Teak Decked Yacht - 2 But or not 2 Buy

[saltwater_gypsy]

I have 27year-old decks but they have been treated every year so that the oil varnish (Sikkens) wears in preference to the teak. Make a low offer and strip it off if it derelict!!

 

[Blueboatman]

Re Dje,
Please excuse this rather lengthy post,

Well, I DID buy a boat with knackered wooden decks- The broker thought they were worn out, the seller agreed, I agreed( in principle) and priced it in accordingly- allowing £12k to do the work yourself I would say at 40 foot). This is JUST TO REMOVE the existing teak, filling and fairing and doing or paying to get done a really pro 2part sprayjob with antislip areas masked off and you won't go far wrong-and be prepared to find some core damage somewhere along the line..

I certainly would not consider replacing the teak once it come off.

My own criteria was a) buy old enough to have done with depreciation but buy a really sound hull and reputable design

b) Buy something that looked cosmetically sad but withstood rigorous survey ( THank you David Hopkins)

c) And buy something that would be uneconomic to have tidied up at normal boatyard hourly rates...(Ageing decks)

At some point I will get round to removing the teak on mine I suppose but; it is thick, it is well laid and good quality, it is worn only in part, the boat is tight and dry underneath and , er, it looks really nice after just a very modest sanding to even out the wear spots and high spots around fittings and chainplates ( good excuse to remove and rebed 'em all anyway)-and I like teak decks underfoot, always have done !

I hope this is of some advice to you. I am writing from experience and the rebuilding of grp and teak I am pretty comfortable with but reckon with hindsite I have come off very very lightly with this one. Ask me again in 7-8 yrs time!

I certainly wouldn't bother putting new teak down ( unless you sail off to the source of good stuff, of course)...

By the way, in comparison, and just to further muddy the waters ( sorry) , ANY leaky deck fittings on nonteaked boats will ultimately give core damage too by the way but it is that much more difficult to cut open the deck and effect a neat invisible repair without ending up painting the whole deck-which will then devalue the nonteaked boat! Funny ol world..

One way to 'inspect' any suspect core is simply to drop the headlinings, tap around with the butt end of a screwdriver until you hear dull wet thuds, drill up from underneath and poke an Allen key in and around and see what comes out- foam, dry white balsa, black wet balsa or gungy decayed plywood stiffening pad material ?...

Its still a buyers market mate this winter I reckon- All those Europeans who could have bought from us did so with the Euro/Sterling parity last year. Don't feel pressured one way or the other, especially if the 'next' boat is one you intend to keep for a long time..There will be loadsa choice in middle range and up ( and down) boats on the market, as ever, this winter, but YOU are a serious buyer. Nice position to be in! ( And do price it at the '' I'm going to write a cheque right now, sts, for what it is worth to me as it is or walk away, period '', kind of level).
Good luck.

 

[mollyoxford]

For what it is worth; when I bought my boat the surveyor told me that there were two things that people only do once. One was buying a boat with a dark blue hull and the other was buying a boat with a teak deck. I cannot speak for the teak deck, but he was right about the dark blue hull, it shows every mark!

lol! that's me!!! blue hull, teak deck...

 

[dje67]

interesting!

Some very interesting responses here and there's obviously no absolutely correct answer, since many aspects of owning a boat are driven by the heart rather than the head!

Guapa - lovely pictures and, looking at your site, a labour of love! Great job, but not one that I think I'll have the patience (or time) for! Food for thought in terms of buying something that might need the same amount of work....

 

[Koeketiene]

Food for thought in terms of buying something that might need the same amount of work....

In a word - don't.

Sometimes I feel my only purpose in life is to serve a warning for others

 

[pheran]

For what it is worth; when I bought my boat the surveyor told me that there were two things that people only do once. One was buying a boat with a dark blue hull and the other was buying a boat with a teak deck. I cannot speak for the teak deck, but he was right about the dark blue hull, it shows every mark!

Totally agree. Bin there etc etc........ I think this is a natural extension of the old adage that you should try everything in life once.........except incest and Morris Dancing!!

 

[Stemar]

You would rip off a teak deak .Fill holes with epoxy .Slap on a couple of coats of non slip or B&Q masonary paint.

Bet it looks better when you have finished !!! how sad

cheers bobt

I'd rip off a knackered teak deck and do a decent job of replacing it with a practical, tough, non-slip surface, which would look a lot better than a worn-through veneer showing the cheap, splintery plies underneath. This is a Beneteau, so it seems to me that it's very unlikely to be solid teak.

Is that really so sad?

 

[1bobt]

I'd rip off a knackered teak deck and do a decent job of replacing it with a practical, tough, non-slip surface, which would look a lot better than a worn-through veneer showing the cheap, splintery plies underneath. This is a Beneteau, so it seems to me that it's very unlikely to be solid teak.

Is that really so sad?

