A horrible job...

[wazza]

I just feel the need to moan...
I hate the job I'm doing at the moment on our Najad 343 'Legend'... the damned teak deck, well coach roof to be precise! I'm taking up all the caulking, going to rub it down, then I need to deepen the space in-between the ribs and then re-caulk it a finally cover it with Xtreem coating (Coelan)... something had to be done as she is 30yo and the teak is wearing thin, so this seemed to be the cheapest option. If it works great but if it doesn't its only a few hundred quid down to Davy Jones's locker, and of course 14000 man hours (well it seems that long)
But its a BLEEDING HORRIBLE time consuming job..I even bought a Fein, with its decking blade to help (fantasic)..
I want to, really, get all the deck ripped up and replace it with tek dek but just too much money. I may well have to have it put down on the rest of the decks anyway and I can imagine how much fun its going to be taking all the teak & fittings off there..arrgggg..
Rant rant rant & rant...

My advice to anyone reading this who is thinking about buying a boat with teak decks, DON'T DO IT!!! Unless of course you want to buy mine... I love our boat, just hate the teak!

Hope you all have a nice weekend, and thanks for listening

 

[Koeketiene]

Stop moaning - it could have been worse

 

[Nostrodamus]

Stop moaning - it could have been worse

Told you that teak restorer was good stuff.

 

[KINGFISHER 8]

I found the simple answer to this difficult job ... pay somebody else to do it, preferably a professional who will do a far better job than me!

 

[wazza]

I found the simple answer to this difficult job ... pay somebody else to do it, preferably a professional who will do a far better job than me!

Of course that's a very good option, IF one can afford it.. otherwise it's better to whine about doing it on this site

 

[wazza]

Stop moaning - it could have been worse

Everything is relative But you are cheating, you are inside! I on the other hand am under a tarp in feezing cold Sweden doing it..!!

Go on then, I must ask... Are you going to take up the whole deck and why are YOU doing it?

 

[pvb]

You have my sympathy, as I remember all too well doing a similar job on my deck. It feels like it will never end! But, believe me, the sense of satisfaction when you finish it is priceless!

 

[KINGFISHER 8]

Of course that's a very good option, IF one can afford it.. otherwise it's better to whine about doing it on this site

You're right of course! I used, in days of yore, to do my own stuff - one bodge after another - never was any good with my hands! ... these days, thank the Lord, I can afford it .... save up - you know it makes sense!

 

[OldBawley]

When laying a teak 1/2 inch deck on top of the old wooden deck of our boat I made two mistakes,. I did not use the tape in the bottom of the groove and did some of the chalking in rising temperature. This caused some minuscule air bubbles in the sikaflex, they appear exactly in the middle of the seam and ware some years later the cause of some leaks. ( See my other posts )
In stead of taking the old polyurethane ( Sika ) out and re caulking, I covered the whole boat inclusive deck with Coelan. This thin fluid polyurethane seals every crevice, leaks down where there is a path for water. It is also the best cure for leaking windows.
Planing to go sailing the Med with its high temperatures, Coelan was the best way to obtain a permanent waterproof deck, no mater the movement of the wooden boat. ( 300% stretch )
It is expensive, it is a terrible glue, it stinks when applied. It is not available in many Med country’s, no transport by air, it is a horror.
The coat of Coelan on the decks lasted 15 years, then the top 0,5 mm of wood underneath was loosing its grip by UV detoriation, so I took the Coelan of. One can peel it of like thick skin, the bond with the old sika has to be cut with a very sharp knife. ( Take a course knife sharpening for cook’s from the web )
I made the necessary six new coats, good for the rest my boating life. And absolute watertight.
The deck is very slippery when treated with coelan, in the last coat some micro glass pearls make a perfect anti-slip.
So, even on a all wooden deck, no need to re-caulk.
It is however importend to cover everything, there where the coat stops, water could creep unter it .
I covered the whole boat down to one inch of the glassfiber on the hull.
Still less work than recaulking.

 

[Vara]

I want to, really, get all the deck ripped up and replace it with tek dek but just too much money. I may well have to have it put down on the rest of the decks anyway and I can imagine how much fun its going to be taking all the teak & fittings off there..arrgggg..
Rant rant rant & rant...

Commiserations from an ancient teak deck custodian.

Talking to a guy visiting Dover who had an old Hallberg, he removed all his teak, faired the fibreglass and painted it.

The clever bit was that he didn't remove the fittings but just trimmed the teak around them, looked really neat and saved ripping out the interior to get to fixings.

Will probably go down that route in a few years.

