Looking at Marine Traders from the 80s. Personally, the less wood to maintain, the better. But everything comes down to price. What percent discount would you pay for a teak deck boat compared to an identical version with fiberglass?
Teak decks vs Fiberglass
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O C Diver
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Doubt you will see a difference in price at that age. There are so many other possible problem areas that the price will be based on overall condition as opposed to options.
Ted
Ted
Yeah, I'm aware there aren't gonna be two otherwise identical 30 year old boats. It's a hypothetical question to gauge what premium ($) fiberglass decks are worth on an old vessel. Or more directly, how much of a hassle/project 30 year old teak decks are.
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kapnd
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At 30 years old, you will almost certainly be buying a big problem with wooden decks.
Search this forum for related articles, there is little that hasn’t already been said on that subject.
Search this forum for related articles, there is little that hasn’t already been said on that subject.
hypothetical that could be a good or bad thing
BruceK
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You`re not getting a lot of help,but it`s a tough question.To change it, the teak has to come off,myriad screws need removing,the sandwich core if teak/ply/offcuts may need replacing if wet, as is likely,the screw holes all need filling, the deck needs 2 layers of glass on top to recreate stiffness,and likely needs fairing, then painting. Big hassle,find one with f/g decks. I`d guess 20K to pay someone to do it, but I`m not in the US.
markpierce
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Have no exterior wood. 
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I think BruceK nailed it, and actually addressed the OP's question. Around $20k, not that big a deal really. Just factor it in to what you offer for the boat. There will be other stuff that you will also need to estimate cost of repairs, and factor in. But old boats are a joy! Modern white soulless boats, not so much.
psneeld
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some teak decks have been redone, or are in decent shape.
if in bad shape or obvious leakers, and it includes the flybridge.....then about $25K could be negotiated off a $75K or more boat.
probably a lot less off boats that are already less than $75K.... because in those price ranges, just a few major items cost as much as the rest of the boat....
if in bad shape or obvious leakers, and it includes the flybridge.....then about $25K could be negotiated off a $75K or more boat.
probably a lot less off boats that are already less than $75K.... because in those price ranges, just a few major items cost as much as the rest of the boat....
FF
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"It's a hypothetical question to gauge what premium ($) fiberglass decks are worth on an old vessel. Or more directly, how much of a hassle/project 30 year old teak decks are."
The hassle is with the std TT deck, house plywood with a thin layer of glass overlaid there is requirement for sealant PM .
Sealants age so every 5-10 years ALL deck ( and house) penetrations need to be re sealed.
This is a massive amount of PM , many folks only get motivated when leaks appear , and by then its usually too late.
The ply has rotted and also will need replacement.
At 30-40 years the chances exists the sealant PM was not done at some time , and the rot problem is now yours.
The hassle is with the std TT deck, house plywood with a thin layer of glass overlaid there is requirement for sealant PM .
Sealants age so every 5-10 years ALL deck ( and house) penetrations need to be re sealed.
This is a massive amount of PM , many folks only get motivated when leaks appear , and by then its usually too late.
The ply has rotted and also will need replacement.
At 30-40 years the chances exists the sealant PM was not done at some time , and the rot problem is now yours.
I've been trying to research teak decks myself and there are a lot of videos on-line maintaining and replacing teak decks.
I wouldn't automatically assume a discount for teak decks. While they require maintenance and are quite expensive to replace, a lot of folks actually prefer teak decks.
So, I think the question then becomes, 'what is the condition of the teak decks?'
For teak decks in great shape, probably not much of a discount over non-teak decks. What then becomes difficult is, what about teak that isn't in great condition. The question then shifts from maintenance to repair. Are there leaks at the screws (on newer boats, teak is glued to the deck). If so what is the condition of the fiberglass under the teak?
Is there enough damage that the teak has to be removed? If so, then what? Refiberglassing the deck? New wood? Either way, its very expensive.
I have seen a few instances where folks have painted or glass-over teak decks. Personally, this would make me very nervous about the boat, as it would seem they may have addressed the teak maintenance issue, but what about the deck underneath the teak?
I think if you see an early 80's MT without teak, it has already been removed and the deck reglassed.
Depending on the size of the boat and the amount of teak, 20k may not be enough to have someone else do all of the work for you.
Jim
I wouldn't automatically assume a discount for teak decks. While they require maintenance and are quite expensive to replace, a lot of folks actually prefer teak decks.
So, I think the question then becomes, 'what is the condition of the teak decks?'
For teak decks in great shape, probably not much of a discount over non-teak decks. What then becomes difficult is, what about teak that isn't in great condition. The question then shifts from maintenance to repair. Are there leaks at the screws (on newer boats, teak is glued to the deck). If so what is the condition of the fiberglass under the teak?
Is there enough damage that the teak has to be removed? If so, then what? Refiberglassing the deck? New wood? Either way, its very expensive.
