Repower, Old Teak Decks, or Dry Blisters

[ctskip]

Blisters just keep coming back. Kinda like the gift that just keeps giving . (Herpes)

20 K for a peel job
Again go for replacing the teal deck, more than likely you’ll need to rebed the deck fittings , even more so with a balsa cored deck. Once done you’ll have the prettiest and the driest around for years to come . Cabin leaks are a sailers nightmare .

[dickhein]

First consider that Taswell boats are very high quality boats. But like everything else in life they age.

Teak decks deteriorate with time and the main cause of grief is leaking. They can leak from around the screws/bungs. If screw heads are showing, you can remove the screw, countersink the hole and install a new screw and bung. That screw will not leak again. I have done this.

They can leak from around the grout. If the grout has pulled away from the teak you need to replace the grout. This can be a DIY job. Not difficult but tedious. I have done this also.

If either of the above is not palatable to you, consider applying a coating over the teak. I used a product called a Tuff-Coat. Sand the deck, apply a primer and paint on the product with a roller. Instant leak stop.

Blisters are a whole different animal. Basically harmless, like a wart, they can induce hysteria among buyers. Ordinary blisters never sunk a boat. Most never HAVE to be fixed. But blisters have the benefit of getting large concessions on the purchase price. Then you can drill and fill a few every time you haul out. Or not.

As I recall, I think you indicated 8200 hours on the engine. That’s a lot of hours for a sailboat. On the other hand, high time engines are better than very low time engines in older boats. Nothing deteriorates an engine quite like disuse. If service records show good maintenance, you’re probably ok with a just compression check.

As usual, YMMV.

[Froggy Seas]

Thanks for all the feedback.

I've spoken to one other Taswell owner with teak decks, and she has no leaks. Two others I spoke to had their decks stripped and glass put down.

Regarding blisters...it was brought up that if one boat from a certain yard has blisters, then others from that yard are likely to get them at some point. Is that true, due to process and protocol with laying the mat and gelcoat, or is it more on owners and preventative maintenance? None of the other owners I've spoken to have let on to having blisters at any point.

Dickhein, yes, several now have brought up that more hours are better on older engines than low hours. I went into the survey on that engine with that mindset. But when the 'not-previously-disclosed' uneven idle showed itself, coupled with the owner and technician arguing over whether certain maintenance items were done/done properly, I became very skeptical despite the log of receipts for maintenance materials.

[Ericson38]

Originally Posted by Froggy Seas

Thanks for all the feedback.

I've spoken to one other Taswell owner with teak decks, and she has no leaks. Two others I spoke to had their decks stripped and glass put down.

Regarding blisters...it was brought up that if one boat from a certain yard has blisters, then others from that yard are likely to get them at some point. Is that true, due to process and protocol with laying the mat and gelcoat, or is it more on owners and preventative maintenance? None of the other owners I've spoken to have let on to having blisters at any point.

Dickhein, yes, several now have brought up that more hours are better on older engines than low hours. I went into the survey on that engine with that mindset. But when the 'not-previously-disclosed' uneven idle showed itself, coupled with the owner and technician arguing over whether certain maintenance items were done/done properly, I became very skeptical despite the log of receipts for maintenance materials.

Original non-skid Taswell 49

[Toto_25]

I had a Carter, built in '78 with original Teak Deck. I was not screwed, but already 30years old when I bought it - and it was still in good condition.
Now I have a '90 Comfortina with Teak, which is screwed, but it doesn't leak. Every year, I replace some screws and yes, it is not in best condition anymore as becoming thin in some areas.


What I want to say: it is not automatically that Teak need to be replaced after 25 years. It all depends on the maintenance and you can even further postpone the full replacement if it doesn't leak.


I bought the boats with Teak, because I like to have Teak Deck - and I know, I need to spend some extra work on it ;-)


Good luck

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by Froggy Seas

Regarding blisters...it was brought up that if one boat from a certain yard has blisters, then others from that yard are likely to get them at some point. Is that true, due to process and protocol with laying the mat and gelcoat, or is it more on owners and preventative maintenance? None of the other owners I've spoken to have let on to having blisters at any point.

It's really hard to say. Almost all builders of semi-custom boats were continually evolving their construction techniques based on a variety of factors that are impossible to document short of finding someone who worked at the facility during the time your boat was built.

Paul mentioned Valiants (of which I'm an owner) and that blister problem was the result of a the use of a specific resin additive used during a well documented run of boats, because they thought it was beneficial. Obviously they were wrong.

And all Valiants vary to some extent. Partly due to buyer custom orders but also because the yards (Washington and then Texas) continually changed their production process and/or materials. My boat was bedded throughout with 5200, then they stopped using it a few years later. I even know that that was some new guy or slacker at the yard (who I affectionately call "Billy") who was pretty lazy when it came to the screws holding certain trim pieces in.

On the flip side, all the schedules of laminate in the hull of my boat (post blister, Texas boat) are dyed a different color. Talking to an old hand, still at the Valiant yard, the reason for that was to ensure proper coverage and lamination of the hull. It's much easier to see what you're doing, and that it's done right, if the laminate you're putting down is visually different from the one before it.

I agree that if blisters re-appeared after less than five years it's not *definite* that they did a bad job (i.e. did not dry the boat out appropriately...not unheard of for a yard). But it would cause me to investigate why, if possible. I don't think it's an original construction issue, I think it's a maintenance/repair issue. A lot of owners might be "fix this" and the yard does the minimum required to fix the current blisters and splashes the boat. Would it give me pause? Yes. But the solution, most likely, is to take off the barrier coat and let the boat sit on the hard for a good long while so it can dry out, then redo the bottom. Not the end of the world, but not a walk in the park either.

[Froggy Seas]

Thanks, Suijin, I appreciate the detailed explanation. As I would like to cruise this winter season, it doesn't sound like any of these items would necessarily be a show stopper to that. Pending survey, they could wait until the spring to be addressed - whether it be the engine (assuming a positive compression test), teak decks, or the "painted blisters."

And it has been brought up, that, it is selling season and more boats will enter the market over the next few weeks