Building a deck with teak ok?

[Alan Schaffter]

Teak is not "too heavy" to build the boat from it. Many boats, including some gorgeous historical pleasure yacths, have been built with teak planking for the entire hull (usually over sawn oak frames). In fact, I sailed a boat once that was built of double teak planking.

Steal, of course, is heavier than teak, and boat hulls are often made of steal. The weight of the material is only relevant with respect to the amount of water it will displace, and any material can be used with the right hull design.

Maybe I should have said: Today's boat builders fine it too heavy, too difficult to work, and certainly too expensive. The trend today is lightweight sandwich sailboat hulls of fiberglass, kevlar, graphite, etc. over lightweight cores of foam, balsa, honey comb, etc. With these it is easier to form and achieve a light, yet strong structure, with smooth lines. Weight saved results in less wetted surface, and faster sailing vessels.

I know all about ships of steel AND other materials and displacement vs bouyancy. I spent 22 years in the navy on a few smaller ships, but since I was in Naval Aviation, most of my sea time was spent on aircraft carriers (Kennedy, Independence, Kitty Hawk, etc. Also, in the early 70's during my first assignment, in my off time I was building a 55' ferrocement two masted ketch. It was the size of the boat below, but that is not mine. I was transferred and was lucky to sell the hull armature.

[John Mark Lane]

Maybe I should have said: Today's boat builders fine it too heavy, too difficult to work, and certainly too expensive. The trend today is lightweight sandwich sailboat hulls of fiberglass, kevlar, graphite, etc. over lightweight cores of foam, balsa, honey comb, etc. With these it is easier to form and achieve a light, yet strong structure, with smooth lines. Weight saved results in less wetted surface, and faster sailing vessels.

I know all about ships of steel AND other materials and displacement vs bouyancy. I spent 22 years in the navy on a few smaller ships, but since I was in Naval Aviation, most of my sea time was spent on aircraft carriers (Kennedy, Independence, Kitty Hawk, etc. Also, in the early 70's during my first assignment, in my off time I was building a 55' ferrocement two masted ketch. It was the size of the boat below, but that is not mine. I was transferred and was lucky to sell the hull armature.

Alan,

First of all, thank you for your distinguished service to our country. The rest of us owe a great deal to people like you.

As for today's boat builders, yes indeed they are into composites and plastics and lightweight hulls. I love watching the America's Cup races and seeing some of these boats pushed to their limits. Examples of engineering genius, and beautiful to behold.

But not all of "today's boatbuilders" are in that camp. My old friends Ross Gannon and Nat Benjamin would be in a different camp.

http://www.gannonandbenjamin.com/

And the local yard in the town where I build my summer home a decade ago is also in a different camp:

http://www.rockportmarine.com/

But yes, these are remnants of a past almost forgotten.

Still...despite any engineering feets of today's boatbuilders, a boat double planked in teak is a thing not only of beauty, but also of great utility.

[Jim Terrill]

The greater the weight, just means the greater the draft...

Yet again, no. A barge can carry far more weight than a v-hulled vessel with the same draft. Displacement is important, not specifically draft, which is only one component of displacement.

[Van Huskey]

I don't know why I read this... but I did.


Simple, teak makes a great deck, I think we figured that out.

I am one who loves wood but loves composite decks. They took a beating in public opinion since the early Trex sucked. On our vacation home in Louisiana I used LP Weatherbest, at the time it was #1 by CU and lots of building forumites loved it. I haven't had an issue in 4 years looks the same as when it was put down save some dog claw marks if you know where to look. Easy to clean and hasn't cost me a cent to mantain I brush/rinse it twice a year. Neighbors PT deck looked great 4 years ago when new, now looks like crap, time to refinish. It does need 12" OC joist spacing and it is rock solid then, thats at 90 deg, closer for angled but so is everything else.

[Brendan Plavis]

Yet again, no. A barge can carry far more weight than a v-hulled vessel with the same draft. Displacement is important, not specifically draft, which is only one component of displacement.

I would say that you are a little of topic my fine feathered friend...

We were talking about boats such as yachts... last I checked no yacht is a barge....

And actually, draft is the major component of displacement. The further it sits down in the water, the more 'boat' the water is being subjected to, due to the V design. The more 'boat' it is subjected to, means the more water is displaced. This is why hydrofoils were considered and used in experimental designs during the 50s-60s, and are now what are used on Stealth Ships.... A hydrofoil is a small reinforced plane of metal that juts into the water, and when reaching optimal speed, lifts the boat out of the water, and uses that, since its small, it reduces the tell tail wake of a ship, by more than 3/4s. And last I checked, Wake is directly related to displacement... Not to mention it increases the speed...


So please... stop following my every post commenting things such as "yet again, no""Wrong again" et cetera... please be more mature...thanks...

[Tom Rick]

And actually, draft is the major component of displacement..

Displacement is simply the volume of water displaced by the hull.

Draft is not the defining characteristic of a vessels displacement due to the myriad hull forms that the under body may take.

Consider the laden 40' gravel barge which displaces some 70,000 lbs and draws a scant 24".
My 40 sailboat displaces 19,000 lbs and has a draft of 6'...

Or if your thinking must be contained by the "yacht"
Consider the Westsail 32 with a draft of 5' and 20,000 lbs displacement.

The only manner in which displacement and draft are directly linked, is when a specific vessel is more heavily laden, she will rest lower in the water and "displace" more.

[Brendan Plavis]

Displacement is simply the volume of water displaced by the hull.

Draft is not the defining characteristic of a vessels displacement due to the myriad hull forms that the under body may take.

Consider the laden 40' gravel barge which displaces some 70,000 lbs and draws a scant 24".
My 40 sailboat displaces 19,000 lbs and has a draft of 6'...

Or if your thinking must be contained by the "yacht"
Consider the Westsail 32 with a draft of 5' and 20,000 lbs displacement.

The only manner in which displacement and draft are directly linked, is when a specific vessel is more heavily laden, she will rest lower in the water and "displace" more.

That is what I have been trying to state.... When a boat is heavier, its draft becomes greater(thus the displacement is greater...) Sorry If I wasnt clear on that one..

[Tom Rick]

Brendan,

This thread has been fun eh?

Sort of a catch all hub bub of thoughts from all comers- like sitting at a bar near closing....


Regards

[John Mark Lane]

Oh, no...somebody mentioned the Wetsnail 32.... Actually, I love that design.... Teak decks, to boot.