Swim Platform: Teak Oil or Teal Sealer?

[MatadorMaine]

I had a fiberglas swim platform for 15+ years on the Nautique but finally have teak on the Prostar. Over researching had me choose use Starbrite Teak Sealer instead of using a Teak Oil. 

Some before, during and after pics. 
2021 Prostar teak platform in pretty good shape:

1. Did a very light and quick 220 sanding.
2. Starbrite Teak Cleaner (per directions).
3. Starbrite Teak Bightener (per directions).
4. Let dry and applied 1 coat of Starbrite Teak Sealer, Classic Teak color. 

Happy so far. Probably add 1 more coat of Teak Sealer. Think the sealer was the way to go or traditional teak oil?
 

 

[dbutcher]

Whatever you did looks great to me right now.  My only question is will it be slippery when wet.

[Ski_Dad]

Teak sealer for sure!  Not slippery as long as you keep it to 2 coats 

[Horton]

I always prefer the wood over the fiberglass. Starbrite stuff is the best. use the oil. if your wood has been abused, the four-part starbright refurbished kit will fix any swim step.

[MitchellM]

I thought the sealer made it slick?  I've been using the Starbrite teak oil after I used the refurbish kit cleaner and brightener.

[BraceMaker]

I use the starbright but add a bit more boiled linseed oil to it, there is already a mixture of boiled linseed and tung oil in the teak oil but I find a bit more linseed helps it cure a bit quicker otherwise I have trouble keeping up with it through the summer just not enough times that the teak is nice and dry and I don't want to use the boat soon so the extra linseed speeds up the cure.

[WIRiverRat]

I used Sikkens sealer on my platform for years after dealing with sun fading out the teak oil.  Held up much better and would spend 5 minutes at the end of each season lightly sanding where a fin may have scratched the platform and then filling that in with the sealer.  Platform looked brand new all the time.  It was slightly slippery for about a week after applying, then it was like any other platform.  

[DvarianDan Johnson]

oil definitely. Absorbed better, not slippery, looks fantastic, easy to re-apply mid season.   

[Golfguy]

Well, I used teak oil for the first few years on a boat I owned for 19 years. I idle to the end of the course then put my ski on while on the swim platform. when the platform was just oiled, I naturally would imagine the oil would end up on my ski. Come to think of it, I skied better in those days?? Actually i stoped using oil, and tha platform looked great as soon as it was wet. This boat was outside 100% of the time on a lift in my covered dock for 19 years. So my vote is to use no oil unless taking the boat to a MC reunion. .

[MatadorMaine]

Seems like folks are 50/50 teak oil vs sealer. Here is the 2nd coat of sealer, during and after pics.

I'll report back on slipperiness level and longevity. We are in Maine so different than FL etc but no lift, no canopy. She's in the elements May 1 - October 1. 

So far I'm stoked and give the Starbrite sealer and cleaning products a 10-10-10 on look, feel and ease of application. 

Hopefully this doesn't happen!

[Lieutenant Dan]

@MatadorMaine  How much of the Teak Sealer is needed to do two coats?  Where did you buy it?  Thanks. 

[Ski_Dad]

On 4/23/2024 at 1:52 PM, Lieutenant Dan said:

@MatadorMaine  How much of the Teak Sealer is needed to do two coats?  Where did you buy it?  Thanks. 

a small can lasts me at least 5-6 coats - so several years.   They have 3 colors - i like the natural a little better.

[RAWSki]

I always find it slightly ironic that for 35 years no respected manufacturer had  wood used in the construction of their boats.   But many skiers opt to hang a nice piece of lumber on the back of a new boat --- if its a MC.  

I actually really like the design of the ProStar glass platform,  believe its better than SN, Bu + CP.    I will take the fiberglass deck and replace a mat once every 6-8 years.  

[Broussard]

@RAWSki

Quote

I always find it slightly ironic that for 35 years no respected manufacturer had  wood used in the construction of their boats. 

Correct Craft didn't move to composite stringers until 1993 😉 

[pcmcon729]

@MatadorMaine   Looks great! I used sealer once many years ago on my old Nautique. Lasted longer than but was a bear to strip and refinish when it was time. Was a little slippery, but not terrible. I use Starbrite 3 part cleaner/brightener/teak oil. I'm in NH, and refinish every fall. Labor of love for this guy.  @Broussard I have ordered teak on all 4 of my new MC's because it's slightly bigger than the fiberglass. I teach lots of children, and it enables me to fit on the platform with them to help get their skis on. Wood used in contruction of boats rots, teak lasts the life of the boat. Love the nautical look as well. 

[Broussard]

As others have mentioned, sealer may last longer but it’s a bear to get off when it starts to deteriorate. 
 

Teak oil is great in that once it gets dry you can clean up the platform easily and add a couple coats of oil. 

[vtjc]

+1 for teak oil.

I use oil on my teak platform. I used a different sealer years ago on a prior boat. It looked great for a few years but deteriorated and was hard to remove. That platform was already 5+ years old when I did the sealing process. I oil my platform once to start the season and maybe once again during the season in Vermont. I do the three-part Starbrite system every few years, and it looks great. The boat spends the summer on a covered lift and in a barn for the winter. I agree teak also looks good when the platform is wet.

It is a lot easier to sand out a ding of a teak platform than it is to color-match and repair a fiberglass platform. Fiberglass is cheaper than teak; that’s why boat manufacturers push it.

[03RLXi]

Right or wrong I'm using low cost tung oil from DIY store. Less than half the price of marine teak oils.

Google seems to vary on if teak or tung is more protection, which is more waterproof or penetrates more. All agree teak dries quicker than tung. I apply it liberally, leave it a few days and then wipe off excess. Lasts all season. Google suggests most teak oils are based on linseed oil and have tung oil blended in.   

[MatadorMaine]

@Lieutenant Dan - small 32 oz can...used about half of it to do 2 solid coats. Purchased at Hamilton Marine, Portland Maine. $39...almost puked when I saw the price. West Marine also caries it...and the Amazon. 

[ALPJr]

Mix 50% linseed oil and 50% mineral spirits. That’s what the folks at Teakworld in Tennessee  suggested for the platform they made for our PS.