The teak on my '74 Pearson 26 is in pretty bad shape. Any suggestions on how to restore it to some semblance of respectibility? The handrails can probably be salvaged but the hatchboards are so warped, they serve little purpose apart from securing the cabin when locked. They definitely don't keep out any sort of driving weather. I'd consider a low maintenance alternative to teak as replacement but don't really know where to look (is there reasonably priced material available at my local Home Depot?) Thanks, Brian
Replacement Hatch Boards and Handrails
- Thread starter bcwave
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Use teak
I bought teak from the local Wood Workers store and made my own using the originals as templates. Looks great and had fun doing it.
I bought teak from the local Wood Workers store and made my own using the originals as templates. Looks great and had fun doing it.
You can use
smoked Lexan or acrylic to make new washboards that will let in light while affording privacy, or regular plywood provided you give them 8 - 12 coats of varnish (use gloss on the outside for UV protection)and make sure you really sand the edges smooth and seal well. The handrails can be either removed and sanded if they are badly weathered and grooved or just treated with oxalic acid to bring back the color, then finish with teak oil or 8 - 12 coats of varnish, depending on your preference. Oiling will need to be redone 2-3 times a year, varnishing will need re-doing annually if you sand between coats with 320 grit and build up a good deep surface. Enjoy.
smoked Lexan or acrylic to make new washboards that will let in light while affording privacy, or regular plywood provided you give them 8 - 12 coats of varnish (use gloss on the outside for UV protection)and make sure you really sand the edges smooth and seal well. The handrails can be either removed and sanded if they are badly weathered and grooved or just treated with oxalic acid to bring back the color, then finish with teak oil or 8 - 12 coats of varnish, depending on your preference. Oiling will need to be redone 2-3 times a year, varnishing will need re-doing annually if you sand between coats with 320 grit and build up a good deep surface. Enjoy.
Use tinted Lexan!
I have 4 boards that make up my companionway cover. I took the middle 2 to a local glass company and had them make me 2 tinted hatch boards out of Lexan. They used my old boards as the template. Beveled the edges and all. Now, when we are down below during a rain storm, we can still see out, they let light in, no one can see in, and they look pretty sharp, too!
I have 4 boards that make up my companionway cover. I took the middle 2 to a local glass company and had them make me 2 tinted hatch boards out of Lexan. They used my old boards as the template. Beveled the edges and all. Now, when we are down below during a rain storm, we can still see out, they let light in, no one can see in, and they look pretty sharp, too!
I made....
... a single hatchboard, to replace 4 teak boards, out of ordinary 5/8" plywood. I wanted to take the teak boards home to refinish and was looking for an easy and inexpensive way to close up the companionway. I bought the plywood, used the old boards for a template, and just cut out the plywood to the overall dimensions. I orbital sanded it, stained it dark oak, sealed and then varnished it. In the end, it looked so good that I bought a center vent and cut a rectangle for it to provide ventilation. Added a piece of screen on the inside to keep the critters out. I was so happy with the "temporary" board that it became my primary. Whole thing cost less than $30.
... a single hatchboard, to replace 4 teak boards, out of ordinary 5/8" plywood. I wanted to take the teak boards home to refinish and was looking for an easy and inexpensive way to close up the companionway. I bought the plywood, used the old boards for a template, and just cut out the plywood to the overall dimensions. I orbital sanded it, stained it dark oak, sealed and then varnished it. In the end, it looked so good that I bought a center vent and cut a rectangle for it to provide ventilation. Added a piece of screen on the inside to keep the critters out. I was so happy with the "temporary" board that it became my primary. Whole thing cost less than $30.
Turn them into an educational experience
May I suggest... Talk to your local high schools. Many have woodworking departments where they teach basic skills to the students. Perhaps they will take your project. The student(s) can learn about the extra care/precautions that a marine environment requires and you will probably get a result that far exceeds your expectations. Usually they only charge you for the materials. I would also suggest you sweeten the pot by offering to take sailing the student(s) that worked on the project. Good luck, Jim
May I suggest... Talk to your local high schools. Many have woodworking departments where they teach basic skills to the students. Perhaps they will take your project. The student(s) can learn about the extra care/precautions that a marine environment requires and you will probably get a result that far exceeds your expectations. Usually they only charge you for the materials. I would also suggest you sweeten the pot by offering to take sailing the student(s) that worked on the project. Good luck, Jim
Plasteak
Take a look at www.plasteak.com , its just an option , however , Im ordering a swim platform and ladder , and it just so happens they are located near my locale , so I stopped in to visit them , and they seen to be very conscientious individuals , and Btw Im not associated with Plasteak or any other business .......
Take a look at www.plasteak.com , its just an option , however , Im ordering a swim platform and ladder , and it just so happens they are located near my locale , so I stopped in to visit them , and they seen to be very conscientious individuals , and Btw Im not associated with Plasteak or any other business .......
