teak upper decks 1983 double cabin Albin 40

Looking at a 1983 Albin 40 double cabin with a Lehman 6. It has teak decks on entire upper decks but no teak on lower decks. Do all these screws go all way through both FG layers? Is entire area under there encapsulating plywood, or what? Anyone have any idea what it takes to remove and FG over? Seems if just remove and FG over would not be so bad but if a rottet core is involved would taka almost twice as much work!!! Help! LOL

A surveyor will help you identify soft spots and any delimitation issues on this deck. You can test a bit yourself by walking the decks in bare feet and feeling for movement or listening for cracking/clicking. An easy trick (if you have permission and some time) is to wet the deck and wait for it to dry. Areas that remain wet around seems or bungs indicate the seam or screw area is holding water.

Generally speaking all 80's (CHB or otherwise) trawlers have screwed down teak decks and will fail. Core materials vary from tiny squares of luan as "filler" to marine plywood.

Replacement is inevitable and DIY possible if you're handy and brave. Expensive if you're not. I'm facing this with my boat deck and plan to DIY it next season. Great resources online for repairs and replacement. Here are a few of my favorites:



For us we used this and other survey information to reduce the price we paid to acquire our trawler but know that those dollars were not "saved" as they will eventually be spent for repairs and refits.

I'm a hand guy so this didn't concern me and the boat had been covered most of its life (and still is) limiting severe downstream damage.

I guess my generic advice is:

1. Get a survey
2. Determine what is a deal breaker for you, your budget and your skills.
3. Find the right boat

Good luck!

If there is teak on the FB it is almost certain it has been removed from the lower deck. I expect at least the unprotected FB teak sections to be in poor tired water entry condition.What can you see underneath?
After removing the teak, and fixing any core damage, it is usual to add 1-2 layers of fiberglass for integrity and stiffness. You`ll be doing what was done below. Screws often penetrate both layers of the deck sandwich, that`s how they conduct water.

the bad news it may not be a rotted core, but a delaminated core of hundreds of teak blocks barely glued together with a crappy slather of polyester resin poured over them all.

Thats what mine was with a thin layer of glass above and below, then teak scewed down into the blocks simulating a core.

Albin 40 teak on top decks

It seems you might have same model I'm looking at---------- I'm just wondering whether the removal of just the teak is required OR---- if the top FG layer must go too???? Then more work to cut out the core also???____ my my The teak , joint compound and screws and bungs -no bungs missing-actually looks pretty good and cant see any damage from water on the overheads below. I do know that if I get the boat I do want the teak gone....my my Its a gamble unless all is removed and replaced my my my

I would have the surveyor check it carefully and use the report to negotiate a lower price. Then rip the top off the deck, replace the core, glass the top and paint it. Lot of work but not too hard technically.

geoleo said:

It seems you might have same model I'm looking at---------- I'm just wondering whether the removal of just the teak is required OR---- if the top FG layer must go too???? Then more work to cut out the core also???____ my my The teak , joint compound and screws and bungs -no bungs missing-actually looks pretty good and cant see any damage from water on the overheads below. I do know that if I get the boat I do want the teak gone....my my Its a gamble unless all is removed and replaced my my my

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You only want it gone if it really is deteriorated and going to cause flow on problems. On your information, it may be ok. Usually the FB is more exposed than the lower deck, your lower deck is in f/g but your FB is still in teak.
One step at a time. See what the Surveyor says. If you do have reason to remove the teak, again it`s a question of what you find as you dig in, and what you need to do.

My horror story was when I moved the boat from Florida to NJ.

After 20 psus years leaking and absobing water, even though there was not much apparent water damage..... one freeze thaw cycle and the boat really started to disintegrate on many levels.

Quandary

BruceK said:

You only want it gone if it really is deteriorated and going to cause flow on problems. On your information, it may be ok. Usually the FB is more exposed than the lower deck, your lower deck is in f/g but your FB is still in teak.
One step at a time. See what the Surveyor says. If you do have reason to remove the teak, again it`s a question of what you find as you dig in, and what you need to do.

Click to expand...

Well it will be here in Tampa area at my dock that whatever work needed will be done. So projecting work phases and discovery it seems that while the teak has been removed then there will be RAIN entering all the screw holes and ruining the core anyway even if it was not rotten.. So I may as well plan on and budget for a complete new core. My sailboat repair experience tells me to use foam core and epoxy then put a primer on the epoxy so it can be painted. However I have recently read that gelcoat can be rolled on ? Cheers.

I would plan on replacing the core AND adding a couple more layers of fiberglass. I was told by an informed ex broker who investigated buying a few of these "back in the day", that if you wanted to order one with fiberglass decks instead of teak, that the cost would be quite a bit higher because the teak was structural. They would have to add layers of glass to make up the strength.
When I recored my ex Mainship model 1 I used 5/8 exterior plywood and polyester resin 1 1/2 ounce mat and woven roving.
For a finish I rolled on vilnylester (sp?) gelcoat with non skid mixed in. Very durable.
I also read that if you use epoxy you should paint, not gelcoat.
There are lots of methods to accomplish what you need to do you'll have to choose what you feel comfortable with.
I went with poly resin because I am comfortable working with it, and had a great local shop to buy supplies and give advice. And I think my repair was top notch.