Tag Archives: teak

Caulking the Sugar Scoops Teak

Leave a reply

The teak on both the port and starboard sugar scoops has had a long life span.  We try to be diligent with its care but they are completely exposed to salt water, sun, and constant use.  

As you can see, the black caulking has come up and is completely missing in some places. It is time to repair it all.

Originally, I was going to do the work myself, but once I watched the YouTube videos and watched the yard do the same job on another boat I decided to ask them to help me out.  

The Supplies

We had purchased the following items from Tag Marine which specializes in teak decking.  Since Norsand Boatyard is taking over the project, they used their own tools and the caulk we bought.

  • Caulking Removal Tool
  • Seam Sander Tool with 5x strips
  • Tape Fineline 3/16″ x 60yd
  • (5) teak caulk 10oz black

The Process

  1. Remove the existing caulk using the special caulk removing tool.
  2. Sand the seams (where the caulk was and will be replaced) using the special sanding tool and sand paper.
  3. Use a router to make each seam at least 6mm deep.
  4. Use vacuum and blower to remove all residue.
  5. Use acetone to clean all sand particles from seams.
  6. Make sure there is no rain in the forecast for 48 hours.
  7. Tape off teak around each seam.
  8. Overfill the seams with caulk ensuring caulk comes out behind nozzle.
  9. Using a puddy knife at a 30 degree angle, press down on each seam to ensure the caulk fills the seam completely.
  10. Wait a minimum of 2 days (best 4) to cure.
  11. Remove tape after caulk has cured.
  12. Sand with 36 grit sand paper and then 80 grit sand paper to remove excess caulk on teak.
  13. Oil or treat wood.

Tag Marine has a very useful data sheet that outlines the entire process which can be found here.

Removing the Caulk

The yard was pretty busy when we hauled out, and we did not schedule this job ahead of time so we had to wait our turn to get someone in to help with this job.  So, while we were waiting, I decided to remove the black caulk.

In some cases, it was easy to remove once you got the strip started and then you just go back with the tool to get the remnants.  But other seams were very difficult with the caulk shredding, tearing, and falling apart.  I was able to get 2, only 2 strips of caulk off in their entirety. Boy did those make me happy for some reason. All of the others came off in pieces.

After a day of work, all of the seams are caulk free.  The dark seams are wet which is why they look dark, but they are free of caulk.

The seams will need some work by a professional (aka Matt) who has a steady hand with a power tool.  Some of the seams are nice and deep at 4mm and others are non-existent.  The top left photo shows the difference between healthy caulk and degraded caulk.

Routing the Seams

We bought a router so Matt could make the seams deeper and more uniform.  It is a slow process to ensure accuracy. Matt built a guide using plexi glass that he screws into one seam in order to dig out another seam.

Now the seams are deep enough for me to sand, clean, and then add black epoxy filler.

Sanding

I use my hand tool and special sand paper sent from Tag Marine.  It is pretty cool as you can adjust the depth of the bar that holds the sander to match your seam depth.  The idea is to have the wood roll across your teak to ensure the sand paper is covering the seam sides.

We had to cover the teak each night because dew gathers on the wood every morning.  It is really cold here (5c or 40F).  The next day I apply the seam tape and cover the teak with masking tape to prepare for the caulking.

Once the seams have been sanded and cleaned with acetone, I lay down special tape.  The tape prevents the caulk from sticking to the bottom which allows the teak panels to move with the motion of the boat.

Next I tape the teak panels leaving only the seams exposed.  This will make it easier to remove the excess caulk.

Caulking

This black caulk is a mess and it is really difficult to get out of the gun!  We did realize that the caulk was technically expired (12/2023).  Not sure if it is because the caulk is “older” or if it is just really hard to get out of the gun, but it took both hands for me to squeeze the caulk out.  I worked on the top and bottom step and enlisted Matt to help me with the middle one as it was tricky to do while balancing and not falling off the boat!

You hold the gun at an angle and squirt the caulk out until it leaves bubble behind the caulk gun.  You want it to overflow.  After I do 4 seams, I stop and use a spatula to press the caulk down into the seam (top right photo).  It sure looks messy.

The caulk then sits for 3 days to dry. The frustrating thing is that we are entering rainy season so we have to cover the sugar scoops with each rain to allow the caulk to fully cure.

Sanding with 40 grit

After 3 days, we remove the green tape and as much excess caulk as we can.  Then we get out the circular sander and our 40 grit sand paper and get to sanding.  This is an art of patience, which I don’t have much of!  The goal is to make each teak panel smooth and right now it is really pitted, cracked, and grooved.  It is a very slow and messy sanding process.  But the results are spectacular.

