my weekend project just got
worse 
Oven cleaner ??
ā¦ is oven cleaner as caustic as it use to be ??
I remember the stuff called āEasy Offā , it was good for stripping engine blocks down to the bare cast iron . I also remember the nasty burns if it got on your skin , still have a scar on the fore arm which is white now .
Iām thinkin oven cleaner must be different now , is that so ??
Charlie are you serious?
Please, I always listen to your words of wisdom. That is a rather drastic method of getting rid of mildew!
I am going to go the simple way with the TSP and then bleach if TSP alone does not work. Will remove seat bolts because that is only place some mildew appears.
Sand and then re apply the Watco Exterior oil.
If that doesnāt workā¦Iāll revisit Charlieās advice.
You know, I will NEVER again have a canoe with gorgeous wood trim. Itās because I canāt store it indoors and for us condo dwellers with patioās in FLā¦the CobraSox rails Charlie uses on his boats is the way to go.
If youāre not goingā¦
ā¦to remove the gunnels or at least loosen the screws before doing the work, get some of that blue low-tack masking tape to help protect the hull while sanding. Buy some disposible Nitrile gloves, and maybe some eye protection too! Bon Chance! And donāt be daunted, itās mostly just time and a little elbow grease. Your boat will love you for it.
the back breaking work is done
Thank you all for the advice and confidence boosting posts. I did decide to go ahead and remove thwarts and seats. Used TSP with bleach, Ajax with bleach scrubbed hard with a brush rinsed and let dry. I sanded the wood and still can not get rid of the black rings under screws holding up seats/thwarts. But at least itās clean and has a new coat of Watco teak oil. Iāll reapply next time I use boat. Wow, it was back breaking work and to think I have to do this yearly! I need a manicureā¦
BTW: This morning I had gone out for a paddle to Biscayne Bay and did a long open water and then twisty mangrove creek paddle. Beating my friends in their kayaks and dancing through that creek I really can only begin to appreciate the Kestel with each experience. So today after I finished the task and hard work of gunwale maintenance, I looked at my beautiful boat and decided it was worth it. Yes wood trim is a pita but it is gorgeous to look at!
Wood Stains
I do a LOT of work with woods and Danish Oil. First, Danish Oil is NOT what to use to protect wood in a humid environment, especially if there will be contact with water and there are any openings (like screw-holes) into the wood. Second, once a mildew stain has formed ā assuming it is mildew ā it is almost impossible to remedy without a great deal of work (work = āsandingā and chemical treatment). But it isnāt always mildew; it can simply be a chemical reaction between the screw material, wood and moisture. Either way, it takes work to fix.
I have a canoe with cedar sides and teak gunwales (but no screws). You should seal the gunwales with an epoxy resin or similar product AFTER the screws are in. That should then be covered with a UV-inhibiting marine varnish. If you want, you can skip the epoxy part and go straight to the UV-protective varnish.
SHM
My recent canoe project: http://www.rosaryshop.com/resources.php/request/canoe
Could you build me a Rapidfire with
Aluminum gunwales 
Just kidding, I know that you donāt do aluminum because it would detract from the beauty of the remainder of the boat. Itāll be a few years before I can afford a Rapidfire with cobra sox trim.
Iāve only got one boat with wood trim and it seems like too much work to maintain. I know that wood feels warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, but I like low maintenance.