Teak deck maintenance costs

[Jolly Roger]

I’ve had both teak and fiberglass decks.
My first boat had teak decks on plywood. It was a newish boat, so we didn’t have any immediate problems. I used to varnish the cover boards and king planks and it looked fabulous! After a few years in the Mediterranean’s temperate climate some of the caulking started to lift and it was a slow, hands and knees job to scrape it out and re-caulk it. We also had leaks, mainly where the cover boards met the bulwarks. This is a difficult place to seal.
My current boat has a fiberglass deck, which is also very hot on the feet in Florida, but it doesn’t leak.
For me the only benefit for real teak is appearance.
I’ve had quotes for false teak glued on at around $18,000, so that’s out the window. It does look good but is very heavy, as is real teak.
So I’m looking into actually painting sections a light grey, then highlighting with black caulking stripes to simulate planks. I’ve seen it done and it is very striking, but a big job on a fifty footer.
If you buy an old boat with teak decks have it surveyed properly.
Ultimately it’s just a matter of choice, and what you are prepared to put up with.

[CSY Man]

30 years ago I owned a 30 year old boat with teak decks.
Screwed on to plywood.
Caulk and seems getting old, teak getting thin, lots of maintenance and plenty decks leaks in heavy rain.
Used saltwater, as mentioned numerous times above, to keep it cool and swelled up, but the salt was probably not good for the bronze fasteners holding the deck in place.
At the time we lived on the boat in the Virgin Islands and asked advice on how to fix it from local wood shops. The general consensus was to sail to Venezuela and have it replaced with cheap labor and materials.
Never got a round to it.
Picture of the boat: A 1956 Bill Tripp 43 Bermuda Racer, “Katingo”

[Terra Nova]

Best way to maintain a teak deck is to keep it covered when not under way.