 

[Koeketiene]

Go on then, I must ask... Are you going to take up the whole deck and why are YOU doing it?

1. I didn't do it - paid someone to do it.
2. Why? Teak on ply - ply rotten to the core, teak wearing thin, caulking as good as gone.

 

[wazza]

You have my sympathy, as I remember all too well doing a similar job on my deck. It feels like it will never end! But, believe me, the sense of satisfaction when you finish it is priceless!

I hope so
And this is ANOTHER reason I love this site.. people have been there, seen it, done it and live to tell the tale..... And also give us others hope

 

[wazza]

1. I didn't do it - paid someone to do it.
2. Why? Teak on ply - ply rotten to the core, teak wearing thin, caulking as good as gone.

Then I'll say what I thought when I saw the pic... "Ooooo bugger..!!"

 

[[10753]]

Remember the plus side to teak - looks great, extremely non slip, lovely to walk on - adds a touch of class !

Keep at it and enjoy the results

 

[BrianH]

Commiserations from an ancient teak deck custodian.

Talking to a guy visiting Dover who had an old Hallberg, he removed all his teak, faired the fibreglass and painted it.

The clever bit was that he didn't remove the fittings but just trimmed the teak around them, looked really neat and saved ripping out the interior to get to fixings.

Will probably go down that route in a few years.

Me too, that ticking time bomb of a teak deck hangs like the sword of Damocles over my sailing life. Every year I say "next year" but never do, just keep painting with 'Teak Wonder, which is the best solution I've found.

I did use Coelan one year but didn't do it under cover so the extremes of an early Italian summer must have affected the work - heavy showers then searing sunshine. By the next year blisters in the coating were appearing all over and I had to strip it all off again - an expensive and tedious waste of time.

Nope, my teak deck has all got to come off, the screw holes epoxy-filled, ground off and then finished with a deck-paint. Only then can I be truly relaxed.

 

[sailorman]

Everything is relative But you are cheating, you are inside! I on the other hand am under a tarp in feezing cold Sweden doing it..!!

Go on then, I must ask... Are you going to take up the whole deck and why are YOU doing it?

he was 200 mls away at the time ( or was it 6000)

 

[sailorman]

I just feel the need to moan...
I hate the job I'm doing at the moment on our Najad 343 'Legend'... the damned teak deck, well coach roof to be precise! I'm taking up all the caulking, going to rub it down, then I need to deepen the space in-between the ribs and then re-caulk it a finally cover it with Xtreem coating (Coelan)... something had to be done as she is 30yo and the teak is wearing thin, so this seemed to be the cheapest option. If it works great but if it doesn't its only a few hundred quid down to Davy Jones's locker, and of course 14000 man hours (well it seems that long)
But its a BLEEDING HORRIBLE time consuming job..I even bought a Fein, with its decking blade to help (fantasic)..
I want to, really, get all the deck ripped up and replace it with tek dek but just too much money. I may well have to have it put down on the rest of the decks anyway and I can imagine how much fun its going to be taking all the teak & fittings off there..arrgggg..
Rant rant rant & rant...

My advice to anyone reading this who is thinking about buying a boat with teak decks, DON'T DO IT!!! Unless of course you want to buy mine... I love our boat, just hate the teak!

Hope you all have a nice weekend, and thanks for listening

The very best place for a teak deck,is on somebody elses boat

 

[Koeketiene]

he was 200 mls away at the time ( or was it 6000)

200 - 6000 the following year when she was at Fox's

 

[clyst]

Remember the plus side to teak - looks great, extremely non slip, lovely to walk on - adds a touch of class !

Keep at it and enjoy the results

Unecessary "fake" teak decks are the spawn of satan. Avoid at all costs .

 

[wazza]

Me too, that ticking time bomb of a teak deck hangs like the sword of Damocles over my sailing life. Every year I say "next year" but never do, just keep painting with 'Teak Wonder, which is the best solution I've found.

I did use Coelan one year but didn't do it under cover so the extremes of an early Italian summer must have affected the work - heavy showers then searing sunshine. By the next year blisters in the coating were appearing all over and I had to strip it all off again - an expensive and tedious waste of time.

Nope, my teak deck has all got to come off, the screw holes epoxy-filled, ground off and then finished with a deck-paint. Only then can I be truly relaxed.

I did chuckle at the "teak deck hangs like the sword of Damocles over my sailing life. Every year I say "next year" but never do..." oh my GOD I SO SO SO feel the same..!!

I know about your experiances with Coelan and I hope to learn from your mistakes, but I may well end up doing the same as you and rip it all off (the Coelan that is) I KNOW I'm going to have to rip the deck up soon.....maybe next year