Boat questions.

[AlanS]

I am a woodworker, not too familiar with boats...I have been asked to do a few things on a friend's Freedom 40. Cherry interior, teak/holly ply floors.
Questions:
1. The floor is teak and holly ply panels. The top side is obviously finished, but the underside of the panels is NOT. Should we finish the undersides? My intuition tells me that to reduce moisture uptake and to stabilize the panel, we SHOULD...yes? Then, if yes, with WHAT?
2. There are several teak exterior pieces (steps, some mouldings, some minor exterior panels)with a failing finish (a varnish I am assuming), it is peeling. What finish could we put on the pieces to seal/protect without the hassle of varnish. I have used teak oils for interior work, but it seems that this would "wash away" quickly outside the vessel.
3. Is anyone familiar with the finish used on the interior? It appears to be a satin lacquer. The interior needs some minor touch-ups, is there any harm in using lacquer on a sea-worthy vessel?

[graemet]

I seem to remember a thread about this in the boating section a little while back. I have used the West epoxy system successfully for sealing all the timber on my TS. Teak is an oily timber and must be degreased before hitting it with any finish if you want it to stick. A short answer here really can't give you the whole picture, if you go to any stockist of West System products, they have a very comprehensive instruction book FOR FREE with very detailed directions. Another very good publication is "The Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction" which is probably in your local library if you don't feel like buying it. You are asking for trouble if you don't seal the underside and edges of any panels in a marine environment. Even if you have marine grade glues in the ply, constant moisture variation on one side and a sealed stable finish on the other will eventually cause a breakdown of the bond.
Graeme