Yes very sad!
Jeanneau Beneteau and Baveria are probally the best boats in the world the Brits just dont know it yet THINK OF BIKES. BMW Mercs
My Jeanneau had teak decks from new and were 15mm thick .I have lost chain plate fixings and you can see only about 2-3 mm loss in thickness in the teak in 22 years .I would happily buy a 10 year old Benny with a teak deck before considering a british boat

The reason there are so many British boats now called MAB is the PEOPLE that think that replacing teak decks with B&Q paint inprove the finish
cheers bobt
ps sorry about the rant

 

[LeonF]

lol! that's me!!! blue hull, teak deck...

Me too !!

 

[Chris_Robb]

Getting rid of the Green stuff

I didn't want teak decks - but I have them - and we are currently battling with Fein to remove dodgy Sika flex and reapply. It is evil, evil black goop. Job is soul-destroying punishment - but not as bad as trying to fix rot underneath would be. The seams just about all need redone now... Molly is 20 years old, teak is nice and thick as previous owner, like us, only washed with saltwater and maybe a dish scrubber. I tend to use a foam squeezy mop... We did cut back with oxalic acid after last winter left a bit of a green algae issue in places.

Don't do it if you have a choice would be my advice...

You don't need to use Oxalic acid, just spray down once a year with Moss and Mould Cleaner from your local garden centre. I use Brintons MMC + and spray at launch time. I have never touched the deck with a sponge even - just saltwater. You will then have a trully no maintenance deck! and with luck it will last.

 

[robp]

I'd rip off a knackered teak deck and do a decent job of replacing it with a practical, tough, non-slip surface, which would look a lot better than a worn-through veneer showing the cheap, splintery plies underneath. This is a Beneteau, so it seems to me that it's very unlikely to be solid teak.

Is that really so sad?

Erm I 've got a ten year old Beneteau and my teak deck doesn't look much like teak veneered ply to me. Not in bad condition apart from wanting a clean up. There is however very substantial veneered ply used throughout the fit out below. All seems to be very nicely made to me...

 

[dje67]

Erm I 've got a ten year old Beneteau and my teak deck doesn't look much like teak veneered ply to me. Not in bad condition apart from wanting a clean up. There is however very substantial veneered ply used throughout the fit out below. All seems to be very nicely made to me...

So, are you able to tell how the deck has been fitted and whether there is any possibility of, say, a damage to the caulking or a plank causing water ingress? I think, looking back at the earlier responses, the worst problems result from a construction where the teak and the caulking must be absolutely watertight, otherwise even the smallest leak will cause massive damage underneath. If the teak has been laid on a GRP surface, surely any weaknesses in the water-tightness of the teak/caulking would not be significant? Also, how does the construction prevent water ingress in areas where through-deck fittings (e.g. chain-plates) penetrate through the teak and whatever is under it?

Sorry for so many questions...!

 

[BrianH]

So, are you able to tell how the deck has been fitted and whether there is any possibility of, say, a damage to the caulking or a plank causing water ingress? I think, looking back at the earlier responses, the worst problems result from a construction where the teak and the caulking must be absolutely watertight, otherwise even the smallest leak will cause massive damage underneath. If the teak has been laid on a GRP surface, surely any weaknesses in the water-tightness of the teak/caulking would not be significant? Also, how does the construction prevent water ingress in areas where through-deck fittings (e.g. chain-plates) penetrate through the teak and whatever is under it?
Sorry for so many questions...!

After two years of spasmodic work on my ageing teak deck this subject is a sore point with me.

It is impossible for an old screwed teak deck to remain completely watertight. I have renewed many seams with Sikaflex and re-bedded the through-deck fittings in fresh silicon to cut down on (almost eliminate) leaks below.

My deck was 10mm thick teak strips that were of a condition that still could have some years life in them and not too far reduced from wear. Any screws that were revealed were removed, the hole in the wood deepened to accept a new plug (but not into the GRP deck) and thin epoxy run in before plugging. This hardens and seals the original fibreglass screw hole and replaces the screw-holding function with an epoxy bond and, at the same time, seals entry into the foam core. The same epoxy was liberally run under the planks where the seams were being replaced to fill any voids where water had previously lain and to stabilise the wood. All this is an interim solution to delay the inevitable ripping off the teak to lay a sensible alternative.

What I have learned from the past two years is that the construction method of laying planks directly onto a fibreglass deck (in my case on a silicon spread) and securing by screws into that deck ensures, with time, voids occurring between wood and fibreglass because eventually the fine layer of silicon will harden and contract, where, having inevitably seeped through any non-watertight seams (these are often quite invisible until revealed on a drying deck by a fine damp line) water will lay trapped at the lowest level - not at the point of ingress - and unable to dry out. This may drain through any deck fittings such as chain plates, water filler and cleats, but worse than this, lie between deck levels and eventually rot the wood above it or seep through the multiple screw holes into the sandwich deck foam core. Much worse is when the core is balsa, which allows spreading within the sandwich deck that will extensively rot.

In other words, avoid boats with older, screwed teak decks like the plague - which is the answer to the OP's question.

