Recommendation for finishing exterior teak besides Cetol

[patrscoe]

My last project before I splash for the season is to provide a new finish to the exterior teak.
I have used Cetol Natural for some time now on my current and past sailboats, and I considering a change to a varnish but I don't want to spend extensive hours every season re-applying varnish. Cetol, for me, is a seasonal task.

With the very little teak on my E34-2, I am thinking of a semi-gloss not a gloss, and leaning towards a 50% between Epifane woodfinish gloss and matte = semi-gloss / satin. I am just not a gloss type of person.
Any thoughts, pictures of what you have done and liked?
Thanks!

 

[Christian Williams]

Gloss for UV exposure is the usual recommendation.

Opinions run strong on all the rest of the choices. Varnish will want seven coats intially, with maintenance as required. My exterior Schooner lasts a year or two, even here in the water 12 months at latitude 34 desert. You can't go wrong--on the other hand there is no right.

 

[Jerry VB]

Last year I used "Lust Rapid Recoat Marine Spar Varnish" for the first time. I would not rate it as gorgeous as Epifane, but it is much better (IMHO) than Cetol. It is dry to the touch (can be overcoated) in an hour which makes it MUCH more convenient than Epifane - I love nicely varnished teak, but I love to sail more.

This makes a bare wood varnish job shrink from a week of daily coats to two days of 3-4 coats per day (no sanding between repeated coats, only between days). I was also able to touch up the varnish without it being sticky for 12+ hours.