol Light (C25) for many years and both offer excellent protection here in the north. However, I would be vary wary of Cetol Light if you live in an area where incident UV is significant. If you have the opportunity, I suggest you cruise the local boat yard or marina and look at others brightwork. Choose the color and finish (gloss vs. satin) that suits you.

For those considering Cetol perhaps for the first time, note that its advantage is that it is relatively soft in comparison to Varnish or urethane. As such it will maintain its integrity over wide temperature swings and normal use, but may not hold up as well as other finishes in areas of high foot traffic where abrasives are present. Hard finishes, in contrast, if not frequently maintained, can readily develop minute cracks that can allow water to get underneath the finish. At that point, the hard finish begins to flake and you're back to square one.

Edited by - on

Sam001
Vice Commodore

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USA
441 Posts

Response Posted - 01/23/2012 : 07:08:43

Thanks for all the good commments, now the bad thing is I have to do some of the work talked about!

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