Should I renew my teak decks

[poiu]

Originally Posted by rsvmille

I couldn't say it better than Cunliffe in regards to my thoughts on teak decks:

Yes, he makes the case well for teak and he is persuasive. Like I said, I don’t like teak, but it’s not just about what I think, it’s particularly about what the future owner wants too.

Cork, Lignia, Flexiteek, gelcoat all have their own advantages and all all are IMHO objectively better.

[David B]

Originally Posted by rsvmille

I couldn't say it better than Cunliffe in regards to my thoughts on teak decks:

98% agree - perfect!
The only thing is the treatment. 9 mm is thin, and you cant afford for any of that to be washing over the side - which it is if it's not protected. It's wood - it weathers!

Nice boat, and nice looking deck Tom .

[Rainbow48]

Frequent sanding or hard scrubbing of a bare teak deck is a sure way to eventually kill it. Teak is a very good wood, but it is wood, and will deteriorate and even rot if left exposed to the elements. My boat, “Rainbow”, is 63 ‘ LOD. Hull and deck are teak coated with Cetol. Going on 20 years, no issues. And no massive maintenance each season. You just have to treat it right.

[Quebramar]

Originally Posted by poiu

Yes, he makes the case well for teak and he is persuasive. Like I said, I don’t like teak, but it’s not just about what I think, it’s particularly about what the future owner wants too.



Cork, Lignia, Flexiteek, gelcoat all have their own advantages and all all are IMHO objectively better.

Can’t agree more. I’m getting to a similar stage as yours (21y Najad teak) and when forced, I will seriously consider alternatives. Some plastic teaks are realistic by now, no longer Amel’s SuperMaramu type.
Whilst gelcoat or non-skid like KiwiGrip would be a negative stelling point for your lovely boat, I think a good-looking plastic teak or cork would keep good looks from the outside and be gentle to the owner in terms of maintenance and price…

[merrydolphin]

Get rid of the teak decks!! Where is the boat. I know some people here in E NC that do this properly and very reasonable. Also many Latin American ports can do this soooooo much cheaper. 66k is crazy!!! Hey, if you have the money to throw away, go for it. If not SHOP, a lot. If you can get the boat to E NC. Message me and I will be glad to give you details.

[CyKlop]

Quite honestly, I've rejected a bunch of boats because they had too much teak. I simply have enough maintenance to do and don't want the additional hassle.


I completely understand the people who prefer teak. In some ways I agree that I love the look of it -- on other people's boats.

[Cynara]

Originally Posted by psk125

Is no one else surprised that the decks are so close to 'end of life' after just 20 years? Most teak decks seem to hold up a good deal longer than that. What has been happening to wear them out so fast? A boat in our harbor recently replaced its teak decks with ply & glass because of leaks. But the boat was built in 1976.

I agree with you. We bought our Hans Christian 34 in 1977 and sold it in 2016 the teak was still very good. We also used Semco on it

[poiu]

Originally Posted by Cynara

I agree with you. We bought our Hans Christian 34 in 1977 and sold it in 2016 the teak was still very good. We also used Semco on it

Most of the damage was by the first owner’s captain. He wanted to make the decks look like new, so sanded them down regularly. After 10 years they were half gone. The next ten years I did zero sanding and zero scrubbing. They would have lasted over 30 years if looked after with longevity in mind.

It’s also hard to get the quality of teak that was previously available.

[DeValency]

Originally Posted by poiu

I saw a boat with flexiteak today. It looked pretty good and was not as hot as my teak. The skipper said it was totally clean and easy to keep clean. Teak is always dirty from oxidised caulk and the wood, which attracts and makes dirt and dust.

This is probably the way to go. Quality teak is extremely expensive and hard to get. I had a whole story (published by Practical Boat Owner mag and on their YouTube) on sourcing wild teak lumber on the mountains in St. Lucia directly from the people cutting the trees - by license from the government. Even with this great experience, after cutting and planning the teak to the required thickness and width, it ended up to be quite expensive. I didn’t need it for the deck, but for some revised trims of the hard dodger and upgrades of the cockpit frame to work with fully enclosed bimini (removable/rolled up) panels.

My boat builder (Contest Yachts NL) were always proud of their sourcing of the highest quality Burmese teak for the last 60 years… However, even they, now going to show a new boat, with first time a synthetic alternative. Simply as it became close to impossible to get a quality teak lumber.

My decks are of course all teak, with at least 6-7mm remaining thickness, it looks great with minimal regular washing, now 28 years old, after almost 20 years in the Caribbean and is still in a good shape, but I have started recently, while in Boston, to slowly remove screws, inject epoxy to the holes and plug with new bungs. It looks good and this is what Contest recommends, as the screws were only used to set the plunks in shape and compress the teak over the cement used. There are zero leaks at any case. Next is to start replacing the caulking.

Yet, at some stage in the future, when the time comes, I think a quality synthetic teak-like, replacement will be the solution. Can’t even think of a non-skid epoxy/paining etc. - this will kill the ‘personality’ of this boat.

Sorry for the pic orientation, it is easier to repair a teak deck than fighting this stupid pics upload application

[Pete Chambliss]

Go synthetic. looks great, stands up well, traction on deck is very good and there is virtually no maintenance. Did it on my Fountain Pajot 43 catamaran

[AcroPilot]

All my boats have had teak decks. I’ve just purchased the one I have now, all teak decks. I wouldn’t have it any other way and consider replacing them when the time comes to be worth while. It’s not just the sailing, teak decks fall easy on the eye and it gives me a lot of pleasure to have them, gives me pride of ownership etc. I’ll accept the cost, wouldn’t have a boat without them!

[chris14679]

Our decks were redone with marinedeck2000 reconstituted cork about 17 years ago and it's still like new, an excellent product. It barely wears at all, can be cleaned with a pressure washer, resistant to staining and if it gets damaged you can just crush up some cork (or crush up the damaged bit) mix it with epoxy and use it to make an invisible repair.
Plus cork is a very sustainable product which is harvested without cutting down the tree and grows back quickly. There's a surplus of cork with wine bottles switching to screw top. Definitely the way to go if you like the look of teak but you don't want the hassle.

[JimZeigler]

Our 1986 trawler had teak decks when we purchased it. The teak had been screwed into the wood cored deck and the core was totally rotten. Consequently, the seller had to make a significant price concession for us to agree to purchase it.

The teak and top layer of fiberglass where removed, the old wood removed and replaced with expanding foam, then covered with 1 inch Divinylcell (glued with epoxy along edges) and two layers of 16 oz fiberglass. Then painted with Awlgrip and coated with non-skid. Much easier to maintain and clean and much cooler to walk on. Some minor changes to scuppers to address the higher deck surface. Job is over 14 years old with no issues. Job took 4 months.

[boatingisbetter]

I replaced the Teak on our Oyster 46 (1987 vintage) in 2003 with teak that was glued to marine plywood and that glued to the deck, after all the screw holes had been filled. We are in heated storage all winter and in fresh water in Lake Michigan a few months each year since. In our case, the teak is holding up well. But then again, it sees very little weather.

I think the main point is to stop any leaks, by what ever means it takes. Teak being a nice option, of several.