worn teak decks

[tckearney]

I have just been scrubbing my teak decks and they are very worn.  The surface looks fibres and even to the point of “hairy” .  Is there anything I can do about this by way of sealing the surface?   Maybe the previous owner power washed them or something.  B42 year 2000

[geoff]

If they are not worn to the point where the caulking is coming out in worms Semco Natural is probably the best sealant. It gives the surface a semi permeable membrane and is probably the most natural looking [not too much turmeric] Geoff

[Yngmar]

Sealers can be applied before the wear occurs, but IMHO they don't do much, and most risk damage to the caulking if applied incorrectly (left on too long, applied in the sun, etc.)

On yours, the damage has already occured. All you can do now is gently sand it down, but the teak is not that thick, so don't go crazy (it's mounted on ply, so not as thick as it looks on the edges). Only then you can apply something on top, but the problem with teak decking is that it is for walking on, and anything that protects (encases) the timber also makes the deck too slippery. The ones that do not encase it do very little to protect the timber, although they can make it briefly look better, via bleaching agents (oxalic acid). This is just cosmetic and doesn't last long anyways.

When sanding (only needed once, after previous abuse, e.g. by power washer) and being kind to your deck stops working, the teak needs to be removed and a new surface installed. This is why many people warn about buying boats with teak decks

[Craig]

To add to Yngmar and Geoff's comments:-

" Sunsail" and "Whitsunday Rent A Yacht"  in the Whitsundays ( Hot Australian Sun) clean the teak on their charter boats once a year, other than the washing down after each charter. They use the 2 part Snappy Teak Nu to clean the decks and then seal with 2 to 3 coats of Semco sealer. Over the last couple of years I have been a part time instructor on one of their boats. I haven't noticed any difference in slipping as a result of this treatment. After using the snappy teak nu to clean the teak, the teak looks brand new. The sealer then changes the whitish colour to a more golden colour. As a result of this, I have done the same to my boat. I haven't noticed any problem with the caulking as yet.

Hot sun does tend to kill teak faster and that is why most owners in Australia shy away from teak decks. Cockpit seats and floor is usually the only teak. Teak is often too hot to stand on compared to white fibreglass.

The sealer does appear to inhibit the fungus growth as it gets into the grain. The trick is to apply a number of coats of sealer. The teak really sucks up the sealer. In my opinion, the sealer appears to harden the teak and reduce wear. I suspect, but can't verify, that the sealer inhibits the growth of the fungus ( Greying) of the teak.

The only way to remove the pitting is to sand the teak, but as Yngmar warns, it is thin and should be avoided if possible.

Many of the boats on display at the Sydney Boat Show each year are owner's vessels that are up to 2 years old. To prepare these to look brand new, they often sand the teak and use " Nappy-San"  to clean and whiten. I'm not sure what the European equivalent of " Nappy-San" is and not sure of the active ingredient. I think it may be chlorine based. I would not recommend that this be done too often, but the results look fantastic.

Craig
" Shirley Valentine"
Gold Coast
Australia

[390 Lagoon]

I had the same problem on my 1992 390, The teak is so thin on top of ply when it's gone its gone, I had to take it all off its a big job then painted with Kiwi paint its great product http://www.pyiinc.com/KiwiGrip/, I then used Wilks for the cockpit only and done this in Synthetic teak you can make a mat or you can make a template out of a clear sheet and mark with a marker how you would like it to look, they then make the mat for you and you just need to stick it down https://www.wilks.co.uk/dek-king.html

I will never have a boat again with Teak topsides !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dawntreader]

I know some will consider treating the teak as a sacrilege. However, I noticed early after purchasing my B37 that when washing the teak there were fibres coming off. Earlier contributions on this forum included a suggestion using oxalic acid to clean and a sealer to protect. I have been using the acid to clean and Ronseal's hardwood garden furniture oil as a protective coat for years. The advantage of this is that, once applied, it protects the wood and makes water flush off quickly. The surface is not slippery when wet. It takes a couple of hours do - result attached 

[Salty]

It looks very pretty too, but out of curiosity how long does it take before you can be sure that the Ronseal will not transfer onto your clothes after being sat on ?

[dawntreader]

2 hours touch dry

https://www.restexpress.co.uk/acatalog/Ronseal_Hardwood_Garden_Furniture_Oil.html

[tckearney]

looks the part do you have to do this every year ?

[dawntreader]

looks the part do you have to do this every year ?

Yes, once every season but really depends on how much you use the boat. I only have teak in the cockpit area so use about 200ml to complete the job.

[tiger79]

I will never have a boat again with Teak topsides !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Having owned a Hallberg-Rassy for many years, I sold because the decks were approaching needing replacement at vast cost.  And, like you, I vowed never to have teak again and specified DuraDeck everywhere on my Cruiser 37.

[JEN-et-ROSS]

I will never have a boat again with Teak topsides !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Like '390 Lagoon', we have a 38 Lagoon of similar vintage. We also had the thin teak veneer on ply, it was dreadful.
So 12 years ago we had it stripped off and the deck filled, sanded then painted.
It's been well worth the trouble. looks great, virtually no maintenance.
The only problem we had was when the 'teak' deck was originally laid, they used little screws to secure it. Half of them sheared off during removal and the
bits left had to be ground out of the deck.........But that was long ago.........Very pleased with the outcome.........Bill