Teak Replacement or Removal

[jen passos]

Hi,

Looked at a 1999 36cc
I love the boat and the space, but all the teak will have to be removed or replaced.
Thoughts?
Worth the effort or $$$?
Thanks

 

[woodster]

$$$$$....it may not be as bad as it looks to you ...sometimes looks can be deceiving.....

 

[Slow lane]

I usually just remove it. Just not worth the time or money. Put my time and money into things that keep me sailing.

 

[jen passos]

Its a 1999 beneteau 36cc. The teak either needs to be removed and fiberglassed or sanded and varnished, looks pretty bad. They want $59,000 for it. Trying to get an estimate for the work before I buy.

 

[helmfam]

Looks to me like the rubber between the pieces needs work. After that a wash with some teak cleaner and or a VERY light sanding, then some teak oil and it will look great. If you do the latter and let someone do the rubber you would probably save a lot vs a tear out. Teak is "made" for lots of abuse and can bounce back.

 

[arf145]

Assuming that is just bonded to the fiberglas and not screwed into it, I'd put a lot of work into freshening up that teak and the filler between the strips before I'd rip it out.

 

[jen passos]

It is screwed in.

 

[Ted]

Teak decks that are screwed into the cored fiberglass deck sub-structure can cause major moisture problems. The hundreds of holes in the deck structure can invite water to migrate to the core. From your photo, it looks like some of the black rubber caulk between the teak deck strips is missing which makes water ingress very likely. Make sure you have your surveyor do a thorough moisture check before you commit to the purchase.

 

[jen passos]

Teak decks that are screwed into the cored fiberglass deck sub-structure can cause major moisture problems. The hundreds of holes in the deck structure can invite water to migrate to the core. From your photo, it looks like some of the black rubber caulk between the teak deck strips is missing which makes water ingress very likely. Make sure you have your surveyor do a thorough moisture check before you commit to the purchase.

Ok Thanks, If they accept our offer, Ill be sure to get a good surveyer

 

[arf145]

It is screwed in.

Ah, well...whole different story, as Ted says. I'm surprised Bene was screwing decks down in 1999. I'd go further than "can" and say that there will be a water leakage at some point. If the deck is cored, this is a big deal.

 

[helmfam]

On closer inspection of your picture, it looks to me like only some of the boards were screwed down with some of the heads of the screws exposed. That looks like marginal craftsmanship at best and probably is a solid indicator that there is/was moisture underneath as mentioned above. One thing to consider is making your offer contingent on the seller fixing all the teak and having a reputable craftsman/yard do the work, as well as having the fiberglass inspected. Make sure you find the best surveyor you can. Mine was lame, and after owning my boat for less than one season, I literally could have done a better survey than he did. Found lots of little "surprises" that were costly, both in time and $$$.

 

[DougM]

I really don't think that Beneteau would have screwed down the oringinal decking. If a surveyor finds no moisture in the fiberglas, some scrubbing with even just salt water could bring the teak back to a reasonable appearance. If the strips are solid teak, the decking could be sanded, if its a teak veneer, no way.
The "rubber" is actually black silicone caulking. Its a major task, and somewhat of an art form, but could be re-caulked.
Another alternative would be to look at an alternative material like a brand called plasteak.

 

[jen passos]

I really don't think that Beneteau would have screwed down the oringinal decking. If a surveyor finds no moisture in the fiberglas, some scrubbing with even just salt water could bring the teak back to a reasonable appearance. If the strips are solid teak, the decking could be sanded, if its a teak veneer, no way.
The "rubber" is actually black silicone caulking. Its a major task, and somewhat of an art form, but could be re-caulked.
Another alternative would be to look at an alternative material like a brand called plasteak.

Thanks doug, we were told that there is fiberglass under it and it can be removed, the holes filled and and patched.
It is original from Beneteau, one owner boat. We haven't purchased it yet, depends what surveyor finds.

 

[Philip_Oceanis 361]

It is screwed in.

Are you sure? The teak at the cockpit seats of my Beneteau 361 was held together with some "upside down nails" (something like stables to hold the small pieces of wood together) and glewed. Unfortunately the exposed nails were getting dangerous so I replaced the teak.

 

[Gunni]

That teak deck is on it's last leg. They have a life and need to be replaced or removed and glassed over. I helped a friend with one of those teak-laden Asian boats deal with this. It required a core mat buildup to bring the deck level, glassing and deck paint. All up the cost was right at $20 k. I would not replace teak. I would get it gone.

 

[DougM]

Are you sure? The teak at the cockpit seats of my Beneteau 361 was held together with some "upside down nails" (something like stables to hold the small pieces of wood together) .

I have had the sugar scoop teak off my 323. It was attached with adhesive to a depression in the fiberglass. I removed it because the perimeter caulking had separated an was allowing water underneath. There were no screws. The panel is made up from individual strips stapled together and then caulked. The teak surface was not in bad shape so I just surface sanded it.
When I reinstalled it, I thoroughly cleaned the mating surfaces. I used the highest grade of exterior construction adhesive I could get, liberally applied especially around the perimeter. I placed bags of water softener salt on top to compress the panel into its curved shape. When cured, I masked adjacent sutfaces and caulked the joints.
After three years, including winter storage in Michigan, exposed to the elements. The panel is still holding.