John, I thought you had an automated signature set up, but it isn't there now. Especially when discussing interior finishes, it's important to state your boat year, hull number, etc, because Catalina's standard finishes did evolve over the years, I think. The automated signature is very easy to set up...just click on 'User CP' upper left corner of this page, in the blue band, and the rest should be intuitive.

My old mk 1 boat is oiled, no varnish to be seen.

My 1989 MKI is also oiled, not varnished.

I think I recall a post that "Red Oak" wood stain (e.g. from Minwax) is a close match to some interiors. I have not tried this yet on my boat, but seem to recall reading this somewhere.

John,
you can of course just reapply some oil, but when i purchased my boat about 4 years ago I decided to varnish it with the idea that it would lighten it somewhat. And that is what i did but it is alot of work. you would be best served by removing everything from the boat that is not nailed or screwed down then covering everything that is not wood. if i recall correctly i used an acetone wipe (wearing a good air filter) and tried to pick up as much oil as possible from the wood. i then lightly sanded every place i could reach then another wipe down and then i used an oil based varnish. I am happy with the results after 4 years but it is a lot of work and i might have been just a well off if i had cleaned up the old finishes and re-applied oil.
just a thought, good luck!

one more thing i used a gloss finish but if i go back and do it again i will use a semi-gloss

If it's a '98 it's not oil, it's likely the Target EM2000 series water based finish. That's what was used on our '95 model and I'm pretty sure it was used by Catalina till end of production. At least the Target distributor told me that it had been. It does not have any colour to it and it was applied directly over clean raw teak with no stain that I am aware of. This is also confirmed in our build sheet which we got in the documentation from the PO.

This stuff is super easy to use and if the wood has not discoloured, all you need to do is sand very lightly and re-apply a few coats. It sets up very quickly, you can do many coats in a day. I refinished pretty much all our interior wood in the galley/salon area using that approach, it was easy to do and took little time.

Someone mentioned stain before. I have used Dark Cherry stain on mahogany plywood for a few small filler pieces and it matches the original wood in my boat perfectly. This spring I am going to start in the bow and slowly work towards getting the whole boat varnished inside. Hopefully I will get far enough that it is past the point of quitting before I realize how big a job it is!

How do you tell the difference between an old oiled finish and old varnish? I thought the finish on my 1989 boat is varnish, but am not sure.

Jason,
i don't believe that there is any reason nor should you would want to stain teak. beside being insanely expensive teak is a very pretty wood in it's natural state. I would think that a little elbow grease should bring out that. I know there are a lot of folks with Mark I's that are very happy with an oiled finish so maybe a few could offer some advise. In my boats case the PO had applied something to the wood that made it very dark and i wanted to lighten it up a bit, that is why i went through the process i did.
regards
PS if I'm not mistaken i believe that Catalina started varnishing the interior went they produced the mark II. your boat obviously would not be a mark II.

[quote=Gary Teeter;7388]How do you tell the difference between an old oiled finish and old varnish? I thought the finish on my 1989 boat is varnish, but am not sure.[/quote]

I think it's likely oiled Gary. We had a '90 Cat 28 and it had oiled teak. Shouldn't be too hard to tell, varnished finish should be a smooth hard coating with most of the grain depressions filled in whereas oil is likely going to have a softer feel and then grain depressions will be obvious.

If you scratch (lightly) with your thumbnail an oil finish likely will go light where you scratched, varnish shouldn't change.

My 1995 MKII has the Target Coatings EM2000 coating...your 1998 should have the same.

My companionway steps were in sad shape and needed to be refinished. To fix the blemishes, it needed to be sanded down to bare wood to, so I took it home for a good winter project. I sanded the entire piece down to bare wood and applied the satin version of EM2000. It was an easy project and it came out terrific. You can do multiple coats in one day....just follow the directions.

I would stay away form using bleach. For other areas in my galley that just need a "sprucing up", I would follow Bud's recommendation and lightly sand and apply a few coats of this finish.

I'm not sure if the water based EM2000 will be as durable a finish versus traditional varnish, but I can easily see why Catalina Yachts switched over ...the ease of applying multiple coats by sprayer, water based clean-up and lower VOC's all had to add up to significant cost savings.

[QUOTE=John Reimann;7375][B]Also, can I strip and bleach just those spots, or do I have to do the entire surface to get an even-looking finish?[/B][/QUOTE]

John,

I was just responding to what you asked...so I took it literally...as bleach. IF I used anything it would be a product like Starbrights' teak cleaner, then teak brightener. Let me know what you do and how it comes out as I have an area up by the v-berth hatch that has the same appearance.

