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Thread: Replacing a Teak Deck

  1. #1
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    Replacing a Teak Deck

    Yesterday we saw a boat I just fell in love with - an Oyster 485. I could live the rest of my days on this boat and be perfectly happy. My SO isn't quite so on board with that idea as I am but I'm working on it. The boat is rock solid. Below decks it is practically perfect and the boat is equipped to go anywhere in the world. On top it isn't as pretty but it's structurally sound, from bow to stern and the top of the mast to the keel.

    But the teak decks are in their last days and that's probably why this boat hasn't sold. The broker thought so. Thankfully, the teak isn't screwed to the deck. That's a deal breaker for me. The broker said Oyster used a laminate teak product. Some of the deck seemed to indicate this but I really didn't get a chance to confirm that. I didn't want to chance breaking away any of the wood that looked delaminated to find out if I was right.

    I think most of you guys know my abilities. I'm pretty sure I have all the tools to do the work. The big questions are what exactly is involved in replacing a teak deck?
    - Can you do it in small sections? Even if it took a year, I'd be fine with that.
    - Do you need a controlled environment?
    - Can you buy stock teak and mill it or do you need some laminate product for proper adherence?
    - When removing the old decking, are certain methods and/or tools necessary so as not to damage the deck?

    There's lots of other questions I have but for now I just wanted some feedback on what one could expect attempting a project like this. Any help is appreciated. Thanks...

  2. #2
    Not a boat guy. But I just looked up canvas decks and they are still used. Maybe the existing decking could be covered with it and the proper coating. Makes a very durable surface , tomorow I will be covering a window sill on my house that is made of fir with the heart side up instead of down and will not hold paint.

  3. #3
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    Too many choices Julie. Generally - not a big deal and not so time consuming and just like any "outdoor" work you want to optimize with the weather. Hard to tell from photos what "your" boat actually has for a deck but the Oyster 485s I'm looking at appear to have teak plank. Do the google for "laying a teak deck" for lots of info. Here is only one conversation - http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/woo...ion-43200.html
    "... for when we become in heart completely poor, we at once are the treasurers & disbursers of enormous riches."
    WQJudge

  4. #4
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    From what I could see, I was thinking the deck was planking too, and not some special laminate that Oyster designed for their boats. What I do know is many sailors abhor teak decks because of costs and maintenance but practically everyone of them would say they are beautiful. This particular 485 is about $70K less than anything else on the market, which is probably what it would cost if you had a yard replace the teak decks. Where it's priced now is the max I set for a boat that I'd live aboard so the rest of them are out of my reach. I'll see if I can find an Oyster group and see if anyone there knows. But most Oyster owners can pay for someone else to do the upkeep on their boat.

    We just got back from seeing a 2002 Sabre 452 my SO wanted to see. It was perfect. It looked brand new. There was nothing for me to do. I haven't earned that luxury. Tuesday I head back to Chicago and into the deep freeze. Maybe I'll feel different after a good dose of that.

  5. #5
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    If you ever want to run from buying a boat with a teak deck, go to a sailing forum and ask them if you should buy a boat with teak decks. And then tell them you'll be keeping it in the tropics.

    I have to ignore the Sirens. Quick! Tie me to the mast!

  6. #6
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    In my neck of the woods, teak costs about $35 per board foot.

  7. #7
    Now Julie, just how in blazes are you going to build guitars living on that cute little boat?

  8. #8
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    Why don't you contact Oyster Yachts. They should be able to tell you about the construction details. Do you have the particulars of the boat? year of manufactur, serial number, etc.
    They should be able to help you.
    Regards,

    Tim

    .
    ,

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by John Coloccia View Post
    Now Julie, just how in blazes are you going to build guitars living on that cute little boat?
    I won't, but I may find time to learn how to play what I've made.

    Quote Originally Posted by Tim Janssen View Post
    Why don't you contact Oyster Yachts. They should be able to tell you about the construction details. Do you have the particulars of the boat? year of manufactur, serial number, etc.
    They should be able to help you.
    All I can find is a forum for Oyster owners. If you don't already own an Oyster, you're out. Most Oyster owners don't worry about things as trivial as money. And they certainly don't do the work themselves! Heaven forbid!


  10. #11
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    Thanks Graham. I emailed them and am waiting for a reply.

    On the sailing forum, someone posted this:

    "I had a surveyor look at this Oyster and it isn't just the teak decks that need work. The whole boat has been completely neglected for years and it would cost at least us$150k to get her back in reasonable condition. Unless you fancy spending the next 18 months being a project manager, I would suggest passing on this one."

    I'm trying to get the specifics but it does give me cause for concern. Though I did spent 8 years of my career as a construction project manager and I do have a lot of time on my hands now. Hmmmmm.....

    “Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”

    ― Kenneth Grahame, The Wind In The Willows

  11. #12
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    Julie,have you moved to Florida yet?

    You know that a boat is a hole in the water that you pour money into?

  12. #13
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    Still in Chicago, George. After talking to realtors, both here and in West Palm Beach, they all agreed making the move now would mean selling low and buying high. It's the low season here and the high season there. So we're waiting to put the house on the market until late February. The realtor here said right after Super Bowl there's a big spike in home buyers.

    And yes I know the saying about boats. If you're a sailor, it's, "Sailing is standing under a cold shower tearing up $100 bills." If we actually decided to buy a boat instead of a house, my heirs would have to resign themselves to the fact there wouldn't be much left for them to split up after I'm gone. You know, "I'm spending my kid's inheritance."

    But the research I've done on replacing a teak deck has been interesting and informative. This is a video of replacing a teak deck on a Swan 371. The boat was probably built in the late 70's. Back then, Swan was the Rolls Royce of sailboats.


  13. #14
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    When I ran across this video, I had to laugh at the insanity of one person taking on the project of removing a teak deck from any but the smallest of boats.


  14. #15
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    One other thing I found was the approximate cost of replacing the deck on the boat we were considering. Included in the price was taking down the mast, removing all the deck hardware (the boat is 18 years old and that can be a task), removing the old deck, prepping the fiberglass to receive the new deck, creating templates for the new deck, building the deck at the factory, packing and shipping the finished product to the boatyard, installing the new deck and replacing the mast and hardware. All this in an enclosed building, also included in the estimate. Cost? Around $80K.

    Out of curiosity, I also priced out just making the templates, the wood and pre-fabbing the decking. That price was around $30K. Then you'd have to throw in epoxy adhesive, seam caulk to finish off the deck package. Either way, not cheap. But the houses we were looking at in Florida could easily suck up just as much fixing them up. So it's either the Money Pit or the Hole in the Water. I'd rather work on a boat any day.

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