New member sign up / Transom varnish

[W77]

Hi just signed up.
My name is Ray I live in North Yorkshire, not the perfect area for sailing activity, but I'm retired with plenty opportunity to travel and looking to try my hand at a little crusing inland and possibly inshore.
Spent 49 years working in engineering and happy to be retired now, I always wanted a boat for some none serious pleasure sailing and I can remember many years ago I inherited a British Anzani 5 hp motor which I used on a friend's Avon , great fun.
Jumped in recently and bought an Avon rover R3 10 which is old but tidy, added a Suzuki df6 and now spending my winter tidying up bits and pieces and planning for next year.
I'm rubbing down the oars and deck boards and varnishing with international original varnish, I'm impressed by the Avon quality the boards are in excellent condition and the original varnish is as hard as nails takes some rubbing down, have decided that it will never be pristine again but tidy and well protected will do fine.
I would appreciate the advice of an experienced member on varnish for the transom, it is in pretty good condition but I would like the preserve it like that while the enthusiasm is still strong.

[Fenlander]

Welcome to the forum Ray. Like you my work was engineering biased and I'm now retired. Also like you a bit inland so the nearest sea is a near two hour drive.

Despite running a more modern SIB now with the only varnish being the added non-original oars I very much prized the two older SIBs I owned a while ago. An Avon 310 I guess 80/90s and a Zodiac of similar length which was from the 70s. Both mine had floorboards and transom in sound condition so a light rub down to key the surface before a coat of varnish was all they needed to look really nice.

[W77]

Thank you for the welcome.
That looks very nice and tidy, i like to see something so well made being looked after.
Mine is pretty tidy under side of the boards are great with solid dark varnish, top of the boards show signs of wear and tear I'm rubbing the top and the edges right down and re varnishing but just keying the bottom to put on a light coat.
Transom is good but not like yours and I want to make it sound for several more years. Modern varnish is confusing some claim to be super tough but look close and they say don't allow to be submerged.

[Fenlander]

Unless you leave your SIB moored on the water full time I'd not worry about the "not for under the waterline" guidance on some varnishes and paints. I've used varnish, grey paint plus currently satin black for transoms and as long as they were for exterior use none has suffered from normal SIB leisure type use. That includes being moored on holiday for a two week period in salt water.

[W77]

Thanks for that the international paints varnish seems pretty good so far, so I'll go with that, the boat should only be used for day trips while I own it.
Perhaps when I'm new to something I might over think it, must admit I tend to enjoy restoring things just for the pleasure of it i blame the repair shop program on BBC.
And I used to own a land rover defender, rebuilt the engine, transfer box and most of the running gear, but decided it was time to let it go.

[Fenlander]

>>> I tend to enjoy restoring things just for the pleasure of it...

Another crossover for us then. I restore old clocks for one of my many hobbies, and I mean proper old like mid 1700s not some of the questionable ones you see on the repair shop. Oh and like many on here I've been through the old Land Rover stage.

[W77]

Oh dear I recognise the symptoms

Couple of years ago I put in a daft bid and ended up with a long case clock I think it's between 1750 and 1790 lovely old thing.
The land rover was a TD5 90 and ended up as the best Defender in miles, now with a new owner enjoying the fruits of my labour and bolting bits on to it left right centre.
I'm looking forward to using my Avon and having the backup of experienced members on here to save me from the pitfalls.