We got satin, the Target distributor told us that was what Catalina used for everything inside the cabin. Comparing old finised areas to newly refinished areas, it seems right. I agree with Pat T about the oil based for outside, I use gloss Bristol or Cetol clear gloss, prefer Bristol but it is ridiculous costly now. And both of them do darken teak a lot, the interior looks way better with the lighter water based finish IMHO.

Here's what we've learned

[url]http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,2348.0.html[/url]

[url]http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,897.0.html[/url]

Also be aware that West Marine makes a combo teak cleaner and brightener in one bottle which may save a step on work down below. I used it on our handrails and it works just fine.

Target no longer makes the Oxford series of coatings. Here's the link to what I was told is the current stuff that will work over top of the original finish and what I used inside without issue:

[url]http://www.targetcoatings.com/emtech-2000.html[/url]

Note that it both interior/exterior but I haven't tried it outside the cabin.

I'd be interested in knowing if anyone has used the new product from Target Coatings in the prior post. I'd love to be able to use a water based product that will stand up to some water (leaks). I can't tolerate solvent based stuff, gives me migraines. Just walking by someone using Cetol in the marina is an instant migraine. Last winter I brought home all of the cabinet doors, head door, ladder and the trim above/below the windows/ports. I stripped them all and used Helmsman varnish, applying it in my wood shop wearing a respirator. May have given some mice a headache, but left me alone. All are darker than they were from the factory, except the head door, which I did not strip, just gave a good light sanding.

I'd like to put a coat or two on all of the bulkheads, just for insurance. None have any finish failures at this point, but that's probably just luck. If I could use a water based finish, that would be just great, as I could stay on the boat and do multiple coats in a weekend.

So very curious to hear if this newer product is better than the old. The product description says it's for interior or exterior, so sounds promising.

Gary, our starboard bulkhead chainplate had been leaking for some time, the leak was on the back side of it so it wasn't apparent. There was rotten wood at the bottom of the bulkhead but the finish was sound under the chainplate even though the water was running down between the chainplate and bulkhead. There was no sign of a leak at all, only when the seat back and cushion were removed and some poking with a sharp object done was there any visible signs of water intrusion, It was on the bulkhead at the very bottom where the water would pool on the fiberglass lip and soak the wood.

Our boat build sheet said the interior finish was Target water based so I called them. I was told that the original Target product Catalina used was called Embrevar (SP?) and the EM2000 is the newest direct replacement for it. Both are water based but the EM2000 is newer techology. If the Embrevar held up to that water, I'm sure the EM2000 will be fine. I've put a couple of coats on most of the interior in the cabin, including all the woodwork around the galley and any water that's gotten on it, especially around the counter and sink, has not caused any issues.

That is a big downside of this chainplate design and it's something that an owner should keep an eye on. Pretty easy to check and a lot of trouble if it's not caught early. But that's another thread.

I have used water based finishes inside the various houses we've reno'd since about 1994, generally high gloss since it was mainly used on trim. They all are very easy to use and low odor. There are some differences though. I've used Behr, Minwax and now the Target. The Minwax would often bubble on the surface and was the hardest to use. That bubbling problem was a characteristic with water based finishes, or at least it was in the early days. The Behr product and the Target did not have any issues with bubbles and any Minwax I've used in the last 8 years has also not had that problem anymore. But you never shake them or stir too vigorously right before using, if you do you'll get bubbles from air entrapment.

I've never put one over the other so I don't really know what would happen. I got the Target for the boat to avoid any possible issues like that and because it is interior/exterior rated. None of the other ones I've used were rated for exterior use, just interior. They're probably very similar, safest thing to do would be try some in an unnoticeable spot first before jumping into the big jobs.

John, I don't cut the first coat with water based finishes but that's just me. Never had a problem so far with penetration. It might be thinner than the oil based, it seems so to me. I'd suggest be guided by the manufacturer though.

I followed the directions on the Target Coatings can and diluted my first two coats by 20%. Remember that I sanded my companionway steps to bare wood and I think the initial thinned coats penetrated the wood better. The end product turned out great.

As far as topcoats the directions say to use as supplied or thin up to 10%...I thinned my top coats per these directions. The water based product is really east to use and I did not experience bubbling problems; however, I do agree with the previous comments to be careful not to stir too much as that will induce air bubbles.

My 1991 C36 interior was coated with the Target water based varnish. It had/has a nice light look, which I found very appealing.

