Is there a product out there, like Thompson's Water seal, that can seal up wood while keeping it bare? The I believe the wood I am thinking of sealing up is mahogany.
If deck sealant is good enough to keep rain out of the exposed on our patios why don't we use it on our boats?
I think what you are looking for is Cetol, which is a polyurethane with pretty good longevity. I have it on my Compac and has a pretty good track record.
Newt:
That's an interesting comment you posted about Cetol. I've been using it on the teak trim of my Cape Dory ever since I've owned her.
I've been using the marine product, which is expensive (of course), but very effective.
However, a while back, I was talking with a friend who has been a boatbuilder, is a working captain, and at one time was responsible for maintenance of a commercial (tourist) schooner on the Great Lakes. He told me that they treated the schooner's deck and exposed woodwork with the Cetol product that is marketed for the home-decking business.
He said it was much cheaper to buy, and equally effective--of course, he is an experienced Great Lakes mariner, and I don't know how Cetol's deck product would work in a saltwater environment.
--Joe
I was just looking at my wood on the Compac. This is its third season with Cetol. Still looking good on everything but the cockpit rails, and they were a problem early on ( I didn't strip them right before I sealed them) Yeah, a good product. I think I would pay extra for the marine grade, simply because it is such a pain to redo the wood.
The ingredient that makes clear finishes good for marine use is the amount/effectiveness of UV protection they use. Some are called, filters, stabilizers,absorbers, blockers. I do not know which is the best, and although the producers must test this stuff for their own quality control, they do not publish these results (to my knowledge). If you have a product that has worked well, or you know someone that recommends a product that has given them good service life that is what i would use. Sometimes it is beneficial to benefit from others experience rather than experiment. I use Epifanes and its performance is similar to what newt reports concerning Cetol. I would not be afraid to use either one. I think Cetol is a polyurethane product, and Epifanes is a spar varnish. Pay your money,take your choice