How to protect UN treated wood?

[Anthony/Bina]

Hello fellow pearson owners. Our commander's giant 9 foot-long cockpit coming boards remain unvarnished. I believe that they have been unvarnished for many years. It may take another year before I can seal them. It appears that there is some green moss growing on the corners.

Is this damaging to the wood? How can I protect the wood until I have time to varnish? Any ideas? Do they need protection until they are varnished? Would pouring salt on them help?

any ideas would be great.

[c_amos]

There is another thread, that covers it pretty throughly.

It is here; EXTERIOR WOOD FINISHES (http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussion/showthread.php?t=651)

Granted, it kinda goes off topic at the end but there is a lot of good info.

[Mike Goodwin]

Vinegar will pickle the wood and kill the green stuff !!

[commanderpete]

Unlike teak, I don't think Phillipine mahogany can be left exposed without eventually rotting. But, I can't think of any half measures until you're able to refinish the wood.

Some bleach or vinegar might kill the mold. I wouldn't scrub too hard and lose wood. I guess you could oil it so the wood doesn't dry out too much, but it would probably look pretty bad. You would have to get the oil off before you varnish anyway.

I would probably just let it go until you're ready. Another year shouldn't make much difference.

[drm901]

If you use bleach, be sure to neutralize it by washing with water. I haven't used vinegar, so I won't say if you have to do it for that as well. But I have used bleach and know you have to do so.

[Anthony/Bina]

i need to nuturalize before I varnish? or right away after washing?

Seems the vingar is the best? what does the pickling do? will I need to rinse the vingar before varnish?

[Mike Goodwin]

If you bleach , you must vinegar wash to neutralize ( remember HS chemistry class about acids and bases ) water just dilutes but does not neutralize .
Bleach eats up the soft grain of the wood , even on teak . Look at the teak on some anal rententive's boat that is bleached and scrubbed 8 times a year !
Just sponge on the white vinegar and forget the bleach , rinse the vinegar about an hour later with water . You will need about a gallon to do the cockpit wood .
What does vinegar do? You ever see a rotten pickle barrel ?
Well you may never have seen a real pickle barrel either , my grandad was a cooper ( barrel maker ) and I grew up on this stuff .
Vinegar hardens the wood and kills the rot spores within which can lie dormant for decades . Rain barrels will rot .

[Scott Galloway]

If time is an issue for the first coat, it will be likewise for future coats. I decided to forget the varnish and use Semco Teak Sealer. It is for teak and not for mahogany. I have teak coaming boards in my cockpit, but I do have some mahogany remaining (around the companionway hatch). I have used Semco Teak sealer on the mahogany also. I use the natural shade. I think that it looks the best. Two coats can be applied in an afternoon. A good scrub and perhaps from time to time a light sanding of any residual sealer will prep the surface for future coats. It will last about six months. I have been doing this every six month since 2001 and the boat looks great. I used to varnish the wood on my last boat, and I used various teak oils on my father’s wood decked boat for year. I like this Semco Teak Sealer stuff better than any other product that I have used. Just avoid the temptation to use the Gold Tone. It’s too orange. The natural tome looks like fresh cut untreated wood for as number of months following a two-coat application. So use the natural shade.