Cetol ?

[Monterey10]

I must have bungled my application of Cetol to the wood on my bayliner. When I uncovered it, I'm seeing different places where it's flaked off. I stripped the wood, sanded it down and put 3 coats on last year. 12 months later, it's coming off.

Any ideas?

 

[C team]

I have never had a problem with mine like that. All I can think of if your wood was not dry before applying the cetol. I also wipe all areas with Interlux brushing liquid 333. This removes all dust and contaminates.

 

[ronbo1]

Which Cetol product did you use, Cetol Marine? (Cetol Gloss should be used as an overcoat only, it won't stick for long on bare wood).
C-team makes a good point - wood, teak especially, has surface oil that has to be removed prior to coating.

 

[Mike Wood]

I know there are a lot of folks that don’t care for this product but it has performed very well for me.
I applied Cetol on all my exterior and interior in April 04. I remove everything from the boat even all interior furn. and cabinets (rebuilt most of it with mahogany plywood) so I could work on it in the garage. I completely disassembled the swim platform and worked on each piece individually, reassembled and installed on the boat. I sanded everything to bare wood to remove all the old finishes and applied one coat of Cetol dark, then two coats of lite and one of clear. I found by using one coat of dark and then using the lite I didn’t get that orange glow that most people don’t like, me included.

I was very pleased with the results, can’t tell ya how many compliments I got when I was out on the water and the bug eyes when they heard the boat was a 1979.

The boat has been out of the water since Aug 04 (hurricane) and I’m sorry to say with little to no attention until the last couple of months (long story). Interior shows no wear, exterior has a few pieces that have started to crack and the swim platform has cracked and starting to peal. IMO damn good for 3yrs uncovered in Florida sun.
Mike

 

[The Candyman]

I've been using Cetol exclusively for about 15 yr now, on 3 different boats. I usually scrape off old finish if needed, sand if needed, powerwash, then make sure it's completely dry. The first time I use it on a boat, I'll put on 2 coats. After that I just powerwash it each spring, and apply another coat. It always looks great. You can get the exact same product as the marine Cetol from a good paint store or hardware if you know what to look for and have a knowledgable sales person. It's about half the price of the Marine stuff at WestMarine. Mine is in the dock box up at the marina, so I can't give you the exact name.

 

[JoeBTB]

Dave, no sanding between coats? My teak/cetol is probably a few years old, still looks ok but definitely in need of maintenance. I was planning to sand first, but I'd love to hear that it's not necessary.

 

[The Candyman]

No, Joe, I've never sanded any of them. The current boat is a '77 Slickcraft HT, 28fter. However, here on the great lakes we don't have to deal with salt water and air. I use it primarily for salmon fishing, but we do vacation around the top of Lk MI, and people everywhere are amazed that it's 30 years old. I'm not saying that it wouldn't look a little nicer if it was sanded, and I did sand the downrigger board before I installed it. There's not a whole lot of teak on this particular boat, and the railings are installed thru the teak toerail, so there's a lot of tiny nooks & crannies to sand if I start that.

 

[solar]

Candyman, could you post the name of the substitute for Cetol as it is not always available offshore but house paint stores may have it. I use Cetol light but I hear there is a new type that is even lighter and does not have the orange looking colour.

 

[The Candyman]

Solar--My can is up at the marina in the dock box, but I usually buy it at the hardware in Manistee. It's a Sikkens product and the can looks just like marine Cetol, and it's the same product, at about half the price.

 

[ronbo1]

The new Cetol product is 'Natural Teak', haven't tried it but it looks promising as it won't hide the grain as much as the old Cetol 'Marine'. Be aware that Cetol 'Light' is light by virtue of white pigment added, as told to me by a boat manufacturer, again, as with Cetol 'Marine', the grain becomes muddy after too many coats.

Cetol 'Gloss', a topcoat over whatever Cetol you use, provides the look of varnish. In the NE here, a maintenance coat is all that is needed and being less pigmented, the occasional drip doesn't show, just don't use alone as it doesn't have UV pigmentation and will peel.

 

[solar]

The colour of the Cetol light and Cetol Marine is from the iron oxide added to the paint for UV protection. Wish I had known about the new Cetol Marine Natural Teak with its gold colour before I stripped and painted my teak.