Finnegan wrote:
You mention darker color and shiny finish. That equals varnish.

First, sand wood smooth, eliminating all traces of black color streaks deep in the grain. Finish with #150. 3M Sandblaster or professional grade is the only paper I would ever use. Good sanding prop is the most important step in any varnishing process. Not sanding down all of the raised grain yields poor varnish rersults.

Stain with ZAR brand #120 teak oil based stain. Let dry for 48 hours. This is like applying a sunblock/UV filter to the wood, and prevents future yellowing.

Finish with 10-12 coats of Z-Spar Flagship varnish (has high UV filtering), or other good brand. Sand with #320 between coats.

If you do it correctly, it will look like this:

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/lgolt...2637754273

All wood has to be removed from the boat for proper varnishing.