teak wood

[SkunkBoat]

I used teak oil for 9 years and switched to polyuerethane last year. Boat is in water from May/Nov, uncovered. The teak inside the cabin is great and i still just oil it in place. The exterior teak has always turned grey and green by August.
In the spring I would powerwash the exterior teak lightly to remove the grey, then remove it and oil it. I found I made a mess trying to oil it in place. Last spring it was looking pretty rough and after sanding a lot, I actually used a planer on the rails of the sliding hatch. It was so smooth and beautiful I decided to go the urethane route and see if it could last. I used at least 3 coats, sanding between them. Came out Beautiful! The folding doors, glove box and dash trim held up great right thru the season and winter. That will save me some prep each season.
However, the sliding hatch pieces have a small amount grey. I'm going to do light sanding and a few more coats and try one more season. Try to figure out if I should switch back to oil on the hatch. Powerwashing and oil is a whole lot easier than sanding and urethane.

To summarize, Oil is easier but doesn't hold up in the weather. You'll have to do it every season. Urethane holds up through the season in exposed areas except horizontal deck pieces.

I used Starbright teak oil and Zspar urethane