Spar paint for Tamara

[Woodonwater]

I have wooded the two spars for my Crocker ketch, Tamara, and found them to be in remarkably good shape. There are a few very minor splits in the fir Main (Mizzen might be spruce) but they are shallow and easily filled. I am planning to paint the masts a 'spar buff' color with white tips.

The boatyard owner suggested I seal the wood with Z-Spar Wood Sealer, I think it was, then use Z-spar (or maybe Petit) 105 Undercote and then Petit Easypoxy.

The rigger came by and suggested I CPES both masts, then paint.

I may have limited options in "VOC Free" California, but what other ideas do you all have for this?

Thanks,
James

[Jay Greer]

For my own boats, I always prefer varnished spars as it lets me know the condition of the wood at all times. From bare wood start to last coat, the first coat is thinned 30% with turpentine, allowed to become tacky and followed by full strength Behr Spar Varnish until a total of 8 coats is achived. After that two coats a season is all that is needed. Never fill cracks or checks in spars with hard compound as it will cause further splitting of the spars.
Jay

[Woodonwater]

Jay,
I was thinking paint because with all the jobs ahead of me on Tamara, I wanted a finish that will last longer with less maintenance. At least for now, and maybe 5 or 10 years from now, when I am 'ahead of the curve' with rebuilding and maintenance, then go bright on the masts too. Is this logic flawed? I have no experience to guide me here, but many people tell me to paint as much as possible to keep maintenance under control.

I have ordered your illustrious Behr varnish from a helpful forumite. I could continue stripping all the paint off (right now it's 90 to 95% off, but not perfectly free of paint) but this will add hours of sanding and the varnishing sounds like more time too. I guess what I am asking is, what is the difference in maintenance time with a bright mast or a painted mast, assuming both were properly applied? Any guesstimate?

What do you think of the CPES treatment under varnish? Seems like your thinned coat is a better bet. Masts need to flex.

Lastly, what about Le Tonkinois? I just ordered some, perhaps I can use that on the masts?

Thanks

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

This is an easy one.

Coelan, by a country mile.

Looks just like varnish, is vapour permeable and incredibly tough and UV resistant, has no California emissions issues.

It's lasted on my bowsprit (I repeat, the bowsprit) for four years without a touch up, including sailing right through last winter.

I don't own shares in this stuff, but I wish I did.

Here's the US supplier, who does very good technical notes on it.

http://www.premapro.com/

[Jay Greer]

I have been varnishing spars for so many years that it is no big thing to me. With my own self tended gantline I can sand a spar on the way up and tack and varnish on the way down. I would estimate that a fifty foot spar would require a total of six or seven hours to lay on two coats over two days. That leaves three hundred and sixty two days for other projects. Actually, for me, swinging in a boatwain's chair and laying on a fresh coat of Behr is a pleasant escape from the rush of life on deck sorrounded by traffic, cell phones, looky loos and tax accessors! The trick of varnishing and doing other maintenance is not minding it!
Jay

[Woodonwater]

Cheers Jay,

I understand that sentiment! I will look at the prospect of getting ALL the wood off and going bright. Do you know why they used to paint the spar tips white? I love that look and I will do it, unless there is a compelling reason not to.

BTW, where can I see pictures of your boat, is it Brightstar? Would love to see this craft, as I am sure it is a thing of beauty.

James

[Jay Greer]

Painting spar tips mast heads and spreader tops white is a more recient practice than that which I grew up with.
Presumably it is done in areas that are considered too hard to reach from the boatswains chair. Or for areas that receive excessive UV eposure.
I prefer to not follow that practice on my own boats as, in my humble opinion, it smacks of a person that is too lazy to do correct maintenance. My own chair is set up so that I can stand in it in order to access the mast head.
Jay

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Well, on my theory of it, Jay must be older than he looks, so far as masts are concerned.;)

I think that masts on fore and aft rigged boats were originally "slushed down" with tallow to allow the gaff jaws and mast hoops to ride up and down easily, and were kept bare for this purpose between the boom table and the hounds. Below the boom and at the hounds and above they were painted "mast colour".

I don't do this as it is a "working boat thing" and is only really correct on an ex working boat.

Painting the upper side of spreaders white to reflect the sunlight is a much more recent thing and dates from the Sixties or so.

I've given it up since adopting Coelan, which is much tougher than paint.

A good reason for keeping the strop on a bosun's chair short is that it gives you a sporting chance (I'd put it no higher than that!) of replacing the bulb(s) in the masthead light.

[redbopeep]

Well, on my theory of it,

I've given it up since adopting Coelan, which is much tougher than paint.



We have a painted bow sprit and are considering stripping/varnishing it rather than simply repainting.

Have you used both the pigmented and the clear Coelan? Do you like both? Also, does the clear appear plastic-y? Finally, went to the website of the US distributor (premapro...) but don't see pricing--is it comparable to a typical marine paint or varnish?

Thanks for your response!

[C. Ross]

Finally, went to the website of the US distributor (premapro...) but don't see pricing--is it comparable to a typical marine paint or varnish?

I was interested in this as well. There is a Classic Boat article on the distributors web site that compares outcomes, as well as price per square meter. http://www.premapro.com/PDFs/ClassicBoatVarnishTestMarch2008.pdf

Coelan is 58.80 English pounds per square meter and various vanishes are 4 to 6.78 pounds. In their test Coelan lasts longest. But at a 14:1 - 9:1 cost ratio, how do you rate the total outcome Mr Bennett? I can imagine using this for a spar that was difficult to maintain, but is it worth it for most surfaces? (god forbid, this might become another "best varnish" thread...)

[redbopeep]

Coelan is 58.80 English pounds per square meter and various vanishes are 4 to 6.78 pounds. In their test Coelan lasts longest. But at a 14:1 - 9:1 cost ratio,

Holy cow. I think we'll stick with paint and/or regular varnish! :eek:

[C. Ross]

Well, maybe it is a Holy Cow, or a Holy Grail :D

Mr. Craig-Bennett, your opinions are not to be taken lightly. Is Coelan worth it?

Cris

[redbopeep]

Color of paint...I've seen spars painted so that they LOOK from a distance like varnished wood. But, when you get close, you can tell its paint. What is that color?

We'll end up painting our bowsprit :( since we've just discovered enough funny little teak patches--too bad they used teak--in the fir 'sprit. :confused:

Before someone with no empathy for those of us who have already put in over 7,000 manhours in a 19 month period in the rebuild of a very large boat....says something like "why don't you replace the teak with fir?" let me say:

The boat has way, way, way too much other NEEDED work for us to stop and go digging out perfectly functional little teak dutchmen at this time and put in fir. :cool:

So, this "paint color of wood" becomes a bit important for us. Anyone know what it is or used it on some spars? We've stripped all spars and it appears that we can choose to keep everything bright with exception of bowsprit. Though there's a bit of waterstain dark lines or areas on other spars, it will all look ok with exception of the 'sprit.

[C. Ross]

Painted bowsprits are sexy. They should be au natural or a non-wood color, nothing else. Just my opinion. It'll be beautiful.