I made new hatch boards for my Starwind with some hardwood planks that I had (White Ash). The planks were 3/4" thick so very strong and thicker than the teak boards. I painted the boards for a much cleaner look. It certainly improved the look over perpetually peeling varnished teak. Sometimes, I think we get carried away with the traditional look, which gets really old with the maintenance that is required, and it's just time to do something more practical. In the end, I liked the cleaner look of the painted boards much better. I would choose painted solid hardwood over plywood or teak veneer any day.