keep them clean, soft bristle brush on broomstick, a harder brush, hand size
use a decent oil if that satisfies your desire for color, or let them naturally grey.
repair any issues, promptly
do not use silicone based stuff on them
careful with harsh cleaners and bleaches
NO pressure washing - ever
use deck mounts to secure spinnaker poles, hooks, etc
contact HR for what they use on the show boats and advertising

I did maintenance for a couple of owners.

 

Thanks for your reply. Do you use regular boat soap on it like you would on the gelcoat/fiberglass portions of the boat? I've used West Marine's Teak Brightener on my teak cap rails, which seemed to do a good job. However, I really only use that stuff as prep before sanding and applying Cetol, and seems like it would be impractical to use it to clean a large area like the decks.

 

Never use a bristle brush, as the bristles get into the grain and progressively remove the softer wood, leaving the harder ridges, which then can’t stand up to foot traffic and wear prematurely. Use a soft scotch pad, and clean against the grain. Just salt water is fine, no soap. Maybe once or twice per year, you can use Teak Deck Systems Eco cleaner. However, the more you wash down with salt water, the less frequently the cleaner is needed. Never use a two part cleaner either, they also remove wood.

If buying a boat with teak decks, their underlying condition is a major factor in value. Are they leaking, is the caulking sound, have they been sanded to their limits? The point is, how far away from a replacement that will cost tens of thousands is she?

 

In the old days, we used to use holy stones or griddle blocks on the teak decks of the old schooners because these would sand down the teak evenly, not pulling out the softer wood as above. Then we used a mixture of boiled linseed oil and kerosene to saturate the teak. It was a job for the whole crew, excepting master and cook, going up the decks en masse on hands and knees.
Today there are a variety of cleaners/bleaches (I like Snappy Teak the best) that do a marvelous job of cleaning and brightening teak, being sure to always go across the grain when scrubbing. There are also a number of finishes if you want to go that way, though most leave them to go grey.
However, and this is a huge factor, if you live or are going anywhere warm, teak decks get way too hot to walk on barefoot, let alone lay out on. For good maintenance in the tropics with the normal, relatively thin teak decks on yachts these days, they need to be washed down with seawater several times a day, which of course, turns them grey faster. They absorb a lot of heat from the sun and keep the cabin warm much later in the evening than glass, which is a pain in the tropics.
My first big boat, a Lester Stone Phill Rhodes racing cutter had real teak decks (no backing, so no rotting plywood underneath). Within the first year, I had to re-caulk every seam. It was back-breaking work, but done right it can last many years.
Almost every serious cruiser I've known who have had trouble with their teak decks has just removed them or covered them. If you are buying a showboat, then the teak is way worthwhile. If not.....

 

Yes they are pretty and I love teak decks providing they are on other peoples boats.

I am a long term Caribbean cruiser and would never buy a boat with teak decks. They are too hot to walk on. They raise the temperature inside the boat by several degrees.

But the main reason is that when the times come to replace them at 20 to 30 years the cost is enormous. We are talking circa 1k $ US PER FOOT.

 

But the main reason is that when the times come to replace them at 20 to 30 years the cost is enormous. We are talking circa 1k $ US PER FOOT.

It should be noted that is not per foot of boat but per foot of PLANK.

I love the look of teak decks and I laid a flush teak deck on the first boat I built.

I would never have one again - work, rotting sub deck, work, cost, work, cost........

 

There's a young couple of YouTube that recently got a steal on a HR35(?) and part of their massive overhaul including something like two weeks, pretty much full time, for both of them and another couple helping out, to remove the worn teak decking, some 8,000 screws, and then lay new decking on it. They used a plastic sheet product that "looks" like teak, for the replacement. Nice job, massive amount of work, including filling in the eight thousand screw holes.

A lot depends on how who maintained the decks, or not. These days it is more likely that a new deck would be glued down, so the leaking wouldn't be an issue. But your typical older boat? Yeah, 8000 screw holes.

