Putting a finish on a fresh water dock

[dirk martin]

I am replacing the boards, on my fresh water dock.
I want something pretty, so I'm going with Red Cedar.
It's a low traffic dock, so the soft nature of cedar, is fine.

I want it to stay red, so I want a UV finish on it.

I bought a can of this:

Even though it reads "clear", it had a brownish tint, when I opened the can.
I brushed it on a test piece, and it certainly made the red cedar look washed out, and dingey.

Is anyone aware of a finish I can put on this cedar, to make the color stay nice and red? I don't mind if I have to redo it every year or two.

[Howard Acheson]

There is no finish made that will last very long when exposed to outdoor conditions and the UV from sunlight. The UV additive put in some exterior finishes is destroyed as it absorbs the UV. This is the reason that exterior finishes need to be periodically sanded and a couple of new coats applied. Us boaters wish this weren't so.