teak toe rail

Dec 7, 2012
515
Kittiwake 23, Irwin 43 .. Indianapolis / indianatown, fl
hello all

I have to replace the toe rail on my sailboat... it is a 1979 Dufour 12000ct 45ft sailboat... the gun'ale is raised and top off with a teak toe rail.... when this was installed at the factor, they attached several teak boards together to form both the width and length of the toe rails.... and over time and weather, the teak has deteriorated and split, and is coming apart... I am looking to replace them with an altenative... does anyone have an inexpensive idea about a material to use as a toe rail.... I am open to ideas concerning both natural and synthetic materials as long as they look nice and natural.... teak is just too expensive, and I have not found anything else that wears like teak to replace it with....

any ideas would be great.... right now I am at a loss to find what I need to replace it with...

sincerely
Jess
 
Jan 22, 2008
551
NorSea 27 Az., Doing the To-Do list
Feb 8, 2014
1,300
Columbia 36 Muskegon
Some of the synthetic wood replacements see quite flexible, which might make something like a toe rail much easier to build. You could bend one long piece instead of scarphing up several small ones.
I just replaced some of my trim with Plasteak. Doesn't really look like teak up close but from 20 feet looks ok. It's pretty soft and readily gouged so probably not the best thing for a toe rail or rub rail.

PVC porch decking might be better, it's pretty hard and can be bent with heat. Pretty expensive but cheaper than real teak, and should last a really long time and never need refinishing.

Menards has Cumaru and Iroko decking in stock. Way cheaper than teak and almost as good, in fact I think some boatbuilders are using it as real teak is just too expensive.
 
Oct 10, 2011
619
Tartan 34C Toms River, New Jersey
I agree with the synthetic lumber. I used it to replace the cabin top exterior teak hand rails and it worked out fine.
The material I used is white and have the option of painting it, but I chose to keep it as is.
 
Nov 9, 2012
2,500
Oday 192 Lake Nockamixon
Elaborating on Greg's (Delezynski) comments, I would try using Azek decking boards. There are many colors you could choose from. Check at your local lumberyard, and they should have samples you could look at. I have not found it at Lowe's or Home Depot, had to go to a lumberyard that sold it.
 
Feb 8, 2014
1,300
Columbia 36 Muskegon
Elaborating on Greg's (Delezynski) comments, I would try using Azek decking boards. There are many colors you could choose from. Check at your local lumberyard, and they should have samples you could look at. I have not found it at Lowe's or Home Depot, had to go to a lumberyard that sold it.
My local Lowe's can order it, but don't have samples. The local traditional lumber yard did have samples, and were cheaper than Lowe's anyway.
The Azak boats are wood grain on one side, and a smooth very un-wood looking surface on the other. That's why I used the Plasteak.
 
Nov 9, 2012
2,500
Oday 192 Lake Nockamixon
Yup, the plasteak is molded specifically to look like teak, and use the color of new, unweathered teak.

Depending on the width of a toe rail, I figured one could rip the edge of an Azek board... I've seen folks make handrails out of Azek boards. Unfortunately, you don't get any choice about width or thickness of an Azek board, because they are all designed to be used for decking.

My local Lowe's can order it, but don't have samples. The local traditional lumber yard did have samples, and were cheaper than Lowe's anyway.
The Azak boats are wood grain on one side, and a smooth very un-wood looking surface on the other. That's why I used the Plasteak.
 
Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
I agree with the above suggestions that a synthetic lumber is a good option, the only challenge is to find it in the right dimension to suit your needs.

If synthetic lumber is not a viable option there are several other types of hardwood besides Teak that will make a great toe rail. Because you don't walk on the toe rail you do not need the anti-slip properties of raw teak, so any hardwood that has good properties for a Marine environment you can coat with epoxy and then varnish, it will last for decades... probably longer than the teak did. I'd personal chose Mahogany, but that's just me.

This is a job you could easily do yourself if you have some basic carpentry skills and tools. If not, you can probably find a local Carpenter with his own 'home shop' that is well equipped for the task.

After you remove the remains of the old split teak it is the perfect time to check for water intrusion in the deck. I'd recommend over boring the fastener holes, tape off on the bottom and fill with epoxy. Re-drill after cure to correct size and it will leave you with a nice epoxy sleeved bolt hole. Slightly counter-sink the top of each hole for correct bedding of the new toe rail.
 
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Gunni

.
Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
I have used cypress, ash, and white oak for this kind of construction - long rails where you need to scarf lumber together, and shape it to a nice shear. I bought some dimensional plasteak lumber for evaluation, it has all the wood charm of pressboard. The tall toerail of the Dufour is a prominent feature of the boat's look.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
I'd bite the bullet and go with teak again. Its strength and resistance make it the right material for the job, both then and now.

It's important to remember when buying boats that it's the LENGTH that matters, and not the age or purchase price that will dictate your on-going operational costs. Big boats cost big money to own and maintain, and there is not a lot of ways around that. Welcome to the club! ;^)
 

Gunni

.
Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
It's important to remember when buying boats that it's the LENGTH that matters, and not the age or purchase price that will dictate your on-going operational costs.
Absolutely! This truth should be the guiding principal of any boat buyer - don't buy more boat than you need, or can maintain. The field of broken boat dreams (and classifieds) are littered with the boats of folks who convinced themselves they could have bigger at a bargain.
 
Dec 7, 2012
515
Kittiwake 23, Irwin 43 .. Indianapolis / indianatown, fl
hello all

thanks for the responses... I plan and have the experience to replace the toe rail myself... my biggest problem and reason for this post is finding a cost effective material to replace it with... in my opinion teak is just too expensive a material and a lot of work to keep up... I am looking for an alternative material that look about the same that I can use for the toe rail.....

sincerely
Jess