restoring my canoe gunnels

If you really want to stain the wood, then use Watco wood stain. My suggestion would be medium walnut. On the other hand, it is possible that the teak oil is almost the same thing, but it’s also possible that the teak oil might not be compatible with the water based urethane. I know from a lot of experience that water based urethane does work with Watco wood stain.

If you haven’t opened the can of teak oil, you might be able to trade it for stain, but if not, I would still recommend using stain, because that way you can choose your color. You should also know what kind of wood you are dealing with. Some wood species do not color evenly and need a sealer prior to staining so it doesn’t turn out blotchy.

My boat is a Dagger Reflection 15. From what I can find online the wood gunnels in that series are made with white ash.

Yes your gunnels are ash and ash is a light color when sanded clean. I think you’ve already gotten great advice. There are probably many good products available but Watco is known to be tough stuff and you see it offered on many canoe manufacturers websites. If you want to take all the uncertainty out of your decision you can go to the Hemlockcanoe website and order his custom mix of nutmeg stain plus Watco oil which will give you the darker color you want along with a tough finish plus the ability to do touch-ups whenever you like. A pint will last a long time.

When I refinish gunnels I use the blue painters tape since it comes off so easily later…I have no experience with regular masking tape. I use 150 and then 220 grit sandpaper…occasionally starting with 100 if the gunnels are uneven or have any nasty spots, but I never go finer than 220 and the 150/220 approach seems just right for touch-ups.

I have 4 boats (canoe, dinghy, pulling boat, and deep water cutter) with at least some varnish on rail caps, gunwales, rub rails, and/or sheer clamps. After repairing various problems over the years I’ve come to the conclusion that the best solution is a good coat of paint. Keep a 4" varnished square in a prominent place to admire and cover the rest in the best oil-based paint you can buy.

But to repair weathered wood, watch for checking in the grain… if that gets too far along, replacement or Dutchman repair (removing the affected wood and graving a new piece in place) is needed. And if rot sets in generally, remove the whole shebang and replace with new wood.

Ash is often used for these “pretty parts” of boats but is not a good choice… it is sensitive to rot. White oak is good, although other woods are possible (not maple, also rot-susceptible). Check with the experts for risk of rot.

Virtually all finishing oils are not good choices. Teak or tung oil do little and I would suggest you avoid them. I agree with choosing a good varnish with very high UV resistance. Most are not good enough for marine use, but Epiphanes oil-based varnish is excellent. I would stay away from water-based finishes… easy to apply, but durability is wanting.

The most important steps? Cover the boat with a waterproof tarp when not in use, install bilge drain plugs and leave them open when the boat/canoe is not in use… and, unless there is some good reason not to, store the boat right side up if at all possible… gunwales are just not designed to shed water when it puddles on the bottom. If you have the option, store indoors in the winter.

Happy paddling!

Drill a 1/4" hole thru the deck as close to the hull at the bow & stern as possible. Seal the exposed wood. That will allow the the ends to drain and help prevent rot. I even do it on non-wood canoes to ease draining.

Thanks everyone.

Well I’ve got everything sanded down. I decided not to go with the urethane since the boat will be getting considerable “use”. I applied the Watco Teak Oil and while it seems that the wood is absorbing it well, the color is still extremely light. When I tried to get the Watco Wood Stain the color selection was extremely limited and there was nothing light enough in color to use on my boat. So I picked up some Minwax. I also tracked down a place in town that sells boards of white ash. I figure this will give me something to play around with until I find the right color to match the previous one.

Before I crack open the stain, is there any reason that the Minwax would not work on the boat? I figure I’ll stain it, then use several coats of the teak oil to protect the wood. Last week my landlord put a canopy up in the backyard, so even in the rainy Portland winters I’ll have a dry place to apply the oil.

Oh, I should mention that I know the MinWax is intended for indoor use. But I also know that it gets used for furniture that sits outside and for similar purposes. The person at Home Depot seemed unsure that they could order in any Watco stain but somebody is supposed to call me back tomorrow. So if that happens, I’ll use the Watco over the Minwax; unless anyone suggests otherwise.

I’ve also read that mixing an oil based stain and the Teak Oil will provide both color and protection.

Thanks as always.

I thought you were looking for a finish that looks good and is easy to fix. Teak oil is neither. Yeah, it looks okay when you first put it on teak wood if the wood is new and not weathered, but it weathers very quickly and then requires a lot of sanding to bring it back. I know, because I had a large sailboat with lots of teak and I spent a lot of time trying to keep it looking good. That was in the days before water based urethanes came along.

There is no finish that maintains its appearance when subject to UV, water and time. The key to having it look nice is to maintain it and that is where the water based urethane comes in. First, if applied properly, it provides a superior finish and second, it is extremely easy to maintain, but like every other finish, it too will weather if you ignore it and let the elements have their way.

I have been building very fine furniture for many decades and have tried just about every finish available. Like many other woodworkers that I know, we all eventually got around to using water based urethane and until something better comes along I’m sticking with it. A very big part of it is the quick drying. Solvent based finishes generally dry much more slowly and need a very controlled dust free environment for successful application.

I wish you luck with your project.

It sounds like Magooch is giving you great advice. I have no experience with water based urethane but I can confirm that some products like Watco and probably teak oil seem to take weeks or months to fully dry…and I can also confirm that you should be thinking about touching up and maintaining the finish like every month or two, not nailing it the first time and forgetting about it.

One of my favorite canoe dealers used to sell homemade “gunnel lotion”. 1/3 boiled linseed oil, 1/3 mineral spirits, 1/3 distilled white vinegar. That’s what I use. It’s easy to do touch-ups. I like the patina that builds up over time…but maybe it’s not dark enough for you. I just sold the boat in the attached pic and in my biased opinion the boat just glows. If I’m after a more durable finish I’ll use Watco and let it dry all


winter.

You have a lot of good options. Pick one and go.