Brightwork also known historically as "bright work" refers to the exposed and

varnish Varnish is a clear transparent hard protective coating or film. It is not a stain. It usually has a yellowish shade from the manufacturing process and materials used, but it may also be pigmented as desired, and is sold commercially in variou ...

ed wood or metal work of a boat. The metal is usually

brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wi ...

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids suc ...

that is kept polished, or stainless steel, which requires less maintenance. In the past, due to the environmental exposure experienced by boats,

corrosion Corrosion is a natural process that converts a refined metal into a more chemically stable oxide. It is the gradual deterioration of materials (usually a metal) by chemical or electrochemical reaction with their environment. Corrosion engi ...

and UV damage made maintaining brightwork both Sisyphean and extremely labor-intensive. However, with the development of improved UV-absorbers and filters in the chemical composition of the various marine varnishes ( spar varnish,

polyurethane Polyurethane (; often abbreviated PUR and PU) refers to a class of polymers composed of organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links. In contrast to other common polymers such as polyethylene and polystyrene, polyurethane is produced from ...

, or linear polyurethane), this work is not as intensive as it once was. Varnished finishes are maintained by sanding and re-finishing,{{cite book, author=Rebecca Wittman, title=Brightwork: The Art of Finishing Wood, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sTP1ndssg0AC&q=%22tropics%22, year=1990, publisher=McGraw Hill Professional, isbn=978-0-07-157981-0, page=100 and metalwork is maintained by polishing.

Popular culture

The demanding labor of brightwork maintenance has been a storied part of maritime life for some 250 years, since before the days of William Mountaine and ''The Seaman's Vade-Mecum'' (first published 1744). As a result, it is occasionally referred to in the broader culture. For example, in the song "When I was a Lad" from the

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ...

comic opera, ''

H.M.S. Pinafore ''H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, which ...

'', in which Sir Joseph Porter, the First Lord of the Admiralty, recounts that he climbed the political ladder in large part by his ability to "polish up the handle of the big front door". Lord Nelson might have cast a jaundiced eye on such an attitude, but surely those brave boat owners who persevere in completing their own brightwork varnishing project will feel that they have "gained the most splendid and decisive victory", albeit one that was perhaps "dearly purchased".

References

Nautical terminology Sailboat components