Comparison of Colour and Brightness Values of Different Varnishes Applied to Woods Used in Manufacturing Wooden Yachts

This study investigated the colour performance of various varnishes used in wooden yachts under rapid ageing, focusing on brightness and salt fog effects. Limba (Combretaceae terminalia superba) and chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) and sapele (Entandrophragma cylindricum) test wooden were created for the samples. Yacht, polyurethane and epoxy varnish were used as varnish types in the experiments. As a result of the rapid test, the most significant color change among the tree species was found in sapele, while the least color change was found in limba. Among the varnishes, the highest colour change was observed in epoxy varnish. The highest brightness value was observed in the limba tree and the lowest in the sapele tree. The highest gloss value among the varnishes was obtained in the epoxy varnish, while the yacht varnish resulted in the lowest gloss value. The highest colour change among the tree species under the salty water effect was observed in the sapele wood and the lowest colour change occurred in the limba wood. The highest colour change was observed in the epoxy varnish and the difference between polyurethane and yacht varnish was not statistically significant. It has been observed that selecting the appropriate varnish according to the tree species used in yacht construction has an enhancing effect on the protective layer performance on the wood surface.