Wooden Boat People

By McKenzieDriftBoat.com

Oil Finish

Hello WBP,

I just joined the forum and am looking forward to learning from many of you as I consider building my first wooden drift boat.

Though most recommend epoxy and glass, I am particularly interested in trying an oil finish for both the inside and outside of my drift boat.

I would love to hear from others that have used oil for both inside and outside their boats.

Here's my question:

Does it work? i.e.. Does it float without leaking? Does it look reasonably good? Does it simply the refinishing process? Are you glad you did it? Would you do it again?

Thanks,

Brent

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lawrence E. Long on October 8, 2015 at 11:33am

Brent: you will get lots of answers I hope. What wood will you be using for your boat? Merranti and Okume take oil well but Douglas Fir PW will check heavily unless you cover it with FG. Oil/turps/pine tar has been used on the decks of sailing ships since ? No mater what oil/paint you use will stop leaks. Close fits and good glues do that. It looks good but will tend to get darker over time as the UV rays and mildew oxidize the oil. It has to be done on a regular basis- depending on where it is stored and how much use it gets.

AJ and some of the pros have lots of experience with lots of boats using oil.

Good Luck

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Brent Butikofer on October 8, 2015 at 12:25pm

Thank you Lawrence,

I want to use Okume or Merranti for the entire boat, 1/4" on the sides and 3/8" + 1/4" shoe on the bottom, and oil everything. I also want to use an adhesive caulk for all joints other than the scarfs (which would be epoxy). I plan to store the boat inside a garage in Idaho (dry climate) and use it 5 -10 times a year. Hope this helps.