MILES OF MASKING TAPE

[Scott Galloway]

Ahhhh, the beauty of Semco Teak Sealer is that if you are very careful you can apply it to teak evey six months with no masking...at least I do anyway. Just don't use the gold shade. It's too orange for my taste. The natural shade looks like new unfinished teak and retains that look until it is time to do a light once over with boat soap and water and an abrasive cloth, let dry for a day and refinish with two coats. I apply it with a cheapo one and 1/2 inch wide brush, and use the brush over again the next time.

You have to get back to raw wood first to use this stuff for the first time. A two part teak stripper will do that first stripping job. After that you don't need to strip the wood again unless you let the wood totally go by not reapplying the Semco Teak Sealer on a periodic basis. I apply it every six months.

Washing takes 1/2 hour Applying two coats of Semco Teak Sealer takes one afternoon for coaming boards, hand rails, door and companionway hatch boards, hatch trim and my pin rails. Of course, it doesn't look shiny like varnish or Cetol.

I have been using this product every six months since 2001: Once in the fall and one in the spring. As of the summer of 2007, I still like the stuff, and I wouldn't think of using anything else. I stripped and applied teak oil to teak decks on another boat for a number of years, and on yet another boat, I dealt with varnishing over and over again. The only place that I use teak oil these days is on the cabin sole. Semco Teak sealer is neaither teak oil, nor varinsh. It doesn't look like Cetol, It's a completey different product. Just use the natural shade.