What's a "sprung deck" ?

[Boo2]

Hi,

question as title : what's a "sprung deck" as in "teak sprung deck" ?

Thanks,

Boo2

 

[ianat182]

Means the deck has lifted from its base surface allowing damp and worse to filter beneath,a very time consuming and costly repair to be done, due to the creeping nature of damp.
Needs removing in toto for a complete cure and re-adhesion; if lucky you may be able to re-use the original timber if teak ,but will need to be bone-dry to re-use. A Martin Moody at the Premier Marina at Swanwick lays teak decking ,and may be able to advise as to costs of renewing/repairing professionally.I don't have a phone number but they may direct you.

ianat182

 

[Lakesailor]

I think a traditional teak sprung deck refers to bending the teak strips to follow the line of the gunwhale rather than laying the teak strips straight and ending with a series of zig zags against the gunwhale.

Not sprung

 

[mikefleetwood]

Ballroom?

 

[Tranona]

Hi,

question as title : what's a "sprung deck" as in "teak sprung deck" ?

Thanks,

Boo2

Could be bad news if you take Ian's definition, or potentially bad news if you take Lakesailor's.

If it is describing the way the teak is laid then the more common term is "swept" if the teak planks follow the curve of the deck.

Any teak deck on old cheap boats such as you are looking at is a sign to have your running shoes ready. If it is "sprung" as in delaminating then spikes required for the running shoes - not that I think anybody would specifically advertise the deck is knackered, you find that out as you inspect the boat.

 

[Lakesailor]

If you look at the properties for the top picture I posted you'll see it is from an Appolo Duck advert in which they advertised the boat as having a traditional sprung deck.
A Google search will produce many pictures, some of the laying of a sprung deck.

 

[Tranona]

Equally, if you Google "Swept Teak Decks" you will find plenty of references describing this type of deck. I have rarely seen the adjective "sprung" used in this context, although it is an equally good descriptor if it is meant to describe the process of getting the planks into shape rather than the final appearance. (Suspect, but have not checked it may be US in origin).

Isn't the English language lovely - especially when ignorant yotties get hold of it.

 

[Lakesailor]

Found this in Google Books

here is the relevant bit.

 

[Tranona]

As I thought, American terminology. Gougeon Brothers use the same term in their book. However, every UK reference I looked at used the term swept.

Two nations divided......

 

[Deleted member 36384]

So Boo2, is your query answered? What definition is relevant to your query? Are you interested in a boat with a sprung teak deck? Pray tell, I do wonder how your search for a boat is progressing.

 

[pvb]

I've always considered a "sprung" teak deck as meaning separated from the underlying structure.

 

[Lakesailor]

This sprung deck is bonded to the existing deck.
It seems the "sprung" term applies to the bending of the strips.

 

[Tranona]

Interesting to know how that deck stood up. They have back tracked a bit on bonding teak with eopxy, and particularly using epoxy for paying the seams. This is because teak expands and contracts at different rates to the substrate and the seams split. The technique they use here is basically the same as laying on Sikaflex, which has the advantage of allowing for expansion and contraction.

I first laid teak using the original West method over 20 years ago, but using 2.5mm veneers which don't suffer from expansion in the same way as 9mm planks. My cockpit locker lids look like they were laid yesterday apart from the colour change, but they live a sheltered life under a cockpit cover. The last bit of teak laying I did (onto GRP) I used Sikaflex as it was really difficult to get a good bond with epoxy.

If you do have to use teak then vacuum bagging onto a Sika type mastic with no mechanical fastenings is the way to go. The cockpit and seats of my Bavaria have stood up well for 10 years in the Med, with only some filling coming out of seams where water gathers. Now mostly made good with Sika.

 

[Boo2]

So Boo2, is your query answered? What definition is relevant to your query? Are you interested in a boat with a sprung teak deck? Pray tell, I do wonder how your search for a boat is progressing.

Hi,

Yep, thanks to all who replied, I do believe that the meaning must be as in swept to follow the line of the toe rails - it was from a boat sale advert so pretty unlikely to have been the other meaning.

That's not to say that both possible meanings don't apply of course - my natural inclinations are most like Tranona's wrt teak decks but I am struggling to find a boat I like, and two of the ones I am currently considering suffer from this affliction.

(As an aside, I did toy with the idea of buying the Kalik 33 that was on sale in Cornwall but it went before I got round to viewing it, does anyone here know anything about the state of its teak ? Irrelevant, I know but still curious).

My plan wrt boats with teak decks is to ask if they have plywood intermediaries and if so walk away, otherwise if the caulking is not bulging I won't rule it out unless it is obviously knackered in some other way.

Boo2

 

[Lakesailor]

Interesting to know how that deck stood up.

I guess that you have a big advantage in knowing how you applied the decking.
Buying a boat with a teak decking already there is probably a real can of worms.

 

[Tranona]

If the Kalik is like Guapa's 43 it will have a ply sub deck - run!

In practice very few GRP boats have ply sub decks under the teak - more common on steel, ferro or composite boats.

The major failing with teak decks on grp is that the fastenings pierce the GRP (which in many cases is cored) and water gets in as the plugs and seams fail. It is (almost) inevitable that such a deck will eventually fail, so you have to judge carefully how close it is to failure. Lots of tell tale signs, but my view would be to avoid unless the deck has been replaced recently. Replacement on the boats you are looking at would cost as much as you pay for the boat!

However, there is chance of a bargain - if the deck is knackered but everything else is OK (a big if) then taking the deck off and making good with epoxy and glass cloth is not expensive and will enhance the boat in practical terms.