Is teak trim worth it ?

[electrosys]

For some, this post will sound like heresy - but following-on from a thread on replacing teak decks, perhaps this question needs to be raised ?

Don't misunderstand me - I love teak - in fact I love wooden boats. To look at.

But it's a maintenance thing.

I have a plastic boat. Plastic is good for not requiring too much maintenance. But then some wazzuck of a designer has fitted bits of teak trim around the deck - you know the stuff: rub rails, grab handles and so forth. Why ? In an attempt to make a plastic boat look 'salty' ? Hmmm.

I've just replaced the varnished wash-boards - because they were rotten. I also decided to lift off the sliding hatch to check that all was well in the wood department. The slides (teak) are shot. They looked 100% from above, but rainwater lodged in the grooves has begun to rot there too. Behind the teak rubbing strakes, rainwater has wicked and rot has also started there. Too much rainwater and bird poo and not enough saltwater, I guess.

Anyway, major wood restoration currently in progress - and I'm tempted to epoxy everything wooden and then paint (not varnish) over the lot, and sod the looks.

Any thoughts, whinges, tips, 'points to ponder' etc .... ?

 

[Tranona]

If it is real teak you can leave it bare. If you prefer a shiny "woody" finish then clean it all back and coat with Sikkens Novatech/Top woodstain with a light tint in the top coat. Will look good with minimal attention for several years.

 

[reeac]

Were these rotting items actually teak? I've never seen any sign of rot on the teak trim on my 1987 Sadler. I always understood that teak was the best for rot-proofness.

 

[Captain Coochie]

If you think about it the timber is where all the hard wear and tear is . Grab rails and rubbing strakes etc . Its far easier to replace a bit of wood than it is to re-fibreglass when the damage eventually happens . Plus it does look nicer

 

[Quandary]

Its worth checking if what you have is teak, teak cockpit gratings are almost always wet but last at least thirty years. Afromosia, for instance, used to be used as a teak substitute but is not really suited to being outdoors at all. If its teak leave it bare but try to keep it clean.
Don't power wash, you can rub lightly with a green scouring pad occasionally but a soft brush is better. Teak is durable but is a relatively soft hardwood. Apply a coating only if you don't like the silver colour.

 

[electrosys]

Ahhh - some good thoughts there. I've just checked the book of words, and Newbridge's sales brochure only says "varnished selected marine hardwoods", and not teak as such. I'd assumed that's what it was - but comparing it with some teak furniture I have indoors, the boat stuff is a lot 'redder' than teak - it's more like a mahogany colour, although to be honest, I don't know one tropical hardwood from another ...
All the exterior trim is done out in this stuff.

Ok - have just pulled some sample graphics off the web - the samples A and B are of Burmese teak floors (freshly sanded) - pretty-much the same colour as my furniture. 'C' is exactly the (freshly sanded) colour of my boat wood - and that ain't teak ...

 

[sailorman]

Ahhh - some good thoughts there. I've just checked the book of words, and Newbridge's sales brochure only says "varnished selected marine hardwoods", and not teak as such. I'd assumed that's what it was - but comparing it with some teak furniture I have indoors, the boat stuff is a lot 'redder' than teak - it's more like a mahogany colour, although to be honest, I don't know one tropical hardwood from another ...
All the exterior trim is done out in this stuff.

Ok - have just pulled some sample graphics off the web - the samples A and B are of Burmese teak floors (freshly sanded) - pretty-much the same colour as my furniture. 'C' is exactly the (freshly sanded) colour of my boat wood - and that ain't teak ...

your sample C is Sapele
Afromosia is an endangered species i believe ( also difficult to work )