Maintaining the Varnished Surfaces On Your Boat

Regular maintenance is key in keeping a varnished finish looking fresh and flawless. The major causes of damage are the sun’s ultraviolet rays, water, and abrasion.

Even the UV-blocking agents in quality varnishes will eventually break down. As UV light penetrates to the base coats they start to deteriorate, causing gloss varnish to lose its brilliant, wet look.

Eventually, the varnish separates from the wood, growing ugly delamination blisters which can only be removed by stripping the finish and starting from bare wood.

Spare yourself this aggravation with a little annual maintenance that requires scuff-sanding back the top layer of varnish, wiping the surface clean, and applying a coat or two of varnish to add depth and maintain the UV protection.

A greater potential for sun damage in certain geographic locations, such as the Caribbean, may make it necessary for this maintenance task to be done more than once a season. A good way to tell if you need to re-coat is when the surface begins to lose its water-beading ability.

And don’t forget your interior wood. Maintaining interior varnish will not only keep it looking sharp, but will make it easier to keep clean.