IP31 Prepping Teak Gone Gray

Hi All,

I'm seeking advice re. how to restore exterior teak that the PO allowed to go gray. I've perused the various threads on exterior teak refinishing. I've also acquired Rebecca Wittman's two brightwork books. And found this helpful Practical Sailor article.I'm curious to hear what you have found effective in restoring gray teak.

As background: my plan is to apply Interlux Schooner varnish to all exterior teak. To climb the learning curve, I brought home all of the the "loose" teak items -- helm seat, companionway boards, cockpit table -- with the intent that I can experiment on them while waiting for Old Man Winter to subside and my attention turns to the "attached" teak.

Speaking of which: are the companionway boards solid teak or plywood?

So, should I experiment with laundry detergent (as recommended by Don Casey)? Jump straight to Teak Wonder (or some other commercial product)?

I've noted Hayden's helpful breakdown of how to carve out the key sections.

Also, the IP31 manual indicates the exterior teak was oiled at the factory. It appears that Meridian's bowspirit teak and the wood around the companionway was varnished instead. Is this something a PO introduced or an IP factory thing? (If there is good news, I have *very* little finish to strip!

I look forward to your insights. If there is a relevant thread that I have missed, please point me in that direction .

Thanks,

Rob

Hi Rob-
I am not an expert but have tackled several boats similar to what you describe. I have used a mixture of Wisk and Chlorox with a little water to scrub the teak...if I recall, and as you mentioned, the mixture came from a Don Casey book. I scrub, leave it on a while and then thoroughly rinse using a hose. Let it dry overnight and then very lightly sand tough areas. This has resulted in a pretty bright looking finish. The tints in the varnish will also affect the final color. The old teak is pretty soft so I am gentle when working with it.

I meant to add...the hatch boards on my IP27 and the IP29 were solid teak... I am pretty certain they are on all IP's.

RobK
Stripping down the grey teak on an IP and then refinishing it with varnish, is not a task to be taken lightly….
To completely strip down and re varnish all the exterior teak on an IP is roughly 80 manhours of work ...2 weeks of hard labor.…
Then, in future years, unless you store the boat inside or do an really really good job of tarping over the boat to protect the varnish and teak in the off season, then I estimate it will take at least 40 man-hours work on the teak "britework" as annual maintenance - to keep the varnished finish looking good.
I have been varnishing my various boats for over 40 years, and no varnish product from any manufacturer, is weatherproof against sun and water damage, no product but, how I wish there was…
Sounds like your existing teak has been lightly sanded and "oiled" by the previous owner, this is not a bad way to go, and you might consider it. Teak Oil….
Look at all the neighbouring boats in your marina, few of them have "pristine" teak work… and few of them
In summary; Keeping up the 'brite work ' on an Island Packet is a time consuming commitment.
If you have to ask, then…..
Sincerely and honestly...
Ed

Hi Ed,

Thank you for your words of advice and caution. If the exterior teak was oiled, it was when the boat left the factory almost 30 years ago. The vast bulk of the teak is gray, with absolutely no finish to strip ... other than the gray. This photo provides a sample of the current condition of the exterior teak:

goo.gl/photos/UmNYXf4LYi3GvvD58

The only areas with any evidence of finish are at the bow, the trim around the companionway, and the underside of the helm seat. Bow and companionway trim appear to have been varnished. The underside of the helm seat evidences a teak oil finish .

So, at a minimum, I'm looking at cleaning the gray. And then the issue of finish. I've read recipes for maintaining gray teak, but all involve use of saltwater. That's difficult for a boat kept on freshwater. Consequently, I'm seeking a finish that will maintain the natural (not gray) teak color. I'm hoping my experiments with the detached teak components to provide data on the wisdom of this path.

Most sail boats in my marina, including the IPs have nicely finished brightwork. I do have experience refinishing and finishing fine furniture. And the wise builder that constructed our house in Arizona put in varnished wood frame doors facing the west. Re-varnishing those doors was an annual ritual (varnish dries amazingly fast in the AZ dry heat!). .

Thanks again, for the words of caution, Ed! I still have the option of outsourcing, if the task proves more expansive than my tolerance.

Best,

Rob

Rich,

I prefer the shared "been there, done that" experience to an "expert" anyday! Thank you! Good to know that Don Casey's recipe worked for you. I've bleached other woods, but never teak. A new adventure! Thanks also for confirming that the hatch boards are solid teak.

Best,

Rob

Rob
Sounds like you got a handle on it an a plan forward
Good luck
Ed

Rob, we are in the middle of varnishing all of our exterior teak. We have had to strip the places we are working on before varnishing so it is a slow process. I will say that as long as we own Whimsy, we will be doing something to the teak. It really is an on-going process with a sailboat with as much teak as these IPs have. While we had Whimsy in Montana (Flathead Lake) we did as you did and took pieces home to work on during the colder months. Now we are in Florida and can work on her most of the year.

The companion way doors are solid teak on our 32. Also we do a wash using Don's formula of 1 cup Whisk, 1 cup of Clorox, and 1 gallon of water. I brush it on, generously, leave it for one day in the sun and one night, then wash it off. It seems to do a good job of lightening the teak.

The wash is done after stripping and sanding. After the wash, we let the teak dry and then lightly sand with 220. We have used a palm sander but a lot of it is done by hand. Teak is very soft so you have to have a light touch.

We follow Rebecca's book to the letter. As far as the grey goes, experiment by sanding (gently) in a small area first. I think you will find that the beautiful honey color will show as you sand the grey.

Beautiful bright work is something to be proud of and "patience" is the magic word. I hope this helps, now I'm on my way outside to tape up that dreaded eyebrow....hopefully with a good attitude.

Angelfish,

Thankyou for sharing your experience and encouragement. Much appreciated. I promise to share before/after photos etc. as the project evolves.

Rob