Interior Finish & Holding Tank

[Blue Jeans]

I recently bought an 1978 Ericson 36C that was sunk and I am restoring it. The engine was preserved so that should be OK.
Two questions:

The interior was never varnished, should I varnish it or use teak oil? Which will give me the least grief?

There is no holding tank for the head, it just dumps straight overboard. I don't see a good place to put one. Any suggestions?

 

[Sean Engle]

Glancing at the plan - I would think it would go beneath the port settee or aft of the head somewhere.

In the absence of advice from an E36 owner, one thing you could do is contact Ronco Plastics (where most of us get replacement holding tanks) and ask them if they have spec'd in any particular model tank for that boat...

//sse

 

[NateHanson]

Oil is certainly less fussy to apply, but it will darken the wood significantly over time. Satin varnish certainly looks sharp, but it's a bit more work to apply.

Nate

 

[treilley]

I was thinking of doing mine in a satin poly. I have heard that a couple of coats of satin poly over a couple of coats of varnish will work nicely.

 

[NateHanson]

What do you mean by "varnish" as differentiated from "satin poly"? (which I would call a type of varnish).

I can't see any advantage to overcoating one type of varnish with another. In particular, I wouldn't overcoat a natural resin varnish (like spar varnish) with poly because the spar varnish isn't as hard as the poly. Also, it would seem a waste to me to apply a high quality, expensive alkyd varnish (like Epiffanes) only to cover all that beauty and durability with a cheap, plasticy-looking polyurethane varnish.

 

[treilley]

Sorry Nate. This is what a guy who finishes boats has recommended to me. I do not yet have any specifics and am still in the research stage. I believe he was referencing an epoxy based varnish and an oil based polyurethane.

I have plenty of experience using a high quality wipe on poly for interior woodworking and it does not have a plasticy finish. I used it on some cherry furniture and cherry kitchen cabinets and it gives the wood nice depth.

 

[NateHanson]

Sorry Nate. This is what a guy who finishes boats has recommended to me. I do not yet have any specifics and am still in the research stage. I believe he was referencing an epoxy based varnish and an oil based polyurethane.

Yes, that would make a lot of sense, since Epoxies are extremely durable, but don't hold up well to UV. So a UV-protective varnish top coat of some sort is necessary after applying epoxy as a wood-coating.

I'm a furniture builder/designer, and perhaps it's a personal ideosyncracy, but I don't think polyurethane has a natural luster when applied thickly enough to be durable, and it needs to be laid down thicker than alkyd varnishes for decent protection. Personally my favorite finish for wet surfaces is shellac basecoat, with Epiffanes on top. Beautiful stuff. Looks like shellac, but wears like concrete.

What wipe-on poly's have you used? I've tried a couple, but they didn't build quickly, so the convenience of not brushing was overcome by the necessity to lay down a half-dozen coats, and the resulting loss of time. I'd be interested to hear what brand you've had good results with. I might give it a try for something (since there is always some little project that I don't feel like going all-out with the finish job, but which needs more protection than shellac alone.

 

[treilley]

I have used Watco(3-4 coats)on my cabinets with good results. It deffinately does not hold up as well as some other finishes. I have used tinted shellac(3 coats) on my wide pine floors to give them a little bit of an aged look. I also tried oil base poly(3 coats) on my stained bathroom pine floor and that has held up very well.

I am just an ameteur woodworker so I usually end up guessing on this kind of stuff. Although I have had a few people ask me to build them cabinets for their custom homes. Thomas Moser is a client of mine so at least I know what good furniture is.

Speaking of finishes, I was speaking to my wood dealer the other day about teak and holly sole and he told me he has a good friend who works for the wholesaler that supplies Sabre yachts with their prefinished sole. Evidently it is custom finished by the plywood manufacturer just for Sabre. He said he could get me some for under $200/4x8 sheet.

 

[NateHanson]

Wow. Good price! Who's your lumber dealer? I'm having trouble finding a local dealer of mahogany. Seems I'd have to use the same wholesalers I used in Boston - Holt & Bugby, Kiever Willard, etc. My buys aren't big enough for them to deliver to me. I always prefer to hand-pick anyways. I see their trucks up here (presumably going to Morris and Hinckley and other yards on MDI). Maybe they'd stick a couple hundred board feet in just for me.

 

[NateHanson]

Watco is nice - provides the look and color change of an oil finish, but with a little more protection. I've never used it on a piece of furniture I'm building on commission though, because it doesn't seem to hold up well over time. I believe it's basically what Thos. Moser uses, and any piece of theirs I've seen that's more than 5 years old has a fine white scale obscuring the finish. Very unattractive, and completely unacceptable in my mind. Maybe they've resolved that problem since then, but I can't imagine the expensive call-backs I'd get if there were ever a problem like that.

 

[treilley]

His name is Dennis Day(Day hardwoods). He pretty much works out of his garage. All the serious boat builders around here use him. He has worked for many plywood and wood manufacturers and dealers so he has a great knowledge and can get most anything. He is located about 2 minutes from the Maine Mall in S. Portland. I can get you his number if you like.

 

[NateHanson]

That's funny. I used him about 10 years ago, when I built my first piece of furniture (was on Islesboro at that time). I know just where he is. Nice guy. Glad to hear he's still doing business. He used to be a mariner, didn't he? Or maybe a Coastie?

 

[Ed Balun]

Try This

I have an Ericson 87 32-3. 3 years ago I refinished my companionway stairs. First I tried a flat varnish. It didn't match up. I tried gloss varnish and that was too glossy. I then tried a polyurethane semi-gloss. BINGO! It matched the interior perfectly. It is bright and really brings out the wood. I wipe it twice a year with lemon oil and it looks beautiful. Home Depot sells it cheap. I also replaced the peeling non-skid. After 3 years, it still looks perfect. I don't like oil because it makes the interior look like a dark cave. Good Luck.

 

[rgoff]

Ed,

A very timely post for me, as my ladder is in the garage awaiting stripping and refinishing!

My ladder (from a '73 E27) doesn't have non-skid. What did you use?

Thanks,

 

[Shearwater]

Ours is installed under the sink on a shelf built for it, it can't be more than 8-10 gal. though.

 

[gareth harris]

You can also try www.kracor.com for a holding tank. Between the different manufacturers, you should be able to choose a space in the boat and find something that is a decent fit. Also think about where you will run 1.5" hose from the head to the tank, and then to the pump out and macerator.

I do not know when the regulations were introduced restricting the set up you have pumping directly overboard, but the thought of boats still set up that way really puts me off the idea of cleaning my hull. Retrofitting a holding tank is not that hard, although anything involving a system that has been used in the past has its grusome parts.

Gareth
Freyja E35 #241 1972

 

[rwthomas1]

I do not know when the regulations were introduced restricting the set up you have pumping directly overboard, but the thought of boats still set up that way really puts me off the idea of cleaning my hull.
Gareth
Freyja E35 #241 1972

In RI all state waters are "no discharge zones" This is completely absurd as whenever it rains hard many municipalities sewage plants overflow. This dumps more raw sewage into the bay in one day than all the boats dumping their tanks for several years. Don't believe me? The Health Dept. shuts down the beaches in the upper bay when it rains hard. E-Coli in the water. But boating laws are easier to legislate and enforce so I get to pay the State nitwits to "inspect" my system to make sure its locked and I can't discharge at will. Got a nice little sticker for my $25 saying I'm compliant. I guess they never figured we all know how to use a key to open a lock..... Its a joke. They just want the money. RT