teak - stopping it splitting

[Modulation]

My cockpit is rather generously fitted with teak slats - especially on the sole.
They are untreated (v. good grip) but are beginning to split. What can I do to arrest this? I do not want to use varnish (I like sailing not maintenance) and like the greyish colour of weathered teak.

 

[James_Calvert]

Wish I knew the answer. My own boat has the same, and after 16 years of ownership from new, never having varnished or oiled them, I've just started replacing them. The good news is that new teak weathers in to look like old very quickly. The bad news is the cost of the wood.

My own theory, for what it's worth, is that most of the damage occurs in the winter when laid up as a result of rainwater soaking the wood and then freezing. It follows that the best answer is to make sure the cockpit has a rainproof cover at least during the winter, if not a tailored cover all year round.

I wish I'd thought of this earlier, I might have saved myself some work.

Hope this helps.

 

[LadyInBed]

Re: teak - B&Q can do it

B&Q sell Cuprenol (spelling?) Garden furniture preserver and UV protector in a ‘Burmese Teak’. I have used it on selected teak deck fittings, before going the whole hog, and am very pleased with the results.

 

[Guest]

try antifreeze it has amazing properties and can be used on unseasoned wood to stop it cracking when it dries out