Whittaker 299, Owner'S Manual

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7.3 CONTINUED
The smooth gelcoat surfaces should be wiped and polished with a
good automotive wax or a boat wax that is especially formulated
for fiberglass surfaces at least once a year. A power buffer
will make work on the large areas, like the hull easier, but
care must be taken not to cut through the gelcoat surface,
particularly at corners and edges. Color in gelcoat, as any
material exposed to direct sunlight tends to fade, dull or chalk
and will require heavier buffing to bring back the original
luster. For power cleaning use a fine abrasive cleaner.
7.4 WOODWORK
The exterior and interior trim is teak, one
of the most durable
and decorative of all hardwoods, but it must be maintained to
keep it from splitting and discoloring. Teak may be mainta1ned
in these ways:
1. Leaving the teak untreated and allowing it to weather
naturally can cause splitting and poor appearance. Bronze
wool or fine sandpaper should be used periodically to
clean the surface and a commercially available
preparation such as TeakBrite should be applied to combat
the dull gray appearance of naturally weathered wood and
help eliminate splitting.
Caution
Never use steel wool. Small filaments of steel break off
and cause rust spots that are very difficult to remove.
The cockpit seat and main companionway hatch horizontal
surfaces are constructed of teak veneer plywood. Sanding
should be Minimized on these surfaces. Chemical cleaner
may be used instead. These surfaces in particular should
be kept well oiled or varnished.
2. Varnishing is an alternative for maintaining your
exterior teak and imparts the last word in a yacht
finish, but requires the most maintenance. However, for
those who wish a "Bristol" condition yacht, it is the
only way to go. If you decide to varnish, be prepared to
add at least one additional coat approximately every four
months. If the teak has been "oiled" it must be cleaned
by scraping and/or heavy sanding with #80 or #100
paper
before sealing and varnishing.