C-Forum

Just curious what the owners of the open versions are doing or not doing with the gunnels. Taking them off and oiling, leaving them on and oiling or nothing at all. I've noticed most of the ones I've seen do not seem to have any oil applied.

New mine did not appear to have been oiled. I rub mine down 2 times/year with boiled linseed oil cut 50/50 with varsol.

I put a few coats of Hellsman Urethane Spar varnish on mine when I got it last spring and it did not hold up well. This season I am using a marine grade urethane varnish. It may just be that I need to refinish them two or three times a year.

Kyle

One or two coats of tung oil, whenever they start to look beat up or thirsty.

djutzi wrote:One or two coats of tung oil, whenever they start to look beat up or thirsty.

Pretty much this. I use Watco Teak oil. Typically every 3 or 4 river trips, I take some sand paper and knock down the splintery areas, then rub down with one coat of the watco.

I've got some of the Watco Teak Oil. Do you think it's worth the effort to remove the gunnels to coat the side that goes up against the plastic or is it so tight that no water gets to it. I'm thinking not. I've got a wood gunneled Outrage that I've never taken the gunnels off and it seems to have held up fine over the years.

ELGOTTO wrote:I've got some of the Watco Teak Oil. Do you think it's worth the effort to remove the gunnels to coat the side that goes up against the plastic or is it so tight that no water gets to it. I'm thinking not. I've got a wood gunneled Outrage that I've never taken the gunnels off and it seems to have held up fine over the years.

Probably will be OK, but I opened my L'Edge up and made my own gunwales, and I put 3-4 coats of oil on the gunwales before installing them for the last time.

Relax dude. That's more than half the work of installing new gunnels . Just slap some oil on outside and go paddling... or spend some time with the Mrs so you can go paddling when it rains.

Yeah you're right I need to relax. Problem is this boat cost more than my others combined so I'm putting a lot of thought into it. I was really hoping everyone would say don't bother with oiling them and if you do definitely don't remove them to oil the inside.

If you remove your gunnes to oil them on the inside, you'll be the first person I know of who's done it, with a l'Edge or with any other boat.

So, I would say, don't worry about oiling them on the inside...

Hope that helps!

I ALWAYS oil my gunwales on the inside before installing them. I think other manufacturers do that too.

I would use tung oil not linseed (linseed is prone to cause mold spores).

I usually just coat my gunwales with a thick coat of 100% pure tung oil
Let it stand for 30 minutes and wipe of excess

Only have to do that twice a year

Ps putting minwax spar on factory gunwales won't work because of the oils in their production
It will not stick

Wouldn't mould cause mould spores?

I also use tung oil.