Cabin sole

[jsmall]

I have been playing puzzle pieces with my very taken apart cabin sole. Mine looks like it was held together with small strips of wood nailed perpendicular to the teak and holly. Has any one improved upon this system? I am missing a few Teak sole pieces and a good bit of holly does anybody know a good source, or have any extra they want to part with.
Jimmy Small

 

[Quetzalsailor]

Was your sole also done with the Teak grooved at each edge and your white wood in 'Tee' sections?

In the LeComtes, the white wood is 'Ahern' or Maple, not Holly. In any case, LeComte's sole boards are four pieces of Teak and four of Maple glued up. And they did it on purpose, in each board, the first Teak strip is ungrooved on its exposed edge and its last Maple strip is not equipped with a tongue. Additionally, Quetzal's layout is slightly wonky; LeComte's craftsmen might not have been able to measure and achieve parallel or perpendicular, but they were able to hand make and 'fan' the maple in widths to make things look perfect. LeComte 'ganged' the glued up boards when used on the battery access and for the wierd shapes around the mast; they glued the solids onto 1/4" plywood so that odd and short scraps would all come up together. LeComte was careful to use the continuations of strips at the smaller access panels; the grain runs through. If the Aldens are similar this will give you another hint about what goes where.

I recall that Essay/Gypsea's sole boards were similar and had fallen apart at the joints. I rejiggered them into order for the next potential buyer could see them the way Alden intended them...but I can't remember the edge condition.

 

[Mongus]

Mr Small

As I remember the teak and holly sole in the "WAKE" were made up of two pieces of each wood glued into one piece of flooring. The adhesive was not water proof. And pieces not held together but fitted in place.

 

[TomY]

My sole is glued strips (no edge nails or shaped T ) of teak and I believe holly. They have battens on the back that fit between each floor beam. Each glued up piece is pretty small so access is good through out.

Although I've had to re glue a couple, they're holding up well. The soles are about 5/8" thick so beams are fairly close. My only complaint is squeaking which is an ongoing process of adjusting the beams with shims, etc.

 

[Bill Merrick]

The glue joints of the teak and holly sole in my Mistral, especially in the main salon, have become hopelessly separated. The holly, I guess ( I really wouldn't know how to tell it from numerous other woods) is quite twisted and bowed and there is little chance of my being able to get it back even with the teak which is still in good shape. I was told at one of the local hardwood lumber places that some people have been using aspen because of the color and lack of strong grain. The wood seem light ( low density) but pretty strong. Anyone heard of using aspen?? I've heard of others using ash.

By chance a holly tree with a 8" diameter trunk went down in a neighbors yard. I had it cut into 1" planks but on drying it distorted terribly. Its unusable for any thing over a few feet long. I found some at a local, high end wood shop for $20 a board foot but it wasn't much better than the stuff I had cut. At best, it looked like about 50 to 75% usable wood. So I'm kind of giving up on holly unless something shows up by chance.

I saw the tong and groove approach on a Hinkley Bahama 40 and it looks like the way to go. Great glue joints. As in my boat, it was 2 pieces of 1/4" (finished) holly with 1-1/4" teak with 3/16 tongs in the holly. It looks like a good winter time project ( I have plywood and carpeting down now) but just have to decide on the light wood.

So I gather that my options, besides holly are: maple, ash, ahern, or aspen. Are ther any other options that people have heard about???

Bill Merrick
Seattle WA