Teak availability.

[Ben]

I hear availability of teak is poor, K J Howells have some, Robbins have a small amount, but no more in the pipeline for 4 years.

A shipment of illegally sourced logs was turned away from Australia recently (send it here!)

If it becomes impossible to source what will wooden Fairey owners wanting a new deck do?

[Folly Reach]

Suggesting Fairey owners are wooden is just so wrong...

[nickkieffer1]

When considering the deck recently I had looked into Lignia I saw a boat at the boat show which used this material
it looked very good . This is a softwood timber treated with resins which would make it very resistant Robins stocked it at the time 1/4 sawn as it should be for decking. Even this now is difficult to get you may dare i say it have to use synthetic teak . the new versions are much better looking nearer to teak and can be cut with pair of scissors and craft knife . PLy in good 1088 is also harder to get most are now in "non specific veneers " or banana tree as they should be called . Iroko was touted as teak replacement it tended to fracture when swept for a deck letting in damp into sub strata . I still have enough teak for my swim platform If I get round to making one and a pile of odds and ends lucky me, which should seem me through this project.
Nick

[Ben]

The worry with Lignia is that laying a deck is a huge amount of work, if the Lignia doesn't last it would have to come up, that's a big risk.

I just can't see a plastic teak on a wooden Fairey.

There is some poplar ply, treated, apparently very long lasting, also come in 10 by 5 sheets, but its very expensive and difficult to source if you want less than 100 sheets.

[tjsb]

All,

for my rubbing strake on my Spearfish, I switched to sapele. It looks just as good, is hardwood and at the time cost about 1/3 the price of teak. May be worth investigating for decks. I got it from Bamptons at Southampton.

Toby

[wsmempson]

A search on google would suggest that Bamptons closed in 2019?

[Frank]

I Remember many years ago we were the interior designers/architects on a very exclusive property in Virginia water. They had a pavilion and indoor pool built, all the furniture we designed and built was Iroko, looked great but how it faired over the years I don’t know.

I think maybe the only option if teak disappears off the face of the earth would be the South American hardwoods. Not sure how Cedar would fair.

[nickkieffer1]

Bamptons were open in april this year but had limited 1088 ply stock and no teak so they could be closing down . Spirit
yachts was the boat show sail boat I saw with lignea decking , the life span is 50 years above ground according to their blurb
which if true will out last most owners . I agree teak on classic wooden boat looks best, plastic boat may be different fairey used plastic decking in the fantome cockpit and is still pretty good after all this time .
Nick