Teak Decks, an Investment?

[Tom_White]

Hello All,

Please may ask your advice....

I need to replace my decks, as the plywood is rotting in a number of key areas.

At the moment I have 3/4" thick Teak planks screwed down on to a fibreglass covered 1/2" plywood Layer.

I am trying to decide whether or not to fit a new teak deck to the new ply, or just to paint the new Epoxyed Ply..... As always it is a question of cost!

Is fitting a new teak deck going to increase the value the boat more than the cost of fitting it?

Can teak decks be seen as an investment, for when I eventually sell the boat?

My Boat is a 32' Cutter ( William Atkins-Eric; the same hull design as Knox-Johnsons Suhaili), built 1982 in Hong Kong, of 1" Teak Carvel planking, on Yacul (Cantonese hard wood) Frames, and is currently lying in Turkey.


<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Gola]

GASP!!!
THat boat is too beautiful to be mucking around with glass/ ply. You gotta do the teak and preserve the integrity and therefore the value of the craft.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Peterduck]

The value of any boat is only what someone will pay for it. If you want to install teak planked over ply decks for your own sense of aesthetics, the go ahead, but to do it for someone else to enjoy seems to me to be lacking something. Bill Atkin himself would have had no qualms about fitting a canvas-covered deck, as would Francis Herreshoff; they were quite common, and very durable. You would need to get advice from an experienced broker like Tony Gregson as to the relative attraction of a laid versus a canvas deck.
Peter.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Mirelle]

Go for the honest deck

Spend your money doing a good glass over ply job, it will suit the boat better, be far more durable and improve her sailing qualities by lowering the CG.

Furthermore, it will not be a fake, it will not rot from the inside out and if done carefully it will look much better.

Personally, I would never buy a boat with a fake, teak over ply, deck; its a recipe for trouble.

<hr width=100% size=1>Que scais-je?

 

[alec]

Tom

This is not a criticism, but are you aware of the damage we all can do to our fellow humans on this planet by using tropical hardwoods ?

This is not a ‘tree hugger’ thing but a very serious decision that we all have to make.

I recently saw a lovely smack with it’s toerail made of renewable softwood. It looked fantastic ! It may not last as long as teak but with modern resins etc it should last a very long time.

Regards,






<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[tillergirl]

I agree with Mirelle. I had trouble with the original teak deck on TG which was 1" teak on 1/4" ply. The trouble extended further than rot to the ply and I found myself replacing gunn'ls and half beams and the beam shelf one side. I figure that a high quality sapele ply well glassed would extend TG's life whereas the second failure of a teak deck might well deal her another expensive and potentially fatal blow. Just think of all those seams that MUST stay watertight if you use teak!

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Tom_White]

Thank you very much for all your thoughts and advice, it has all been really helpful

Kind regards,

Tom

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[john38]

I'd never buy a boat with glassed ply decks - and I suspect that I'm not alone - this would harm resale values. Irrespective of whether I'm right or wrong structurally - as an investment I can see nothing but harm.

Regards
John

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[tcm]

not a tree-hugger ?

sorry, alec, but it most defintiely IS a tree-hugger thing, and you are the most tee-huggy type I have ever come across either in person or on the forum. You are dedicated towards questioning any and all use of teak, almost to the extent that you only post about teak (and not using it) and not about anything else.

Anyway, exactly what damage to other humans will result from fitting a teak deck? Previously, you remarked that it takes "a generation" to replace teak, which sounds relatively quick, compared with other resources such as oil - but you don't speak out against grp. Is this is about Burma? If the teak market falls, the price they can achieve for their teak dwindles - so will that help them? How?




<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Trevethan]

Re: not a tree-hugger ?

What damage to humans?

Well I got a rather nasty splinter when I was working with some teak planks. got all infected nd oozy and stuff...

Maybe Alec had a similar experience?

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[dallasg]

Re: not a tree-hugger ?

What about replacing a traditional teak deck with a brand new traditional teak deck? ie teak deck planks, quarter sawn, fastened directly to the beams with no plywood.
Environmental concerns aside, does anyone have a view on the desirability/likely success/known pitfalls/expected lifetime....?
The boat is 33 feet, double ended. There are no signs of wringing or wracking so I am not concerned, particularly, with the potential stiffening effect of a ply subdeck. And I bought the boat because I love old boats, not to produce some sort of half modern thing.But I do want to stay dry(ish) below.

The teak was originally 1"