GLANTOA!

Teak Care

Tips to keep the teak interior on your Nordic Tug looking like new (from Waypoints Issue 1)

We receive many compliments on the fine joinery work and satin smooth finish on the teak interiors of our boats. Exposed and unprotected teak will lighten in color, but the teak oil finish we apply seems to get better with age. However, some areas may still dull or fade due to excessive exposure or use. With the following tips you can maintain a more uniform appearance and protect the teak. In case of major damage or additions to your interiors, you can follow the process we use to try to match the finish. First, we apply three coats of Daly's Sea Fin Teak Oil:

We start by sanding the surfaces, finishing with 220 grit sand paper until there are no sanding marks. After wiping the surface clean, we apply one heavy coat of teak oil and let it soak in for 15 to 30 minutes. When the oil begins to get tacky we wipe the surface dry with a cotton rag; repeat this step every hour or so for several hours to give the surface an even sheen. Then let it dry over night.

NOTE: Rags soaked in teak oil are subject to spontaneous combustion as they dry - dispose of them carefully.

The next day we apply a second coat, this time with 320 grit wet/dry sand paper using a rubber sanding block. While it's still wet, we finish sanding with 600 grit paper and wipe dry every hour or so, as in day one. Let dry over night. The third and last day we apply one more coat, the same as we did in day one, wiping the surface dry periodically throughout the day. After 24 hours the surface is dry and ready for use.

Finally, just before shipping our boats, we apply and wipe off one or two coats of Formby's ® Penetrating Lemon Oil Treatment with a cotton rag to give the surfaces a little extra shine, uniformity and protection. We prefer to use lemon oil because it's compatible with our finish and it doesn't have the ingredients that break down a finished surface that other products may have. To maintain your boats' teak interior, we recommend semi-annual applications of a 50% teakoil/50%lemon oil mix applied with a cotton cloth, buffed off after a few minutes.

If an area remains dull or if raised grain appears, you can go back to the original steps of sanding and/or reapplying three coats of teak oil. The more sunlight you can keep off the teak, the better off you'll be. Many boat owners are installing window screens that keep the UV's from damaging their interiors. While those of us in the Northwest don't have to worry too much about sun damage, every little step you take to preserve your interior helps. Happy cruising!