There are a number of YT videos on replacing teak decks. Some companies will pre-cut new wood for you, making the replacement much easier as well. But no matter how it is done, that's a big job. A lot of owners will take off an old teak deck, fill the holes, and then have a layer of cloth glassed won, and the new deck simply refinished that way.

Still, eight thousand holes.

 

There's a young couple of YouTube that recently got a steal on a HR35(?) and part of their massive overhaul including something like two weeks, pretty much full time, for both of them and another couple helping out, to remove the worn teak decking, some 8,000 screws, and then lay new decking on it. They used a plastic sheet product that "looks" like teak, for the replacement. Nice job, massive amount of work, including filling in the eight thousand screw holes.

A lot depends on how who maintained the decks, or not. These days it is more likely that a new deck would be glued down, so the leaking wouldn't be an issue. But your typical older boat? Yeah, 8000 screw holes.

...and a month after finishing the project in record time they completed a quick sale of the boat to a new owner.

I would have as dim a view of the plastic tops and one should have of the condition of the underlying decks.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

Ironically, even the glued down decks use some screws. They are either temporarily used, between boards to hold down bracing, while the glue cures, or often used to permanently hold down looser spots over dips. For the temporary screws, the holes are supposed to be epoxied before the caulking is applied. I've found that is missed, but the caulking holds the water back for years....... until it doesn't.

Admittedly, I like the feel of teak under foot, much better than non-skid, etc. In fact, cleaning mold out of non-skid and getting it waxed is much harder than cleaning teak, IMO.

I'm due for new decks (if I don't just buy another boat) and have considered all the contemporary look alike alternatives. Some are synthetic teaks, but the subsurface must be perfect or it will print through. The cork products look very promising, they are even colored to look like teak and do, from afar. I just can't get past them look cheap, which leaves me asking why.

 

I just spoke with a HR broker about the teak decks. She said that some of the newer models are actually semi-custom boats so one could opt for the faux teak or just plain old non-skid gelcoat (which would probably be my choice). The only problem with that approach is that I would have to buy one brand new...

 

The only problem with that approach is that I would have to buy one brand new...

If you are going to buy new, might as well consider a teak deck. It's the 20 year old teak decked boats you want to avoid. It seems like a problematic teak deck is similar a boat needing a new engine. It's going to cost you lots of money and time.

 

All teak decks are not the same either. I believe that HR uses thick individual boards, which is the best way to go. If properly cared for, these decks can last 30 years, maybe more. Even when tired, the caulking can be reefed out and reapplied. The boards are thick enough to be surface sanded back to essentially new condition. This isn’t cheap, but it’s a small fraction of a new deck and much more accessible to DYI.

On the other hand, there are what I call teak paneling jobs (which my boat has). They are custom made sheets of thinner teak boards that are tongue and grove fit together, before they are laid on the deck. This is not to be confused with Teak Deck Systems, who will create an individual board pattern for your boat, already laid out on a backer, so it can be laid down in large sections. The version the Beneteau Group used/uses is less expensive and has little thickness for sanding. If I get around to replacing my deck, I will do it correctly and it will last the remainder of my sailing days.

Finally, if you’ve ever been aboard an Amel, you might be surprised at the quality of totally fake teak. It’s enginnered into the side decks. Looks a bit plastic up close, but damn good from 10 feet away. Pretty sure it’s nearly indestructible.

 

It seems like some sort of intervention counseling would be cheaper and easier.

I'm always looking for a boat that requires less maintenance, never more.

 

Treak decks are a thing of the past that some think they still need. on the wooden boats teak was the best thing to make a desk out of much better then fur of pine with the canvas cover and sand in the paint. then came fiber glass decks and it was so much better but some still seem to think that a deck should be teak. putting teak on the deck of a boat os just not needed and creates another big maintenance nightmare.

 

Not sure I agree teak is antiquated. A wet teak deck feels much better under foot than most anything else. A good non-skid might be a bit stickier, but way more aggressive on your foot too. I also find non-skid sticks, until it doesn’t, and you abruptly let go. Teak is more subtle and forces a better balance. There are also many versions of non-skid patterns I wouldn’t trade for an ice rink.

 

Teak deck has lots of holes that leak eventually...