I have seen a few instances where folks have painted or glass-over teak decks. Personally, this would make me very nervous about the boat, as it would seem they may have addressed the teak maintenance issue, but what about the deck underneath the teak?
I think if you see an early 80's MT without teak, it has already been removed and the deck reglassed.
Depending on the size of the boat and the amount of teak, 20k may not be enough to have someone else do all of the work for you.
Jim
Unless you are into doing big projects why consider a boat that you already know will probably need extensive work?
Redoing the decks while expensive probably won't add much to the resale value of the boat. The original purchase price is not the only consideration.
Redoing the decks while expensive probably won't add much to the resale value of the boat. The original purchase price is not the only consideration.
psneeld
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Of course if you are willing to do about 2 weeks worth of work and spend less than $2,000 on materials...you can do the decks yourself.
You can also just do pieces of it and chop big chunks out of that big ticket.
You can also just do pieces of it and chop big chunks out of that big ticket.
I find that there tends to be quite a beat-up here on TF over the costs of dealing with old teak decks. I think that comes from the low prices of older boats in the US which makes almost any refurbishment project hard to justify financially, not just the decks. In Europe and Australia trawler style vessels under $150,000 hardly exist. Sure dealing with old teak decks is a lot of work, but it is not particularly difficult and if you can do a fair amount of the prep work yourself then in absolute terms it is much simpler & less costly than, say, re-powering. When I did my major refit, the original 1985 screwed teak decks to sides and cockpit were replaced with glued-down teak. They look & feel great and unquestionably add to the boat's value in my market. A few areas of rot were addressed in the process and this was no big deal in the scheme of things. I'm getting ready to remove the original teak from my foredeck now. The costs of doing a 1st class job of fairing and painting are such that I will likely use glued teak panels, prepared off-vessel using templates, instead of converting to non-skid. As to ongoing maintenance, if you never sand the new glued teak but just wash it a couple times a year using appropriate techniques, I don't think this is much different to cleaning aggressive non skid & repairing chips and wear areas.
psneeld
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All true, unless you pay to have it all done by a yard, then in the US it can be more than half of the worth of your purchase.....
So to not unsterstand the full economic picture would be foolish.
Replacing with glued teak is an option, and only each situation of owner involvement that is financially picked apart is relavent.
So to not unsterstand the full economic picture would be foolish.
Replacing with glued teak is an option, and only each situation of owner involvement that is financially picked apart is relavent.
As is often the case, there is no certainty on this subject.
There are many teak decks that have had problems. There are many that have been repaired in order to avoid the possibility of problems. There are many that have survived just fine for more than 30 years, with only ordinary maintenance.
I the marina where my boat lives among 600 others, boats are kept for a very long time, owners are generally meticulous in maintenance, yet I have not seen or heard of a single boat that has actually had problems with the teak decks. I know of one where preventive maint saw the whole teak deck refastened. That was a 56' sailboat, so was out in the weather at all times.
Of course the survival of your own teak deck will depend on many factors, so if buying, a thorough check of the deck by a knowledgeable surveyor is a must.
FF
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None of the TT I have ever seen had a real Teak deck.
All seemed to have a teak overlay stuck to a ply deck that was glassed.
A genuine teak deck, 1 1/2 square or thicker boards screwed to the boats deck frames is easy to maintain or repair.
A Teak deck looking overlay can be very pretty , but maint and repair are lots of labor.
All seemed to have a teak overlay stuck to a ply deck that was glassed.
A genuine teak deck, 1 1/2 square or thicker boards screwed to the boats deck frames is easy to maintain or repair.
A Teak deck looking overlay can be very pretty , but maint and repair are lots of labor.
BruceK
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If you told the OP what the PO spent on the job it would be helpful. Otherwise it`s just a boast about your boat that helps no one. Except you,perhaps.
OOOPs --- The PO said it cost $9500 12 years ago.
Alaskan Sea-Duction
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For us, when we were looking for our boat, any boat we looked at that had a teak deck was automatically disqualified.
Most boats from the 80 and 90s that have a teak deck has leaked in its life and has a soft deck.
From what I understand today, teak decks are glued, not screwed. But still a lot of work as I like shiny....
Most boats from the 80 and 90s that have a teak deck has leaked in its life and has a soft deck.
From what I understand today, teak decks are glued, not screwed. But still a lot of work as I like shiny....
Alaskan Sea-Duction
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For us, when we were looking for our boat, any boat we looked at that had a teak deck was automatically disqualified.
Most boats from the 80 and 90s that have a teak deck has leaked in its life and has a soft deck.
From what I understand today, teak decks are glued, not screwed. But still a lot of work as I like shiny....
Most boats from the 80 and 90s that have a teak deck has leaked in its life and has a soft deck.
From what I understand today, teak decks are glued, not screwed. But still a lot of work as I like shiny....
Sean Chance built your boat? Looks like a one off? Did the flybridge fly? lolNot hardly. It wasn't done by Sean in Chance, MD. He does the best work, and you only have to look once at my boat to know that.
Ted
