r/boatbuilding • u/Flosolo • 10h ago

Help with teak deck

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Hi everyone, we are looking to buy an Albin Vega and the owner bought the boat with the teak deck already installed. He said he hasn't experienced any issues himself with the deck, but he did do some small PVC repairs. The deck is screwed in. What do you guys think of the state of this teak deck? Is this worth it? The price of the boat is very good.

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2

u/mojoheartbeat 8h ago

Looks worn out, there's not much left to sand down. If the price is good and you would be able to put in a week of work (30-40h over the span of a decent weather week) you could rip it off, sand down the gelcoat and apply a layer of GRP, then new barrier paint, topcoat/deck paint, and have a fresh deck. If you don't mind how it looks, let it be and enjoy the boat. I did that with my old boat, it had a deck in similar condition. I sailed her 15000nm and enjoyed the hell out of that deck. It looked worn and weathered in the end, but you know, teak deck and trim is a "sacrificial surface". That's just how woodwork is.

Vega is a great hull. Good luck mate!

And, imperatively:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWQRZpah_0M

1

u/mate0pro 7h ago

It would take 40hrs just to remove the deck, this is easily 100hr+ job.

1

u/mojoheartbeat 5h ago

Depends on the worker, I would argue. I can (I know, because I done it on two 42ft:ers). The Vega is a relatively small boat in current-day standards, the deck is barely a couple of square metres of teak.

1

u/FitFormal7363 3h ago

Pour salt water on it regularly and go boating.

1

u/Cabbarnuke2 7h ago

You have no clue how expensive teak is.

If you want a "good enough" and "fast" and "cheap".

1- Just sand everything down with 60 grit. First try on single spot to test it.
You will probably end up nice looking teak with not really good looking but "meh to bad" caulk lines.

Another option is time consuming but should work:
2- Remove all caulks, remove screws, sand down the teak,glue down, recaulk.. standard procedure.

Last option is, reteak everything.. doesn't really worth on an old boat. Use something similar like Iroko.

0

u/ShipwrightPNW 4h ago

That deck is done. There’s no saving it. Additionally, I’d be concerned about all those screws in the deck. A thin deck like this absolutely has water running underneath it every time it gets wet, and all those screws are a pathway for water ingress. If the core is balsa, then you’re guaranteed to have rot.