My 1999 228g has wood trim problems

Jacktrop99

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I take great care of this boat and cover it up after every use. I do spray it off and all. The first time we had the boat a few years back the wood was shit all white and cracked. My dad is a dentist and knew a woodworking guy that was his patient. This guy later dies cause he was 80 after the work he did. But way ways he made all new wood in real teak and all the wood looked great. After a year from when he put it on it’s all white and cracking and stuff. I just want some advice on why the hell this is happening. I also live in the coast of nc so it is very salty here.
 

PointedRose

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Probably just not the best quality varnish, or not enough coats applied. Sun UV does the damage, but also humidity causes the teak to expand and shrink.

ask locals at the dock the best varnish to use. I use epifanes referenced in the link below. 7-10 coats. Don’t skip the prep work to get a good base to work with. By the way, expect to have to do it every few years.

this method will produce great results

a couple other sites I’ve learned from:

 
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Jacktrop99

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Probably just not the best quality varnish, or not enough coats applied. Sun UV does the damage, but also humidity causes the teak to expand and shrink.

ask locals at the dock the best varnish to use. I use epifanes referenced in the link below. 7-10 coats. Don’t skip the prep work to get a good base to work with. By the way, expect to have to do it every few years.

this method will produce great results

a couple other sites I’ve learned from:

Thanks a lot I’ve never worked on the wood on the boat if that sounds bad, I’ve always taken great care of it but haven’t done anything with the wood the only thing that’s holding up is the cabin door and that’s all dry and cracked, everything is structural sound and every time I go offshore some wood piece will snap in half.
 

PointedRose

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Thanks a lot I’ve never worked on the wood on the boat if that sounds bad, I’ve always taken great care of it but haven’t done anything with the wood the only thing that’s holding up is the cabin door and that’s all dry and cracked, everything is structural sound and every time I go offshore some wood piece will snap in half.
Teak wood is really hard wood and will withstand the elements, it just gets weathered after a couple years. I’m varnishing all the teak on my sailboat - takes a long time, but looks really nice and I don’t like halfassing things so I take the time to try to get a decent result. Might sound stupid but I really enjoy the sanding and varnishing and find it somewhat therapeutic on a stressful day from work or whatever

marine spar varnish has flex qualities for when the wood expands in humidity and changes in temps. Get a good quality brand with UV inhibitors. Mccloskys is supposed to be good too. Jamestown distributors online has decent prices but quality varnish isn’t cheap. Like over $50 plus buy the same brand thinner for best results.

Epifanes Clear Varnish https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005ADWKTG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_HC7NDCCBWKJH5V2HNVCZ
 
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DennisG01

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Can you post some pictures of the teak? Teak naturally turns grey and maybe that's what is happening. To keep it looking "new", you have to keep up with the maintenance on it - either oil it or varnish. Turning grey, by the way, is only a cosmetic thing.

Jack... without the foul language would be appreciated. That's not what this forum is about.
 
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Fishtales

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It's 20+ year old wood that is in a harsh environment that hasn't been cared for all that well. Sounds like it is aging as it should, unfortunately not to your liking.
You can try to repair, oil or spa varnish it, but you likely will need to do it every 3-5 years depending on exposure. You could find a cabinet maker and have new sections made out of something like starboard. I'll look for a contact that was on the board and pass along. Not going to be cheap to build and replace, maybe just doing your best with repair, oil/stain and varnish is the choice.