Rubbing Strakes - Varnish, Oil or Go Naked?

[erbster]

Well, to wake up an old thread, I'm an re-considering strakes, grab rail and Samson post coverings.

I stripped all the varnish off two seasons ago and applied Deks olje d1. Dont like it because it's too dark and it's now peeling.

Have rubbed most off the strakes already. Am considering international woodskin. Has anyone tried it?

[ColinMcD]

Hello Charles -

When we bought Foxglove last year, Bob Brown had done a fairly comprehensive job of replacing gunwale strakes, grab rails, sampson post (or is that 'samson' ?) and main hatch trim - all with new woodwork, finished in Woodskin. Spars and tiller were finished in a conventional bright wood varnish.

I thought immediately that it looked good, - the result is a fairly dark, fairly matt finish, which I personally like - and after two summer holidays (altogether we're talking of seven weeks afloat, so it's not that much really, specially compared with people whose boats live in the water for 6 or so months every year) I am well pleased with Woodskin, and have not yet felt the need to touch up or re-coat / re-finish. There are maybe one or two spots I've seen a scuff mark that ought to be touched up, but I am encouraged to see that there is not that sort of broken-edge damage to the woodskin coating that heralds water getting under the protective layer and affecting the appearance/quality of the woodwork.

Woodskin is new to me (and I am not entirely unacquainted with the ways of weather-sealing woodwork, having built boats for a living over a number of years in an earlier life) but I have a good feeling so far about the product, and intend to stick with it where it's already been used on Foxglove.

So for what it's worth - I give it the thumbs up. So far.

Regards -
Colin

(I've just tried to find a worthwhile photo to add, without success ...)

[erbster]

sampson post (or is that 'samson' ?) ...

...all with new woodwork, finished in Woodskin...So for what it's worth - I give it the thumbs up. So far.

Samson, I believe.
Thanks for the feedback. Encouraging news. I understand the woodskin is easy to reapply.
I'll wait until the Autumn- there's quite a bit of rubbing down needed.