Paints

After two years of constant exposure, the test frame is getting rickety, but the teak is sound, as are about a quarter of the varnish applications.

Micron Extra from Interlux and Pettit's Trinidad SR are still top-notch paints, but running nearly neck-and-neck with the coppers is E-Paint's EP 2000.

Eight coatings, all made by either Interlux or Epifanes, earn excellent ratings in our kick-off test.

Paint and varnish shouldn't be too difficult to understand: They're coatings you apply with a brush, roller or pad to protect or beautify the...

In the beginning, there was paint, and for a long time the repair of scratches and gouges was relatively simple.

Last March, we reported the initial results of a new long-term varnish exposure test. What a difference a year makes!

20 different brands are brushed on teak panels and put out to weather in the sun, rain and snow. Here’s a 6-month report.

Micron Optima rates best at preventing growth on hulls, but its short pot life makes runners-up Trinidad SR, ACP Ultima and Micron CSC Extra look equally good.û

Most varnishes don’t last long in the tropics and, unfortunately for Nick, Calypso has a laminated captrail that requires protection.

A trend in recent years has been the gradual elimination of exterior teak on boats. This is understandable, given the amount of time and...