High Densitty Plastic
I went to the local plastic didtributor and bought some 5/8" high density plastic which I made a new hatch cover. I also picked up 4" thick HD plastic to create a / block behind the wheel as a foot brace while sailing heeled. While I was making a new hatch door, I also picked up 1/4" smoked/tinted plexiglass and 1/2" clear(cheaper than tinted) plexiglass strips to thicken the tinted plexiglass and made a tinted hatchcover. Why not use the hatch template again? Now I have to go back and get ssome 1/2" PVC to cover holes from our old instruments to allow for the installation of new instruments. The problem w/ High Density Plastic is that nothing adheres to it, but using that to my advantage, I used it as a mold for doing epoxy work...no adhesion of the epoxy to HD plastic.
I went to the local plastic didtributor and bought some 5/8" high density plastic which I made a new hatch cover. I also picked up 4" thick HD plastic to create a / block behind the wheel as a foot brace while sailing heeled. While I was making a new hatch door, I also picked up 1/4" smoked/tinted plexiglass and 1/2" clear(cheaper than tinted) plexiglass strips to thicken the tinted plexiglass and made a tinted hatchcover. Why not use the hatch template again? Now I have to go back and get ssome 1/2" PVC to cover holes from our old instruments to allow for the installation of new instruments. The problem w/ High Density Plastic is that nothing adheres to it, but using that to my advantage, I used it as a mold for doing epoxy work...no adhesion of the epoxy to HD plastic.
Careful
If you go with plastic, be careful about the one you choose. Many are susceptible to degradation due to UV rays from the sun. We re-did our hatch slides in a high-density plastic, and it was great the first season. Since then, the sun has made it brittle, and it has chipped, cracked, and broken to the point that it now needs a complete replacement. We're going to go with stainless or aluminum instead. Ask your supplier about UV degradation before you shell out for the latest wonder-stuff.
If you go with plastic, be careful about the one you choose. Many are susceptible to degradation due to UV rays from the sun. We re-did our hatch slides in a high-density plastic, and it was great the first season. Since then, the sun has made it brittle, and it has chipped, cracked, and broken to the point that it now needs a complete replacement. We're going to go with stainless or aluminum instead. Ask your supplier about UV degradation before you shell out for the latest wonder-stuff.
have fun with it
There are probably as many good ideas as there is members of this group. If you are handy with wood..then do wood..Like Lexan and want so light go with it. The big thing that I have found is if you are not going to use teak then make sure you seal the would that you do use very well. For me this means a coat of epoxy goes on after I stain it...it make's it stand up to the weather longer. Most important have fun with it...most of us that own sailboats have the tinker mindset and working on our boats is almost as much fun as sailing them. With that being said I used plywood and lexan to replace my companionway...looks great and lets in more light. Capt Jim..I really like your idea..gret wat to introduce kids to something they might never have a chance o experience otherwise
There are probably as many good ideas as there is members of this group. If you are handy with wood..then do wood..Like Lexan and want so light go with it. The big thing that I have found is if you are not going to use teak then make sure you seal the would that you do use very well. For me this means a coat of epoxy goes on after I stain it...it make's it stand up to the weather longer. Most important have fun with it...most of us that own sailboats have the tinker mindset and working on our boats is almost as much fun as sailing them. With that being said I used plywood and lexan to replace my companionway...looks great and lets in more light. Capt Jim..I really like your idea..gret wat to introduce kids to something they might never have a chance o experience otherwise
Try Ipe wood
I've seen pic of it matched up with teak and it looked very close to it. Cost about $5 a foot as oppossed to $16 for teak. You'll need several carbon tipped blades as this wood will dull a blade fast.
I've seen pic of it matched up with teak and it looked very close to it. Cost about $5 a foot as oppossed to $16 for teak. You'll need several carbon tipped blades as this wood will dull a blade fast.
New boards
My original teak plywood boards were looking tired so last winter I bought a sheet of 1/2" marine plywood and cut new ones, using the old ones as patterns. A friend of mine had several flitches of veneer he had bought at auction when a local furniture company went under, and he gave me some strips of figured teak, which I epoxied to both sides of the new boards. I saturated the ends with epoxy, then applied 6 coats of Epiphanes varnish. On a sunny day the teak comes alive and looks terrific. It has held up well through the year and will get another coat or two of varnish this winter, though it doesn't appear to need it.
My original teak plywood boards were looking tired so last winter I bought a sheet of 1/2" marine plywood and cut new ones, using the old ones as patterns. A friend of mine had several flitches of veneer he had bought at auction when a local furniture company went under, and he gave me some strips of figured teak, which I epoxied to both sides of the new boards. I saturated the ends with epoxy, then applied 6 coats of Epiphanes varnish. On a sunny day the teak comes alive and looks terrific. It has held up well through the year and will get another coat or two of varnish this winter, though it doesn't appear to need it.
I used plywood and I'm not happy
I made new hatchboards out of marine-grade plywood. I incorporated a stainless louvered vent backed with some scrap screen into one of the boards too. I sanded the cut boards and applied four coats of polyurethane. they looked great. For about four months. I was really disappointed in how well the polyurethane held up. I thought it would be almost maintenance free. In the spring, I went to sand down the finish and reapply more poly, and it just didn't look good. The top veneer on the plywood had become affected, and there was no way to make it look good without sanding it down to the next veneer. No matter what I did, the top veneer had a grayish, puckered look. One of the projects this winter will be to make new hatchboards, this time from a hard wood. Teak is too expensive, and I bet mahogany won't be far behind. If worst comes to worst, I will use some clear pine, but I will first look for some birch or maybe ash or even oak.
