Teak and other problems.

Bill1565 · Mar 20, 2011

Georgeous here in SW Florida, Sunny 15kts NE, but my dog had heart problems Thursday and Friday, and I'm trying not to stir him up till we see the dog cardiologist. So we all are staying home.

Anyway here near the equator, this is sailing season. Anything we can put off till July or August we can tackle between hurricanes. So far the eyebrow is not on the urgent list like hook up the WS/WD and check the alternator pulley alignment are.

Jim Legere · Mar 20, 2011

Re: Teak and other problems

I don't know if anyone else in the fleet is using sunbrella covers for their handrails, but my covers extend the life of the finish (Cetol in my case) to about 3 or 4 years between coats. This includes all winter on the hard, as the sunbrella covers stay on and only the cockpit is tarped over. The covers are pretty simple - they snap to the handrail on each end and have velcro in the "grab gaps". I don't have any pictures, but I can try to remember to take some. Now, if I could only figure to how to protect the eyebrows between sailings...

stephen Penny · Mar 20, 2011

Ed,

I enjoyed refinishing my 1987 Hunter 31's teak. But I really liked Steve Dion's teak handrail replacement with stainless steel on his former Hunter 31 and no exterior teak maintenance my new sailboat. I want to sail more and do less maintenance.

sandpiper10471 · Mar 20, 2011

My eyebrows were also beyond repair. And I am sure adding holes for water ingress into the core. So I drilled out the holes, filled the with thickened resin, sanded smooth and painted a black stripe where the eyebrow used to be. I think it looks better and is far less maintenance. Matches the black stripe below the gunwale.

Dalliance · Mar 20, 2011

Not sure what product you are using or how often you are refinishing your teak, but if you prefer the look of teak, have you considered other finish products? I stripped and refinished my handrails and companionway with Signature Honey Teak in the spring of 2007 and they still look like new. The handrails did get some minor touch-up and a clear maintenance coat last July as they are not protected by the dodger like the companionway. It's a three can catalyzed product and the instructions are a bit daunting at first, but it's pretty easy to use and you can apply multiple coats the same day. It may not save you much time this year, but in our climate you won't be re-doing it next year.

Bill1565 · Mar 21, 2011

Our problem is years of neglect has left very little teak in some areas of eyebrow. Funny, last night sitting out on the lanai, we talked about a black stripe to match the toe rail.

Gunwhale stripes on our boat are tricolor Blue, silver and black on the bottom. Much to wide to match for eyebrow.

Here in Florida, sunbrella covers are necessary, otherwise varnish doesn't last a year.

Isn't honey teak an epoxy type finish? And when it does crack, isn't it a b*&%^ to remove?

Dalliance · Mar 21, 2011

Re Honey Teak: The manufacturer recommends a clear maintenance coat once a year in Florida and every other year in northern climates. I stretched it to three years.
The minor touch-up I referred to was a couple nicks and a few bungs I had not smoothed down flush causing the product to go on to thin. It will fail first at edges and sharp corners where it tends go on thin, and of course anywhere it gets damaged. The first clue is that it appears to have turned a pale yellow where it has separated from the wood. It was pretty easy to sand those small areas, feather in the Honey Teak and a few clear coats and then finish off with the overall clear maintenance coat.
The PO had used the product for many years, but his patches and maintenance coats had gotten a bit sloppy in the later years. God bless him, he sailed until he was 83. So, when I acquired the boat, I chose to take it down to bare teak and start over with the same product. And yes, it was a b**** to remove, but isn't that you want?

jorgefife · Mar 23, 2011

Ed Schenck said:
The problem with the PlasTeak is contraction/expansion with temperature changes. The longest I could buy was 12 foot so there had to be a miter joint. When it got cold the ends at the miter actually split because I had the screws too close to the ends. Then there was the color issue. Since then PlasTeak makes a darker and more teak-like color. I love how it turned out as dorade lids and forward traveler base(pictured above). I wish I had time to do the same for the aft traveler and winch pads.

As for handrails I just did my last bit of scraping on the short ones. They are drying in the driveway before I tackle with the sander. Rardi, your second from the front handrail is right where my traveler is located. I have to have one forward of that and then two behind. Currently the front one is 5' 8" feet and the long one is 10'. But I think that I can get away with three four-footers per side. When I study what is available I see that 304 stainless is strongest but 316 is less prone to staining. The 316 is almost twice the cost so I guess I answered my own question.

Ed,
I share your pain, I had my starboard side handrails broken, so from the "donor " boat at the salvage yard I found nice ones, and will install them as soon as I do the deck with the non-skid I been bragging about
But what I will do is as follows: I will have sunbrella blue, with the metal things that lock, around them to protect them from the sun
I will then remove them when I go sailing, surely that will give them a measure of protection

Regarding the "eyebrows" : again from the yard I got a few, but since I am in the business of doors, I buy from a company here what we call "glass bits" : it is a very long piece of mahogony that almost resembles the eyebrow; you cannot tell the difference
For the record, they come in 8 feet long, and I think they cost $ 5.00 each ( five)
It is the piece that gets nailed on the inside of a mahogony door, mitered at 4 ends, and it holds the glass in place
It is a perfect size
It comes only in unfinished form, better still so you can stain as you wish
If anyone wants me to get them, I will be happy to help
That was my dime's worth of useless information...

guidera48 · Mar 24, 2011

Jorge
I was looking at my eyebrow's (the boats's) the other day since all the chatter and noticed all my plugs were gone and I only have about a 1/4" thick leftover piece of teak eyebrow. Not even deep enought to plug the screw holes.
Our eyebrow is basically a piece of bullnose molding or half round. You mentioned you had access to glass trim in mahogany 8ft long All the door trim I have used is usually a quarter round, either 1/4", 1/2" or even 3/4" on larger doors.
I would be interested in following up on your offer to locate this trim. Point me in the right direction. I sell and install lot's of Jatoba, Santos and Royal Mahogany, Cumaru and Ipe flooring. However the longest piece I have is 5ft long. So if I mill my own, I would have quite a frew joints on each eyebrow.
Thanks

guidera48 · Mar 24, 2011

Measured the eyebrow. It comprises of 2 pieces 8Ft 4 inches long joined with a lap joint in the middle. Total lengh 16'8". After 30 years, all the soft wood is gone and all there is left are the growth rings.
I have some 1x6 four quarter Jatoba in 8ft lenghts for stairs. I wonder how it will look. Jatoba (brazilian Cherry) has excellent hardness and oiled or varnished looks great. If left alone it turns silver,just like teak.
Just what I needed, one more weekend project. I have my calender filled for the next 28 week ends as it is.
Jose

jorgefife · Mar 26, 2011

Teak and other problems

Jose,
The Company's name is Bevel King, and I think the website is www.bevelking.com, but you have to be a to purchase this
I will take a look and see what the cost is; I know it comes in 8 feet pieces, and I know you will probably have to take off a bit, but the size is perfect