Maryland Boat Varnisher

Maryland Varnisher


Varnishing boats since 2001

Maryland Boat Varnisher

Sabre Yacht Varnishing

How to varnish a boat:

  1. Acquire necessary equipment and supplies.
  2. Remove damaged, flaking, or deteriorated varnish.
  3. Remove all varnish if changing brands of varnish or other coating.
  4. Tape well.
  5. Apply 8 coats of varnish to bare woodwork.
  6. Apply at least 1 coat to all woodwork.
  7. Retape every 3 - 4 coats.

Sabre Woodwork Restoration

Sabre Gunwhale Varnishing

Tartan Sailboat Varnishing

Toe Rail Restoration

About Varnishing

  • What is boat varnish? Boat varnish is a type of protective coating specifically designed for use on wooden surfaces of boats. It is formulated to withstand the harsh marine environment, including exposure to water, sunlight, salt, and weathering. Boat varnishes serve both functional and aesthetic purposes, providing a durable protective layer while enhancing the natural beauty of the wood.
  • Purpose of varnish:
    • UV Protection: Boat varnishes often contain UV inhibitors to protect the wood from the damaging effects of ultraviolet (UV) rays. This helps prevent the wood from fading, discoloration, and degradation caused by sun exposure.
    • Water Resistance: Boat varnish is designed to repel water and create a barrier that helps prevent moisture from penetrating the wood. This is crucial for protecting the wood from rot, swelling, and other water-related damage.
    • Flexibility: The varnish should have a degree of flexibility to accommodate the movement of the boat and the natural expansion and contraction of the wood with changes in temperature and humidity.
    • Durability: Boat varnishes are formulated to be durable and long-lasting, providing a protective layer that can withstand the challenging conditions of the marine environment.
    • Gloss and Clarity: Boat varnishes often offer a glossy finish that enhances the natural beauty of the wood. Some varnishes may also be available in different sheens, allowing boat owners to choose the level of gloss they prefer.
      • Challenges of varnishing:
        • Exposure to Harsh Elements: Boats are exposed to harsh marine elements such as saltwater, UV radiation, and varying weather conditions. These elements can accelerate the degradation of the varnish, leading to cracking, peeling, or discoloration over time.
        • Moisture and Humidity: Wooden boat parts are constantly exposed to moisture, which can be absorbed by the wood and impact the adhesion and longevity of the varnish. High humidity levels can also affect the drying and curing process of the varnish.
        • Surface Preparation: Proper surface preparation is crucial for successful varnishing. Sanding, cleaning, and removing old varnish are essential steps, and any lapses in preparation can result in poor adhesion and an uneven finish.
        • Flexibility Requirements: Boats undergo movement due to waves and the general motion of the water. The varnish needs to be flexible enough to accommodate this movement without cracking or peeling.
        • Application Technique: Achieving a smooth and even finish requires skill in application. Brush strokes, air bubbles, or uneven coats can detract from the aesthetic appeal of the varnished wood.
        • Maintenance Demands: Varnished surfaces require regular maintenance. Over time, the varnish may wear off or become damaged, necessitating periodic reapplication. Failing to maintain the varnish can result in more extensive and costly repairs.
        • Cost and Time: Quality marine-grade varnishes can be relatively expensive. Additionally, the varnishing process can be time-consuming, especially when multiple coats are needed with appropriate drying times between each application.
        • Environmental Regulations: Some marine environments may have specific regulations regarding the use of certain varnishes due to environmental concerns. It's important to choose varnishes that comply with local regulations and environmental best practices.
          • Which varnish is best? The answer is: It depends. The most important factor to consider when selecting a varnish is budget. Marine varnishing projects require some suppies including: sandpaper, tape, brushes, varnish, thinner, and tack cloths. Most of the cost of a varnish project, however, is labor hours. Most protective marine woodwork coating products require 6 - 8 coats for long-lasting protection. The toughest, longest lasting, and best looking exterior protective mairne woodwork coating systems are Bristol and Awlwood. These products, however, aren't varnishes, they're urethanes. The longest-lasting, most protective traditional varnish, a.k.a. spar varnish, is: Epiphanes. The best looking spar varnish, in my opinion, is Flagship varnish. All of these options require 6 - 8 coats for a durable, long-lasting finish. The lowest-budget option is Cetol. Cetol only requires 3 coats. Cetol is not varnish, it is a soft, breathable protective coating.