I made new hatchboards out of marine-grade plywood. I incorporated a stainless louvered vent backed with some scrap screen into one of the boards too. I sanded the cut boards and applied four coats of polyurethane. they looked great. For about four months. I was really disappointed in how well the polyurethane held up. I thought it would be almost maintenance free. In the spring, I went to sand down the finish and reapply more poly, and it just didn't look good. The top veneer on the plywood had become affected, and there was no way to make it look good without sanding it down to the next veneer. No matter what I did, the top veneer had a grayish, puckered look. One of the projects this winter will be to make new hatchboards, this time from a hard wood. Teak is too expensive, and I bet mahogany won't be far behind. If worst comes to worst, I will use some clear pine, but I will first look for some birch or maybe ash or even oak.
Weather Boards
Regular grade 3/8" fir plywood worked for me. I used this as a trial to make 3 piece weather boards. They looked so good I primed & painted them & still have them 10 years later. They have not warped. Have repainted twice because of nicks & scratches. I use a custom cover for the cabin top & it is tapered to extend to the bridge deck. If the boards are protected from the weather, they will last for many years. 1980 C22
Regular grade 3/8" fir plywood worked for me. I used this as a trial to make 3 piece weather boards. They looked so good I primed & painted them & still have them 10 years later. They have not warped. Have repainted twice because of nicks & scratches. I use a custom cover for the cabin top & it is tapered to extend to the bridge deck. If the boards are protected from the weather, they will last for many years. 1980 C22
New Handrails
Mine were beyond reclamation. Since there are no moulded pads for the bases of the handrails, I did not have to reproduce what was there. Found a good source in Jamestown distributors. (Feel OK to recommend since the Chandlery here doesn't carry grab rails.)
Mine were beyond reclamation. Since there are no moulded pads for the bases of the handrails, I did not have to reproduce what was there. Found a good source in Jamestown distributors. (Feel OK to recommend since the Chandlery here doesn't carry grab rails.)
White Oak
Mike, If you make new hatchboards out of oak, make sure it is white oak. White oak has closed pores and stands up to the environment much better than other hardwoods. I had a plywood hatch that had started delaminating and went with white high density plastic that has held up very well.
Mike, If you make new hatchboards out of oak, make sure it is white oak. White oak has closed pores and stands up to the environment much better than other hardwoods. I had a plywood hatch that had started delaminating and went with white high density plastic that has held up very well.
not oak
Oak, red or white, does not do well with exposure to sunlight, unless you varnish it every 5 minutes. Same w/ash & just about every othe domestic hardwood. White oak is traditional in ship building where it does not see the sun, structural, where its wet all the time & there the closed pores are +++. Many retail lumber yards have what they call Mahogany, really Meranti or Cambara, which is fairly cheap. Cambara tends to check more than Meranti. I have been using Ipe for lots of misc items, quite stable, hard as a rock, so also heavy. Mebe too heavy for hatch boards. Humble opinions from 30 years in wood biz. Working & selling it.
Oak, red or white, does not do well with exposure to sunlight, unless you varnish it every 5 minutes. Same w/ash & just about every othe domestic hardwood. White oak is traditional in ship building where it does not see the sun, structural, where its wet all the time & there the closed pores are +++. Many retail lumber yards have what they call Mahogany, really Meranti or Cambara, which is fairly cheap. Cambara tends to check more than Meranti. I have been using Ipe for lots of misc items, quite stable, hard as a rock, so also heavy. Mebe too heavy for hatch boards. Humble opinions from 30 years in wood biz. Working & selling it.
Oak
I value this forum due to the vast array of knowledge and experience available. Never was aware that white oak doesn't hold up to the sun.
I value this forum due to the vast array of knowledge and experience available. Never was aware that white oak doesn't hold up to the sun.
How About Locust?
Does anyone have experience with locust wood, either honey locust or black locust? I believe its totally rot resistant, but would like someone to confirm that. Around here, it gets used for fence posts. You can't tell finished locust from oak, same color, grain, etc.
Does anyone have experience with locust wood, either honey locust or black locust? I believe its totally rot resistant, but would like someone to confirm that. Around here, it gets used for fence posts. You can't tell finished locust from oak, same color, grain, etc.
Thats probably not teak.....
During the mid 70s Pearson used Iroko instead of teak. Iroko has a softer 'summer grain' and it erodes quite fast if not coated. Iroko can be a 'bitch' to finish 'bright' as it easily picks up moisture, UV rapidly destroys the exposed surface cells under varnish, etc. .... makes the coating 'lift'.
During the mid 70s Pearson used Iroko instead of teak. Iroko has a softer 'summer grain' and it erodes quite fast if not coated. Iroko can be a 'bitch' to finish 'bright' as it easily picks up moisture, UV rapidly destroys the exposed surface cells under varnish, etc. .... makes the coating 'lift'.
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