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Fedter · 01-02-2008, 07:37

Hi

I'm new to this froum, so hello everybody.

Would you choose a teak deck on your next boat? What would be best in regards to maintenance and lifetime?

Fedter

rtbates · 01-02-2008, 07:45

Only IF it's laid down WITHOUT screws. Otherwise they leak and either way they are hot as hell. So, no never. They do look nice or can..

Pura Vida · 01-02-2008, 08:02

Personally no. I have never owned a boat with one, but have sailed on many and repaired a few. There may be a fastening method that I am unaware of, but most of the time teak decks require adding hundreds of holes in the deck. The resultant leaks are what I have had to fix along with the rot associated with those leaks. I remember one boat where the teak was installed using screws from the underside of the deck. Once enough wood wore away there were tiny metal points to deal with. Teak has some very good qualities as a deck surface but all deck surfaces will eventually have to be replaced and teak is the hardest to do. In the past I've used treadmaster which is also a trade off. My own boat will be getting a coating of painted on nonskid soon. It will not last as long but it is easier to apply and I prefer the look and weight. Ferenc Mate's book The Finely Fitted Yacht discusses installing teak decks that is worth a read before you attempt to install one yourself. In the end it is a matter of your own dream. If pretty wood makes your sailing more enjoyable, teak decks may be for you. Welcome!

svHyLyte · 01-02-2008, 08:36

Having had teak decks and now not having them, I'd do without. They are costly to install and replace, difficult to maintain, and make the boat hot as heck. While the newer installs are done with adheasives and vacume bagging rather than screws, they are a bear to repair while the screwed in decks invariably seem to leak.

FWIW!

s/v HyLyte

Latitude9.5 · 01-02-2008, 10:22

Never. I've never owned one personally, but I've been "involved" with them intimately and it just aint worth it

seafox · 01-02-2008, 10:24

ok for trim and interior but not decks.

Trim50 · 01-02-2008, 10:57

Love mine...wouldn't trade it for a Porche. Laid with epoxy and maintained quite easily with SEMCO.

44'cruisingcat · 01-02-2008, 10:58

On a timber boat maybe, but not on anything else.

Trim50 · 01-02-2008, 11:02

I laid mine over glass...looks and functions wonderfully. The cost wasn't so bad either.

Tnflakbait · 01-02-2008, 11:17

I am a fan of teak decks. My parents schooner has never had any leaks and the planks are screwed onto the decks through fiberglass. They are more work to keep up than nonskid decks but they look better and feel better on the feet. They are also very durable. Been on a boat for 2 years in the tropics with teak decks and never found it to be any hotter than other boats. If doing a new install of teak decks I would make them a little thicker than you would think. This way ten years down the line you can sand of the top 1/8" and have new decks again.
I'm sure that methods used today for teak decks are far better than they used to be.

Trim50 · 01-02-2008, 11:23

Yep, I've had both teak and glass...and they both get equally hot...no reason one would get any hotter than the other. Not only that, you can run sea water over the teak with a small pump and it acts as an evaporative cooling system since the teak holds the water as it evaporates. Can't do that with glass.

With the advent of SEMCO, teak deck maintenance is simple. One to two applications a year. Only takes 3 hours to apply to my entire deck.

cburger · 01-02-2008, 14:46

After three summers on my hands and knees refurbishing my teak decks would I do it again, in a heartbeat. Besides being one of the best non skid materials around there is nothing as pretty as a beautiful teak deck. As far as leaks go its like anything else, its all about the quality of the installation. Our deck was screwed and bedded in Thiocal and except for the failed seaming compound are as good as the day the where laid over thirty years ago.

psteele235 · 01-02-2008, 16:00

As a kid, when cruising as a family the first thing we were taught to do when up and about in the am would be to take a stiff bristled brush and a bucket of sea water and scrub the teak decks down. Kept both us and the deck in shape.