          • My Services: I began applying traditional marine spar varnish in the early 2000s while working at a boat yard. I started out, as varnishing apprentices do, performing prep work for an experienced varnisher. Since then, I have performed many marine varnish projects with various coating systems. It is best to use the type of coating system that already exists on woodwork. To change coating systems, I recommend stripping the existing coating away and starting the new coating system from bare wood. The majority of my projects have used traditional spar varnish because spar varnish was the most commonly used marine woodwork coating of the past. Urethane coating systems like Awlwood and Bristol are increasing in popularity today. Over the past 3 years, most of my varnising projects have used these urethane coatings. I've used Cetol on a few projects, but I prefer not to use it as it is the least attractive option.
          • Spar varnish: Traditional spar varnishes are still, in my opinion, the most attractive marine woodwork coatings. They are also the most expensive woodwork coating system options due to the requirements to apply around 8 coats for highly attractive finish. Prep must be performed in between each coat including: sanding, taping, and cleaning. Each coat of varnish must cure before the prep work for the next coat can proceed. This sanding in between each coat contributes the smoothness and high luster of the finish in the end. Each coat is a 3 day process of: day 1: applicaiton, day 2: curing, day 3: prep for next coat. An 8 coat application starting with bare wood is a 21 day process. 3 days for each coat. This doesn't include the inital prep work of acquiring supplies, treating deteriorated wood, removing old finish, repairing woodwork, and initial taping. The application of a traditional spar varnish system can take months and require lots of skilled labor hours.
          • Urethane: Urethane coatings are the most popular high quality coating systems today. The highest-quality automotive paints, boat paints, and woodwork coatings are urethanes. Urethanes produce hard, clear, durable, glossy finishes. The most popular marine urethane coating systems are Bristol and Awlwood. Bristol is a catalyzed product, much like urethane paint. It's recommeded to apply 6 coats of Bristol. Sanding isn't required in between coats applied within 24 hours of each other. Awlwood is an uncatalyzed urethane coating. Its recommended to apply 8 coats of Awlwood. Sanding isn't required in between coats applied within a few hours of each other. The option to apply multiple coats without sanding in between can drastically reduce project timelines, labor hours, and project costs. Applying coats without sanding in between, however, reduces smoothness, luster, and attractiveness of the final coating. The toughness of these urethane coating systems can be an advantage or a curse. Woodwork must be in excellent contition, securely attached to the vessel, and prepped very well to take advantage of a urethane coating system. Awlwood and Bristol is very difficult to remove. If moisture gets under the finish and the coating has to be removed, removing the coating is a nightmare.
          • Cetol: Cetol is a soft, thin, breathable coating system developed specifically for the marine industry. It's recommended to use as few as 3 coats for adequate protection. Sanding is not required in between coats. Cetol is, by far, the lowest-cost protective marine woodwork coating system. It is also the least attractive coating system. A Cetol finish is not smooth, low-luster, and hazy compared to other options. It does have its purpose, however. Cetol is ideal for deteriorated, weathered, moisture prone woodwork. There's no point in applying a high qulaity finish to low quality woodwork. It does offer protection from the environment and sunlight. The thin and soft nature of Cetol makes it easy to remove when the ill-maintained woodwork becomes saturated with moisture again. Cetol is not varnish. It is a low-budget alternative to varnish.
          • Teak Oil: Teak oil is not varnish. Teak oil is not a protective coating. Teak oil offers no protection from the environment or sunlight. Teak oil is an oil that bare wood can absorb. Teak oil can help preserve interior woodwork, but is completely useless on exterior woodwork. The only purpose for teak oil on exterior woodwork is it's a way that an unskilled person can make deteriorated exterior woodwork look a little better temporarily, usually for the purpose of selling the boat to an uninformed person.
          • The bottom line: When it comes to exterior protective marine woodwork coating systems, you get what you pay for AND what you have time for. Any of the coating systems listed above require weeks of skilled labor to apply effectively. Most of the time/costs in application of a high quality woodwork coating system is in the prep work. Removing existing coatings, treating woodwork, repairing woodwork, taping, sanding, and cleaning often require much more time and expense than the actual applicaiton of the coating product. While anyone can brush some varnish onto a surface, only experienced professionals know what it takes to prepare the woodwork for a long-lasting coating system. In additon, performing all the work to exterior woodwork without damaging the rest of the boat is a skillset that must be learned. Letting an amateur sand, scrape, and brush varnish all around your boat is a great way to damage the vessel.

Protective Coatings I Use

Fiberglass Supplier Maryland
Marine Brightwork Supplies Maryland
Marine Brightwork Supplies Maryland
Marine Brightwork Supplies Maryland
Marine Brightwork Supplies Maryland
Marine Brightwork Supplies Maryland

Brushes I Use

Boat Painting Brushes
Boat Painting Brushes
Boat Painting Brushes