[jrophoff]

I am in the process of stripping all hardware off the deck of my 25 Irwin. It leaks at the deck and hull joint so I pulled off some of the teak toe rail. Unfortunately there will be no re using the toe rail, it is rotted.

I have been searching for a fix using: Teak, Aluminum, Plasteak, ect... I found this article:

Good Old Boat - A new toerail for an old warhorse article

Has anyone been able to successfully duplicate this? Does it look good, and is it functional?

 

[deniseO30]

Mahogany is a pretty close to ok replacement and more affordable then teak. white oak (never use red oak) works well outdoors and turns grey if left to the elements. and can darken with varnish.
You can "scarf" sections of new teak into the old.
You can find aluminum toe rail on ebay too. Not cheap even used.

 

[JimsCAL]

That's an interesting approach to making up aluminum toerail using stock parts. Never saw it done before.

A less expensive alternative to teak might be ipe which is used in decks and weathers just like teak. Heavy and hard to cut however.

 

[smurphny]

Replacing the teak toe rail and gunwale structure with aluminum is an interesting idea. If aluminum can be fitted, it seems like a viable alternative to wood. I don't know why the folks in your link rejected welding which would have allowed adjustment to the complex angles along the rail. It would also have eliminated a lot of bolting. With a little care, a nicely fitted welded rail could have been fabricated.

There seem to be lots of wood species that pass for "teak." I have noticed that many of the old 60s vintage A35s like mine have problems with rotted toe rail teak. There is no sign of any rot in mine which is really a mystery because she was never babied or kept indoors. The wood shows wear but no rot, even in butt joints that were obviously neglected over the years. Pearson must have used "teak" from different locations in the construction back in the '60s. So, if you're thinking "teak" it could be a real crapshoot as to its rot resistance. If considering replacing the entire toe rail structure, the aluminum idea sounds like a good one except for aesthetic considerations.

I replaced the teak piece under the main sheet traveler with Canarywood which has been on for three years now and looks like it's holding up well. Mahogany is too soft, requires a lot of maintenance, and rots quickly.

 

[deniseO30]

Mahogany is too soft, requires a lot of maintenance, and rots quickly.

Uh.... Guess you know! Guess I'll go chainsaw my 1955 Chris Craft Runabout now!

 

[Alex W]

I wish that Good Old Boat article included a photo. It would be nice to see how it all came together.

Someday I hope to replace my teak toe rail with aluminum perf rail. It is so much more functional and would remove the piece of teak on my boat that gets the most abuse.

 

[smurphny]

I have owned many old wood boats: Richardson, Wheeler, Pacemaker, Egg Harbor, Larson, Old Town, and various small motor and sailboats and can assure you that most species of mahogany used on these boats was prone to rot and a constant repair item. I have dug out, cut out, replaced and cursed many, many board feet of rotten mahogany. Sorry, but mahogany would certainly not be my choice for a toerail. I have a mahogany table in the cabin. Beautiful wood.

 

[jsaronson]

Teak does not rot. It is probably mahogany. Good luck!

 

[jrophoff]

Thanks guys lots of good advice. I was not aware of the teak rotting until I removed the toe rail. Moisture got in underneath it and is is really soft. Otherwise I thought I would be putting the same toe rail back on.

I might have a lead on some aluminum toe rail that came off of a 25 ft sail boat. I'll let you know what I find.

I do agree on that article. If only they posted pictures of the end result.

 

[deniseO30]

I wish that Good Old Boat article included a photo. It would be nice to see how it all came together.

Someday I hope to replace my teak toe rail with aluminum perf rail. It is so much more functional and would remove the piece of teak on my boat that gets the most abuse.

Seems to me welding experience on aluminum would be a money saver on such a project.

 

[deniseO30]

Teak does not rot. It is probably mahogany. Good luck!

Many of us have seen rotted teak. especially decking. it literally becomes sponge like, black or green.

 

[christian.hess]

teak does not rot

too funny!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[oysterman23]

Many of us have seen rotted teak. especially decking. it literally becomes sponge like, black or green.

Yup. Seen many a Grand Banks trawler with rotting teak decks especially in corners where the water could lay up. Also many know not the ways of the wily algae\ mould\fungal interactions which may degrade even oily woods over Time.....after all old fallen trees new forests make....
Incidentally Iroko is a reasonably good teak substitute without the weight and sheer cussedness of ipe....

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk

 

[smurphny]

The most rot resistant wood I know of is Black Locust. The stuff can lay on the forest floor for decades without rotting. Teak certainly does rot. I think the relative rot resistance must depend on the specific species and probably even the specific area from which it came.Teak decks with hundreds of feet of potentially leaky black polysulfide seams are a freaking nightmare IMO. It looks nice but the maintenance is outrageous.