Four years ago I recoated the entire interior. I talked with Catalina and Target and learned that the appropriate product at that time (2007) was the Target Oxford Ultima Brushing varnish, which I believe is no longer available. It was a satin finish. I brushed on three coats, and it came out looking great, although it darkened the color just a tad. I believe they had a gloss version, too, which I used on some of the trim pieces. For preparation I washed everything down, then scuffed the surface with the maroon 3M Scotch Pad. Very easy to work with, since you can do 2 coats in one day.

The EM2000 water based varnish described in this thread is the current generation of the old Oxford water based varnish. Looks like it comes in a gloss and satin varieties. In fact, on one website, it is described as part of the Oxford family.

I would try that product.

As for the sole of the boat, I did not like the look of the Target varnish. I sanded it lightly, and applied two coats of Epifanes Gloss, a traditional tung oil varnish, then one coat of Epifanes Rubbed Effect Varnish, sanding between coats. It has a nice satin luster, and resists scratching, and has been darn durable (except for that dropped winch handle!). More work than the water based varnish, but worth it, for my tastes.

Good luck,

Nelson

John,

This might make you feel better...the cost of one quart of Epifanes is around $36 at Defender...and you still have to pay shipping. I refinished my hatch boards and companionway steps with the Target Coatings and still have enough left over to do touch up work in the galley, salon and v-berth.

I've just checked the Target site and they have their gallon cans on sale plus with free shipping. Now I realize that a quart is plenty, but with free shipping on a gallon for twice the cost of a quart and shipping you get four times as much product. Very sharable if there are several in one area that could go in together. I'm am ordering a gallon simply because I'm so miserly, and if I find anyone in Eastern NC that wants a quart, I'll gladly oblidge.

BT

How about the interior wood on the mkii's?  Mine is a 1999 with the light color wood interior is that teak or some other hard wood?

I have been trading notes with Catalina about my MK1. Here's the response on the interior finish of my 1986... Hope it is helpful.

    "Tim
    Yes, we do know what the interior finish was on your 1986 C-36.  As you may know or guess it would      have been different in ’96 & ’06, but in ’86 the interior teak eft the Woodland Hills plant with  a very          light coat of teak oil.  It was light (as opposed to heavy) so that in a month or two the dealer (if a              stock boat) or new owner (if just bought) could either keep going with an oiled interior (heavier) or          switch to a regular (at that time no doubt oil based) varnish (such as Interlux 60).  So unlike the later      boats in the 90;s that came with a Water based varnish like Target or Nano-Sheen by Alt. Finishes,        it’s whatever was put on after it left.
     Best, Warren
 
      Ps:  remember, on the solid teak fiddles or grab rails, you can sand away, but on the veneered              bulkheads, don’t sand much on the 1/16” veneer or you’ll go thru!"
 

I realize this an old thread but for me a new problem. I have a few places where there has been water damage to my port bulkhead. Knowing that the veneer is too thin to sand I have taped off and citrus stripped those areas back to very nice looking raw teak. I was very pleased that all of the water damage staining seems to have disappeared after thoroughly drying. Now I am trying to figure out what coating to put over the raw teak veneer which will most closely match the rest of the bulkhead which continues to be original 1995 Mark II finish. Research here would seem to indicate that the tm2000 coating would be the way to go. However I have the original build sheet for my boat which I have attached here indicating an Eco water based varnish. When I research the Eco varnish I come up with this https://www.ecospaints.net/ecos-polyurethane-varnish-stain. Please forgive my inserting a link that way as I'm not sure how to make it clickable as I am on my phone. At this point I'm not sure what to do. Going off of the build sheet I am leaning towards ordering a pint of the Eco varnish and trying it on some test pieces. But if others here would be convinced that the TM2000 coating is the best way to go I would certainly like to hear about that. Also some of the posts here seem to indicate that there are people that we can call it Catalina for this kind of historical research. Being new to Catalina I'm not sure how to do that. I would welcome someone pointing me in the right direction. Thanks in advance for your help.

I have zero cushions Cat36 1989 mkI

im guessing nobody here has exact 1989 catalina 36 mkI interior measurements to send to a cushion maker

if so im grateful but I have looked hither & yon & found nothing solid

Isnt there a schematic somewhere???

Regarding the cushions, some time ago this was posted on the Catalina 28 website - "Hilario Martinez has patterns for carpet and ran old upholstery shop for Catalina, (818) 470-9664, Catalinainteriorandcanvas@gmail.com"
I just checked the website and they do offer replacements for the C36.