Bavaria teak cockpit seats

[brians]

A fairly small area of seating has started lifting. The boarding seems to be a thin teak veneer bonded to a plywood sub base in turn glued to the GRP. The overall thickness of the decking is only 5 - 6 mm. Part of the decking has become detached from the GRP but possibly a larger area is due to delamination of the plywood.

Have any other Bavaria owners suffered the same problem and how did they fix it?

I have seen suggestions to use Sikaflex 298 or 291 to rebond.

Any advice much appreciated.

 

[CharlesSwallow]

Ours has been in the Med for 11 years and has not as yet delaminated. We do though always cover her from November to May. However, on launch day in Isola Marina, Slovinia we saw several earlier boats with the problem. Maybe the later fake teak was better? Now you are going to tell me that yours is newer!

As to sitting on them: it is something you just don't do in light coloured clothes!

Chas

 

[njsail]

Usually the reason boards start to lift (not all of course) is water intrusion. If you're black caulking is chalky and cracked or missing altogether you need to recaulk. I had a number of boards that lifted and buckled on the deck before I bought her. I removed the calking and cut the offending strips out using an occilating saw (see FEIN tools). then I used an epoxy resin putty underneath the boards...I put a hundred pounds of bricks on top (remember they were buckled). After it dried I sanded it flat, then recaulked it properly. After it all dried I re-sanded the area to get a nice finish. I need to recaulk my entire cockpit but haven't had the time. Since it's only a recaulking it should be relatively straight forward.
good luck

 

[robertj]

As a previous poster suggest it's because of water penetration somewhere.

As a sufferer of this in the past there are two choices. Refurbish existing with a patch or complete removal and fitting solid teak or synthetic alternative.

The first option is cutting small areas radiating from the effected spot until good bonded ply to grp.
Source new ply and teak vaneer with the view to have the same thickness.
Scarf in new ply and bond to grp.
Identify damaged teak vaneer knife down cauking at good vaneer and carefully cut out (just vaneer not ply) back to ply.
Cut vaneer into strips as per original decking width, dry fit and when happy bond in place.
Tape all joints when bonding or cauking to keep off vaneer as it can't be sanded due to thickness. Remember to remove tape when cauk is still wet.

Second option

Refit solid.

I tried both options as refurbishing did lift again at vaneer level after a couple of wet seasons due to the glue I used (I presume). I then bit the bullet and had solid teak decking for the cockpit made up.
I feel if I used sikaflex 298 the possibly the vaneer would have held.

Best of luck

 

[nigelmercier]

Ours has been in the Med for 11 years and has not as yet delaminated...

Are you sure you don't have solid teak? My Bavaria 47 was built in 2000, and there is no plywood on deck.

Brian, you may get more info on my Bavaria Yacht Forum, see my sig below.