Teak Decks and Wood Masts

[triton274]

So Im on the prowl for a boat and have come across a few boats with teak decks and wood masts (late 1970's vintage fiberglass boats that appear to be well kept). We are NOT people who enjoy working on the boat more than sailing so with that in mind we are trying to figure out if we should exclude boats with these features from our search. Some questions we have are:

-What is involved in maintaining a teak deck?
-What is involved in maintaining a wood masts (sitka spruce and Fir-box construction)?
-How much life can one expect from a new wood mast?
-How much time and cost should one expect to spend on the upkeep of a teak deck and/or wood mast on a yearly basis? what about on the long term?

[capngeo]

Originally Posted by triton274

So Im on the prowl for a boat and have come across a few boats with teak decks and wood masts (late 1970's vintage fiberglass boats that appear to be well kept). We are NOT people who enjoy working on the boat more than sailing so with that in mind we are trying to figure out if we should exclude boats with these features from our search. Some questions we have are:

-What is involved in maintaining a teak deck?
-What is involved in maintaining a wood masts (sitka spruce and Fir-box construction)?
-How much life can one expect from a new wood mast?
-How much time and cost should one expect to spend on the upkeep of a teak deck and/or wood mast on a yearly basis? what about on the long term?

RE: Bold.... you have to ask?

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by capngeo

RE: Bold.... you have to ask?

ROFL....

[SkiprJohn]

If you don't like working more than sailing the teak decks are an issue. The wood masts require a once every six months hoist up the mast to check for wood rot. Wood masts can last a very long time if maintained properly. Each time there is a chip in the paint or varnish it must be addressed before dry rot can start. If you don't want to do that then get aluminum.
I maintained an old wood boat for several years and when I had to move to the east coast (Navy move) and the boat was on the west coast I truly was heartbroken to have to sell her. If you are living aboard a wood boat these tasks become easier because they become routine but if you have to leave your wood boat for months at a time they deteriorate.
Good luck in your choice.
kind regards,