Thread: Seacraft deck staining

Your idea will work, though typically, the staining process is before the final finishes go down. I see no reason to adhere to this routine if you don't want to and it would protect the clear coated areas to a degree.

Use PVC or vinyl tape to mask off the cleared areas. Crape tape (typical masking or blue masking tapes) will permit some stain under the edges.

Before you apply the clear to the rails, carefully tape the deck, so you don't get clear on the areas you'll be staining later.

Lastly, make sure the clear is very dry, before applying tape to it (a week or more). Freshly applied finishes may be dry to the touch, but are still soft underneath. If you apply tape over this yet not completely cured finish, you'll cuss like an old sailor that just bashed his thumb with a 15 pound hammer, when you remove the tape and see "tape marks". Trust me on this, I've had this lesson pounded into me more then once, in a rush to get something finished.

Frankly, if you're neat, you can tape things off, stain and pull the tape without too much concern (no clear first). This assumes you're not bathing the surface with stain, but carefully applying it in a controlled way (rag). This is the usual route.

just throwing this out there, i used bote-cote on some timber in my tinny and it gave it a nice wet glossy look. it not really a stainer but more of an epoxy glue that is used to preotect timber boats. from boatcraft pacific in qld

Bote Coat has a number of products, which did you use? If it was regular Bote Coat epoxy, then you might have sealed the wood, but it has very little UV protection and should be varnished, polyurethaned or painted to provide this protection.

yeah it was just the standard 2:1 epoxy. its just for a few peices of decking for the battery and fuel tank to sit on, nothing special.

Yep, epoxy is good stuff, but it can't stand alone against the elements, so you have to protect it with paint, varnish or polyurethane.