 

[Skylark]

I'm the very happy owner of a 2001 Beneteau with a teak deck and I consider it to be a significant premium over over grp finish. Just a mater of opinion, based upon my experience of ownership. But then, as a happy owner of a French-German volume produced boat, I would apprear to be in the minority most of the time!

 

[ITH]

....

In other words, avoid boats with older, screwed teak decks like the plague - which is the answer to the OP's question.

I question your generalisation (above): I have a 23-year old Nauticat 35, still with the original teak deck and which looks good for another few years. But then Nauticats are built to a high standard; hulls are hand-laminated and never built using the sandwich construction methods which you describe. The hulls and decks are made of solid single skin laminate.

 

[BrianH]

I question your generalisation (above): I have a 23-year old Nauticat 35, still with the original teak deck and which looks good for another few years. But then Nauticats are built to a high standard; hulls are hand-laminated and never built using the sandwich construction methods which you describe. The hulls and decks are made of solid single skin laminate.

There's nothing wrong with GRP sandwich decks if properly constructed, most builders use them to reduce weight at what is a critically high design point to improve stability - then they go and add ponderously heavy teak planking on top of it! My Hallburg-Rassy has a deck with a very dense GRP foam between laminates that is strong and water sealing; the deck is totally rigid. However, sandwich deck or not, it is irrelevant, water will still lay between any deck and the teak planking or find its way below through any deck fittings if the sealing has aged. Conceivably, it could also penetrate into your laminate through the screw-holes - surely no one would accept underwater fittings secured by screws into the hull. When water is permanently lying under the teak (as I had) the analogy is not so far-fetched.

I replaced two strip planks this year - they looked perfect except for a small darkened patch that on investigation ended up as the only visible part of an extended section of rot underneath. Both were either side at the lowest part of the deck where the water had collected from all over, under the teak.

No doubt for those who MUST have a teak deck, the best solution would be a waterproof adhesive bedding onto which the strips are bonded, such as some builders are now utilising. Only time will tell if the deck is more durable.

 

[thomashoebus]

beneteau - teak

I have a beneteau oceanis 440 from 94.

The boat has only teak on the benches in the cockpit. Last year the teak started to come loose from the underground in some places. I will have to reglue the teak this winter. I'm sure this will help but i wil probably have to redo this every year or so. I think in another 5 years i Will need to place new teak in the cockpit i'm happy there is only teak in the cockpit.

 

[robp]

So, are you able to tell how the deck has been fitted and whether there is any possibility of, say, a damage to the caulking or a plank causing water ingress? I think, looking back at the earlier responses, the worst problems result from a construction where the teak and the caulking must be absolutely watertight, otherwise even the smallest leak will cause massive damage underneath. If the teak has been laid on a GRP surface, surely any weaknesses in the water-tightness of the teak/caulking would not be significant? Also, how does the construction prevent water ingress in areas where through-deck fittings (e.g. chain-plates) penetrate through the teak and whatever is under it?

Sorry for so many questions...!

Sorry for this late reply. I was away from internet yesterday and my email notification seems to have stopped!

The teak is laid over what otherwise would be the standard GRP deck. There are plugs covering screws but I wouldn't be surprised if it were glued too. The caulking is Sikaflex I guess and it's easy to see the condition, none of which has moved at all. The Teak is certainly not 15mm thick, so the lifespan on an unknown boat will depend a lot on how carefully it's been cleaned!
Your last question would be relevent to both GRP or Teak covered GRP I would have thought? Yes, you can't see underneath the Teak but if there is evidence of a leak, you would have to unscrew the fittings and re-seal in any case.

Others have said this and I agree. The modern, productionised methods that companies like Beneteau use, provide for more uniform and reliable construction than some of the smaller and more bespoke yards can use. I've seen this time and time again in the electronics industry. We've all seen this to a much greater degree in the car industry.

Yes it's possible that some manufacturers use could cost cutting methods or materials that are detrimental to the quality of the vessel.

In terms of my boat, (bought new in 1998) and is my fourth boat - I don't think that Beneteau used "cost cutting" methods to any great degree. It is simply a productionised yacht. I have friends who bought new yachts of British marques and had more problems than I. Luck I guess but I have seen no reason for the "Bendytoy" misnomer.

 

[glazell]

Wouldn’t consider boat if deck needed replacing any time soon. A professionally laid replacement teak deck could cost up to 10k on a 36 footer.

Had a friend who’s teak deck had the screw heads starting to protrude above the surface, holes had not been countersunk deep enough when laid. Thought it would be a simple but laborious job of remove screws, re-countersink, re-screw & replace teak plugs. But NOOOOO.
He discovered planks had been bolted through the deck. After a whole winter of dismantling the inside to get to the nuts underneath, a collection of custom made spanners and a nervous breakdown he emerged in the spring with a beautiful freshly sanded teak deck.
He still comes out in a cold sweat when it is mentioned.
We have a teak laid cockpit{kept under a cockpit tent) & grp decks, just the right combo.

 

[Twister_Ken]

"A professionally laid replacement teak deck could cost up to 10k on a 36 footer."

Double that or thereabouts.