tek-dek

[argiris_beginas]

Hi to everybody
I like to fit tek-dek to my old jeanneau 31ft sailing yacht
Is there anybody who did it to tell me his opinion or give some advices?

 

[absit_omen]

Not first hand experience I am afraid but......

I have a good friend in marina de Denia, Spain who had tek dek fitted to his 60ft motor yacht. After much high bloodpressure and negotiating with the manufacturer at the Boat Show, he had to have it all ripped off again and re-lay ordinary teak.

The problem was not the product, but the local firm who fitted it; I saw it and it was a disgrace. He got some, but not all, of his money back.

If I was doing it I would like to see real life examples of jobs completed by the outfit doing the fitting.

 

[johna]

Can you tell us what was wrong with the installation please.

 

[KevB]

I fitted tek dek to a previous boat I owned 3 years ago. My Boat (pictures 7 and 8 are of my boat).

Back then they only sold it in widths of a single plank which made covering a large area time consuming and tricky, having to have lots of tin cans to hold the ends down whilst the glue dried. I believe they sell it in widths of 4 planks now so covering larger area's should be easier.

It took me 3 weekends to fit using about 7 rolls of tek dek. The finish was fantastic looking as good as teak without the upkeep. I can't comment on the long term wear and tear as I sold the boat 4 months after fitting tek dek.

I would fit it again.

I believe Sealine use it on the bathing platform of one of their motorboats, the one where the platform submerges.



Kevin.

 

[H4B]

I have made tek-dek cock pit seating panels. They look good but I've yet to stick them down. In the instructions it stress the importance of spreading the right amount of adhesive kg per sqm. I expect this is where the problems come afterward. The whole operation is abit like fitting a carpet or linoleum. Experts make it look easy but like many things given time and abit of practice it can be done.

Its a plastic product so on the right boat it looks OK, but on the wrong boat it would be traversity not for the classic.

 

[gcwhite]

Fit the real thing, you can't beat it. Which would you buy a leather jacket or a cheap imitation one?

 

[Shanta]

If fitted properly it looks good. Personally I have only ever seen one boat where it was fitted properly. (seen lots where it was cr*p). The biggest problem with Tek Dek is heat. If the sun shines with any strength it is impossible to walk on it with bare feet, or even thin soled deckies..

 

[johndove]

I do wonder what effect tek-dek would have on the resale value?

From a distance a tek-dek does not look to bad, but I always feel the close you get the worse it looks.

If you want teak get teak.

 

[BrendanS]

Depends on the boat, and on what conditions you are planning on using her in

 

[KevB]

It's a bit unfair comparing like for like as teak is at least 5 times more expensive and near impossible to lay yourself. I could have spent £3800 getting teak fitted (this is what I was quoted) or £800 for tek dek.
Teak is not without it's faults (I have teak on my current boat), to keep it looking good it needs cleaning and oiled fairly regularly and care must be taken not to spill anything that will stain it (red wine) where as tek dek only needs to be hosed down with water.
Of course teak is the real deal but it's difficult to justify the difference in costs. If money is no object have teak, if you want an inexspensive alternative that will give a similar look and feel at a fraction of the cost, consider tek dek.

 

[H4B]

Ofcourse its all down to cost .I would like a yacht in the med and the caribbean and NZ but I can afford to have one (just) on the south coast of UK. Would I use Tek dek for the whole deck. No. I used it for cock pit seating to add a liitle visual stimulation to a 20 year old westerly, and also to provide comfortable low maitenance seats I like sailing more than I do maintenace. I have heard that teak seating can be rather uncomfortable if the caulking is not spot on.