Hershine 37 - Teak Decks

[Nautic_Al]

Hi All
We have owned a Hershine 37 (known as a Lycrest 37 here in Australia) for a few months now and we are really enjoying the boat. Ours is a Europa type model, with no aft cabin.
I have got two projects on at the moment, one is removing the radar arch on the flying bridge so I can fit a mast (for hoisting an 11 foot dinghy) and also replacing the bowsprit and re-engineering the windlass for a hands off operation from the helm.
I have already rebuilt the helm panel and fitted the up/down switch and the reversing solenoid up forward.
The windlass currently (on the old teak bowsprit) is too far forward and does not line up with the hawse pipe in the deck, so it fouls easily.
I have built a ply/glass "box", slightly tapered to match the taper of the new bowsprit, that will be fitted, glued and glassed into a large hole in the foredeck. The "box" is 16" wide at the back, 14" wide at the front and will be about 22" high when fitted into the deck. The bowsprit will be bolted on top to close and seal the box, so the chain will drop straight into my now capacious chain locker. I will also fit another 100' of chain as I only have 120' at the moment.
This is easy stuff - the mast is a bit harder.
My boat had a large T shaped seat on the flying bridge (being a Europa style, the cabin top is much longer than the aft cabin version). I have chopped off the longitudinal part of the T, just leaving a double helm seat. We don't use flying bridges much here in Tasmania - too cold.
I am now making a ply/glass mast step to spread the mast compression ( the max load will only be 600 or so pounds.
I have exposed some of the glass under the teak decking I have removed on the flying bridge and found that the glass is quite rough.
What I am trying to find out is what the glass is likely to be if I start removing teak on the main decks. Is the teak fitted onto smooth glass, as it would come out of the mold, or will it need resurfacing?
Has anyone else removed their teak decks? Mine will need doing eventually and if it looks to be a simple job of taking the old teak up, giving the decks a quick sand and then applying antiskid, I will do it early rather than late.
Any guidance appreciated. I am not worried about doing the job - I am a marine surveyor and trained as a yacht designer - I just don't know what is under the teak.
I will post some pictures when I have something interesting to show, apart from the current level of destruction.
Cheers
Al
Shadie
Hobar Tasmania

 

[Slowboat 37]

Wow, never even seen pictures of a Europa style 37. I'd liked to see the interior lay out. I can see myself napping on the bridge seating. I don't have any problems yet with the teak decks but I too would like to know whats under them.

 

[BruceK]

..Has anyone else removed their teak decks? Mine will need doing eventually and if it looks to be a simple job of taking the old teak up, giving the decks a quick sand and then applying antiskid, I will do it early rather than late...
Any guidance appreciated.

When we renewed the teak decks on my IG we did the front section in nonskid, the rest in fresh teak. The shipwright advised one fresh layer of f/g where we put teak back, 2 layers where we did non slip.You have to replace the stiffness the teak gives if you go to paint. You`ll also be removing numerous screws and filling the holes, assuming yours are screwed down.
Usually you find some form of wood(usually dilapidated) sandwiched in f/g under teak strip decks. I was lucky, I had non rotting foam.

 

[Nautic_Al]

Hershine / Lycrest 37

Hi Steve, Bruce
Thanks for feedback. I have ply decks under the FG and only two small spots of rot under the low point in the deck, near the fuel fills and in the aft corners. I expect some damage in a 30 year old boat.
My decks are in 3/4" or 7/8" ply, so I wont need to stiffen the decks, which I might with foam cores.
I don't know whether I will find any small soft pockets around any of the nail holes, either. My main concern was whether the deck surface under the teak is smooth "s moulded" or rough " as fibreglassed".
I have attached some inside pics of the boat.
Cheers
Al