The fresh water on board tastes / smells a little stale after a few years and I decided to drain the tanks and give them a chlorine flush before refilling them. (about 3:1 Mix)
I spilled some of the chlorine mix on the teak decks around the filler and although I hosed it off immediately the chlorine did a great job of cleaning and restoring the teak.
Any feedback from the brains thrust (those that are left) would be appreciated on potential for damage to the teak and deck fittings, Bronze thru hulls, SS etc if I use chlorine to clean all the deck.
Regards
I have no experience with owning a boat with teak decks. I would suggest checking out this forum. Either ask the question or go to the archives.
forums.ybw.com/index.php?forums/practical-boat-owners-reader-to-reader.13/
Or
www.ybw.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?16-Yachting-Monthly-s-Scuttlebutt
Same company.
My two bobs worth ..... You will still need to sand it a bit so I would just do that and then refinish with your preferred finish ....
Keep any abrasives or machines away from teak decks! Teak decks are extremely expensive and wear fast. Use a soft brush and salt [sea water] and brush along the grain not across it. This is the normal routine for bare teak. Check the forums above and find what the Poms use to clean the deck, I think they use a patio cleaner when they have to.
I have never owned a boat with a teak deck. I have made several deck landings on a US carrier as fixed wing aircrew years ago however. Weird experience walking over such a vast expanse of teak.
Thanks for you replies Romona and Sands.
The decks are "au natural" and I don't scrub too often to save wearing them out. The chlorine spillage the other day just highlighted how dirty they have become over the last six years I have owned her. I certainly won't be sanding them but will do something to clean them up.
Surprised to hear that teak is used on the deck of an aircraft carrier.
Not just old aircraft carriers. The battleship USS Missouri in Hawaii has teak decks as well. Unfortunately not her original decks which were 2 inches deep. When she was first withdrawn from service her original deck teak were sold off. When she went back into service for Vietnam the US government could not afford to replace the deck to that thickness so she has cheaper teak decks now.
I have never owned a teak deck boat either Ramona , i,m a fan of the plastic fantastic yachts.
that's interesting that you wouldn't sand teak Ramona. I,m not so concerned , timber sometimes deteriorates and needs a tickle up to get the furry bits off.
its sounds like the timber is not coated at the moment , so if left untreated it will eventually dry out and open up , causing bad stuff to happen !
teak is not indestructable , if left it will dry out , open up and get wet...
if it is still smooth enough , and doesn't need a quick sand. I would be at a minimum coating it with some good oil regularly. And considering some-kind of UV protection.
me being a bit lazy though ,would probably choose an oil rub down a 1/2 doz times a year .... and spend the rest of my time considering which UV coating to use....