fibreglass or re-caulk laid decks

[MickWay]

Hi All, first time post. Seeking some advice on wether to rake out old sika on laid huon pine decks and re-do or bite the bullet and glass over with west system. Hate to cover up nice huon pine but sick of chasing leaks that always seem seem to be over bunks
Cheers Mick

[jimjamonsela]

The ones over berths are always the first to find. It's a message. Pay attention!

[sandy stone]

Fiberglass adds a surprising amount of weight, and deck level is a bad place for it.

[jimjamonsela]

Which would be the solution you would give to your friend?

[boatman61]

Rout and Sika.. leave the $hitty work for the next owner..

[JPA Cate]

MickWay,

Don't be too hasty, here. There are so many shipwrights here in Tassie who understand huon pine, I 'd have a chat to a couple, and try an find out from someone who knows the timber, how best to approach the question. If it were me, one thing I'd want to know is how the planks are secured to the deck. Are they screwed down or is it all bonded? or some other method I don't know about yet? My guess is you need more knowledge about what needs to be done before considering adding fiberglass to a timber motor sailer, or rippping up the decks.

But, yeah, leaks into bunks are no fun at all.

Ann

P.S. The only shipwright I know down here is Jeremy Clowes, in Port Cygnet and he has been excellent to work with, and of course you'd be familiar with the Wooden Boat School in Franklin.

A.

[minaret]

I wouldn't ever glass a laid deck.

[MickWay]

Thanks for feed back. I think I am leaning towards rake out and re caulk, the timber looks great. Planks are inch thick over very hefty deck beams. Built in 1970. Plenty of good pine available back then.

Cheers Mick

[Phil70]

In the UK there is a saying that goes something like this. "The last thing you do to a wooden boat before it dies is Fibreglass it"
I would caulk it.
Phil

[foufou]

The old fashion way was to cover with canvas. Then paint. The texture of the canvas made decent non-skid. Good for ten years.

[seasick]

The correct method is to recaulk. If it has been a relatively dry year, thoroughly and repeatedly soak the deck down and keep it wet to allow it to swell. This alone may solve your leaks. Huron Pine will swell a great deal.

Another solution for pine and fir decks is to slop on the magic deck oil. An excellent deck oil recipe that has served me very well for decades. This should be repeated every six plus months or as needed. Recipe follows:

Mix in small batches in a deep pot, four parts linseed oil, one part turpentine, and about one cup bee's wax per half gallon of mix. Slowly heat on a non-flaming burner, stirring, and monitoring closely. When the mix is hot enough to sizzle when a cotton rag is inserted remove from heat and apply to deck. Reheat every five minutes.

This hot deck oil will seep into the the seams and solidify. You should be leak free for many months. No need to sand between coats. Two coats minimum recommended. This mix will turn darker over time when exposed to sun light.

As foufou has suggested canvassing the deck is a good option. Sand the deck well if your fastener plugs are still long enough. Start midships and work towards the ends. Apply latex lagging adhesive Looks like Elmer's or PVA glue generously to the deck. Lay a good quality canvass and squeegee the surface working to get out the air pockets. Let dry, apply another coat of adhesive or paint with several coats.

[baycruiser]

Dont ever fibreglass ever a timber deck is my ABSOLUTE POSITIVE command on this.. doing no one a favor Just get on with the job and do as best you can get sensible advice from an old experienced someone who has done and lived with a deck like yours DONT listen to everyone else NO matter what they say .Boatyards are full of would be busy bodies who know everything.Tell them to pisoff

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, MickWay.