Replacing rubber strips in cockpit seating

[twdevore]

I'm ready to begin refinishing the teak seats in my cockpit. There are rubber strips between each strip and some are coming up. I'd like to remove and replace the "welting". Do any of you have a source for the stripping? Some have suggested caulking but my skills are not that good...
Tim

 

[RichH]

These are NOT rubber strips but rather rubber 'caulking'.

example: http://www.jamestowndistributors.co...d=1518&familyName=Teakdecking+Systems+-+Caulk .... a 'one part' oxime cure 'rubber'.

There are 2-part systems which are still used in some applications but the 'industry' has mostly converted to 'one part' caulks which do not require "mixing and stuffing into empty caulking tubes before application". The 2-part caulks are nominally called 'black death' for goo reason as everything within 50 ft. of such application will become covered with it.

 

[Steve Dion]

Tim: They make synthetic materials that look like the real thing. You may want to research some of these products.

 

[JohnShannon]

No I think they are rubber strips, at least they sure seem to be on my boat as they lie in pieces on the cockpit floor. I think Bene has the look of traditional teak with some kind of plywood rubber concoction.

http://www.boulterplywood.com/photogallery/wood names/teak & rubber.jpg

for instance

 

[DougM]

On my Beneteau,it's caulking. I just redid the swim platform on my boat which was essentially a teak surface glued to the Fiberglas deck. The glue was coming loose, so I peeled it up completely. I was surprised to discover that it was comprised of individual solid teak strips and not a laminate. The caulking was easy to peel out as it was fairly well aged. After I reattached the teak which was held together from the underside with staples, I re caulked everything. I masked all of the surfaces where I did not want caulking (the stuff is messy), caulked all of the joints and the perimeter. I smoothed out the joints with a wet finger,wearing latex gloves. I peeled the tape after about an hour, and the joints came out perfectly. It looks like an original factory installation. It's still a pain to do.

I'm tempted to say that my next boat will either remain "tearless", or I'll have to get rich so I can hire someone to do the maintenance. I'm getting to old for this, and my sons live too far away to help....

 

[twdevore]

I was watching the video from Jamestown last night and got really nervous when I saw them spreading the caulk out over the wood. The next method the showed involved the tape and I think that may fall under my skill set. I was looking under the lazarette and can see evidence of screws peaking from under each bung hole (can't say that without a smile). Someone had suggested the strips are actually a panel. So I'm thinking of taking up all the "caulking" and that will give me better access to start on the teak and then I can lay new caulking and ill be using tape.

Is there an old folks home for Beneteau workers that we could be asking all these questions of?