 

I believe that the original poster was asking about Hallberg Rassey which uses a glue down system which doesn't require a lot of holes. The issue with that system as it was explained to me is that they only use 10 mm planks. That works okay in a Northern climate where boats are out of service part of the year, in normal use real teak erodes between 1/16 and 3/32 per decade and so I would be concerned about having enough depth to allow the seam caulk to remain properly adhered.

Jeff

 

Been told Amel decking product is secret. Does anyone know anything about it? Of the synthetics I’ve seen what’s on this years Zlanders looks the best to my eye. Does anyone know what it is?
We’re in the tropics part of the year. Know from visiting others boats teak and colored hulls definitely make boats hotter. Embrace your white chlorox bottle. Glad we spec’d our non skid the lightest tan color we could find.

 

Been told Amel decking product is secret. Does anyone know anything about it? Of the synthetics I've seen what's on this years Zlanders looks the best to my eye. Does anyone know what it is?
We're in the tropics part of the year. Know from visiting others boats teak and colored hulls definitely make boats hotter. Embrace your white chlorox bottle. Glad we spec'd our non skid the lightest tan color we could find.

Recently, I spotted an Amel Super Maramu in my marina and the owner happened to be topside when I walked by. I specifically asked about the deck because I thought it was real teak. If memory serves, he said that the decks are actually molded in that pattern and the gelcoat is actually brown to make it look like teak. If true, THAT's the ticket! I don't know of any other manufacturer that does that.

 

One thing I would worry about with teak decks is how big of a problem are they going to be when it comes time to sell the boat. There may be certain boats where teak decks really go with the classic style and buyers of those boats expect it (see below). But for a regular production cruising boat on the used boat market, I think a lot of potential buyers are going to run and run fast from teak decks. Which isn't a great quality for a boat if you do plan to sell it some day.

 

HR may very well use glue now--but they used to use screws. Thousands of screws. FWIW.

 

Yep, tons of screws on my (former) 1998 HR34. Once it started to wear, replacing the teak plugs became a bit of a game.

We spent 2 years in the Carribean and 2-3 full years in Canada (fresh water). They never got too warm to walk on deck and I never wore shoes on board unless it was really cold. It did make the upper portion of the cabinets inside a bit warmer so we had to reorganize some storage.

Regular maintenance was mostly rinsing and infrequent cleaning with mild soap & a soft sponge, not really much different from fiberglass. Any little spots that started to look icky got a little bar keeper's friend, i.e., oxalic acid (like behind the rear most scupper). In the 5 years that we owned it, we did a boracol treatment once and gave it a light sanding once. HR manuals include a section on teak deck maintenance. The decks had 2 small spots & 1 one-foot section where the wood wore down a bit much so we had to replace some caulking where it pulled away from the wood.

The traction was far better than any nonskid that I've experienced. When buying the boat we really, really didn't want teak decks because of the suppposed maintenance. Having owned it, I'd gladly buy another boat with teak decks if they're in good shape and I'm not intending to sell it anytime soon. The resale market doesn't like teak decks and given the state of most 20+ year old teak decks that's totally reasonable.

Varnished teak is a totally different story. That's more work and gets to be a lot more work if neglected.

 

Funny, I read through, don't think anyone has even mentioned why teak is and has always been the choice for decks, probably ever since boats we're being built, maybe even Noah's Ark had teak decks but, we'll leave that to historians.

Teak is so desirable for boat decks large and small because it's naturally non-skid, it has almost no expansion contraction, it's loaded with silica and oils, does not need a finish, turns silver grey and almost never rots.

I don't think better living through chemistry has come even close to making a synthetic material equal to teak

Because of supply and demand the cost of teak is out of this world for the average person. There are other countries, were whole boats are built out of teak! I love it, I think it's wonderful but I would never have it on a older boat deck.

IMO, Thin plank teak decks (could be called veneer) have been invented because of the cost of solid teak.

 

Just as an FYI, I had a conversation with another HR broker in the same office, who said that there is no option for deleting the teak decks on a new build boat, so your options are down to: teak, or teak. Oh well!