Refinishing / Caulking Interior Teak and Maple floor

[bdaalex]

Hi,

The floor on my '01 Tiara 3100 is due for a refinish. The problem is that the teak boards and maple slats are beveled so that there is about a 1/4" groove at ever joint. I guess this was done for asthetics, but it is a nightmare to clean and I am really not looking forward to sanding out the grooves. I contacted Tiara and the floors are 3/4" solid teak/maple with a matte polyurethane finish. My questions are:

1) Any tips for stripping and sanding, given the grooves?

2) I am considering filling the grooves with black caulking like exterior teak decking. Is this a good/bad idea? I figure it will save me from sanding out the grooves extensively and will ease cleaning later.

3) What is the best finish? I am considering an oil over the current polyurethane for ease of application and maintenance. (I know this is an extensively discussed topic and was thinking in the context of the caulking).