Teak question

[Aussiesuede]

Oxalic acid will "bleach" the wood - but NOT turn it white. It'll just return it to it's original color. It's also excellent for cleaning up rust stains as well. You can stop by your local hardware store and pick up a gallon of "Wolman's Deck Restorer" which is oxalic acid with additives. DON'T buy it from your marine vendor as there is a 500-700% markup. It'll be the best $15 you spend on your teak. I've seen worse than yours (your's doesn't look all that bad actually) come back to life after a good scrubbing with Oxalic

[Soft Air]

Thanks Aussiesuede, I will get some at a local hardware store, how does it need to be applied?

[Aussiesuede]

Originally Posted by Soft Air

Thanks Aussiesuede, I will get some at a local hardware store, how does it need to be applied?

With a small firm bristle brush. Pour a bit in a bowl, dip brush in bowl, and scrub. Rinse with tap water - NOT seawater. One gallon will last you a lifetime.

[Soft Air]

Thanks again

[Cheechako]

If you are going to be cruising or Cartegena I would just keep it clean. Hard to tell, but it looks like yours may need to be replugged... if not also re caulked. Thats a big job. I got it done a few years ago and what happens is the decks get worn or sanded over time, the plugs end up real thin and fall off, so you end up taking many of the screws out , redrilling, rescrewing, replugging, stripping the caulk, cleaning, recaulking, sanding the caulk down and then you have a nice new deck...... ready to weather grey again! I got my Passport '47 done by a lone shipwright (I new him a short time prior) for about $6000. It was back breaking work for sure. You also may have water saturation inside the deck core from all the screws. I had the teak decks removed on my HC 38, deck painted and I put down Treadmaster. If I hadnt had the deck/cabin painted, that would have been a much easier project than redoing the teak decks. Just FWIW. There's nothing like teak decks at sea though. They're hot at anchor though!

[Cheechako]

FYI: TSP is a super boat cleaner..... fiberglass or Teak. It will burn your hands though and may not be enviro friendly, but for a one shot clean up the old boat that's been sitting forever.... damn it's super. Just put it in a big salt shaker/parmesan container and sprinkle it on wet surface then brush....

[GordMay]

Wash natural teak decks daily (or at least weekly) with salt water. Salt water is best because, as it dries it leaves a fine salt deposit, which will absorb moisture out of the air, especially at night, which helps keep the wood from drying out. It also reduces mildew and algae growth.

Teak expands when wet and shrinks when dry. If you allow it to dry, the caulking between the planks has to expand as the teak dries putting the mating surfaces in tension. If they are well adhered, the caulk will stretch, but any weak adhesion points will pull away, opening up a fresh leak.

Wet or damp wood resists checking and cracking, because it doesn’t shrink and swell as much. The salt soaks into the soft grain, dries and toughens the wood, so that regular wear is kept to an absolute minimum. Finally, salt is a preservative that preserves wood. The best time to wash down with saltwater is just before dark, so the decks and bare wood can absorb moisture all night long.

See also:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...care-6497.html

[Cheechako]

Once your teak is in good shape, the salt water recommended works nicely. I have asked people out cruising how they keep their teak so nice looking and that was their reply... Tends to keep it pretty light colored but nice looking...

[Soft Air]

Thanks Cheechako and Gord for your knowledgeable advice. I plan to have my teak completely fixed as Cheechako described in Cartagena, labor is cheap there and I am local. In the mean time I will keep washing it with salt water just before dark as recommended by Gord. Based on all the advice here I have decided not to get rid of it but rather fix it and my boat will not look as a clorox bottle or a production one (with all due respect)

Regarding the teak making the boat hotter I am ready to cope with those extra degrees, I used to fly Twin Otters in the south american jungles and those hotter than normal temperatures

[avazquez]

If you are in the tropics cover it when the boat is not in use. Ill post some pictures of the cover I built. It only takes 15 minutes to install.

[Soft Air]

Thanks avasquez, it will be nice to see those pictures, bound to San Juan in a few days...

[annk]

Watch when sanding that the effect is even overall or in a year or teo you will find 'bald' patches!
NEVER use a scrubbing brush on teak, it will remove the soft wood in the grain. Only a soft sponge in circular movements, or across the grain. Oxalic acid should be used VERY sparingly as it dries the natural oil from the teak.

Liberal use of salt water is really the only treatment that is advisable, and it should not be necessary to cover the deck even in a tropical climate.

[Patsi]

Hello to everyone,
I am looking to purchase a folding teak cockpit table. I am wondering about the quality differences in teak out there. Edson makes a very expensive table at ~ 900.00. Also found a similar table on sailboatowners.com for ~ 600.00. AND a table that is from Teakflex that went on Ebay for ~218.00. All are solid teak that open to ~ 28x27 with no legs to get in way. Obviously there must be a reason the price varies so greatly. Any one with any advice on finding good value/quality for price? What do you look for?

[Patsi]

BTW- this table is usually found at ~ 400.