The left is the original state of the teak steps.  The right is after caulk and sanding (but before oil is applied).

And here is the difference between oil and no oil.  The oil will help protect the teak.

And the Finished Product

Well this took me a lot longer than I anticipated.  Of course the rain played havoc on me and the schedule.  But despite the set backs and delays I am extremely pleased with the final outcome.  They look spectacular.

We had to fix a portion of the caulk along the edge of the engine hatch so it is in the drying out process (since it has been raining).  That is why there is yellow tape.

Tell me what you think.

Our blog posts run 7-8 weeks behind actual live events.  The events in this blog post occurred while we were hauled out at Norsand Boatyard during the beginning of May 2024.  Did you read about our disgusting water tank problem in our last blog post?

Confinement Boat Projects

Leave a reply

A boat, like a house, is a constant work in progress.  There is always something to do, to clean, to repair, or to replace.  Confinement provides us with an excellent opportunity to focus on some of the much-needed boat projects that needed to be done. 

Some of our boat projects are just “nice to have” done projects.  For example, we want to replace our rain shades with bigger rain shades to keep our cockpit drier during storms.  We made rain shades a few years ago and they are “fine” but they could be better, more efficient, easier to install, and cover more area. 

Another “nice to have” project is making a seat cushion for the transom area of the cockpit (around the wenches and above the line holders).  People inevitably sit on the hard fiberglass area even though we have three large cushion seating areas.  So, why fight it?  We’ve been talking about making a seat cushion here for years but the concern is where to stow the cushions while we are underway…since we would need to access the lines.

But those projects will have to wait until we get through our priority boat projects.

Necessary Boat Projects

Where to start? There are so many.  We start with some of the older boat projects.  One of the great things about a catamaran is that you have two of everything.  One of the bad things about a catamaran is that you have two of everything.

The sunbrella cushion covers on both helm seats had weakened and ripped.  We needed to replace the covers which is easier said then done.  The covers are made to fit snugly over the waterproof material and cushion.  Supposedly to prevent the cushions from retaining water.  Which doesn’t always work when you are in a massive storm. 

Matt dutifully removed the sunbrella fabric and then painstakingly removed the stitching so he could replace the top panel.  Our cushions were made in Turkey in 2010 and were well made.  They had double stitching around all the seams.  Which is great, until you have to remove all the stitching.

The bottom left photo shows you what the cover looked like.  Doesn’t look too bad until you look at the top left photo which shows you how worn out it really was.  The bottom right shows you the finished cushion cover.

Annoyingly, we discovered several weeks after installing our new helm seat cushions, that when it rains, the fabric actually shows are two different colors.  So don’t look when it rains 🙂

Helm Wheel Covers

I started working on the helm wheel leather covers while Matt was working on both helm seat covers. We had covered our wheels at the helm station with leather to prevent them from slipping in our hands during storms and to make it more comfortable while at the helm.  But the leather had turned green (it was tan) from mildew and old age.  It had ripped in some sections and generally needed to be replaced.  Another “easier said than done” boat project.  You see there are 120 stitches between each rung and there are 5 rungs (600 for those of you mathematically challenged) times to wheels.   That’s a lot of stitches!

Removal:

First: remove the two turks head knots that mark the center of the wheel.  You can either cut the string or try to find the end that is neatly tucked under the knot.  I was able to find the ends of 3 of the 4 knots and saved the line.  But the 4th one had to be cut. (see two top images)

Next, the stitches had to be removed.  Originally, I thought I would just cut the line.  But it was a particularly windy day and I did not want pieces of this sticky string to go in the water.  So, I literally pulled the line through each stitch to remove it.  (bottom left image).

The old leather (green used to be tan) next to the new leather (gray) in the lower right photo.

Next the wheel needed to be cleaned.  There was double sticky tape holding the leather in place and rust, and gunk all over the wheel.  Nothing that a brillo pad, cleaning agent, and elbow grease couldn’t handle.

Port Helm

Port Helm

Port Helm

Starboard Helm

Starboard Helm

Starboard Helm

We measured, re-measured, and then measured again.  Once we cut this leather there is no going back!  After we cut it, I sewed the two end pieces together, applied my double sticky tape to hold the leather cover to the wheel and started stitching.  It took me about 30-45 minutes per rung, times 5 rungs, x 2 wheels.  Needless to say, it took me several days to finish both sides.

In case you are wondering, we purchased our leather helm covers from Edsonmarine.  They are pricey, but they work wonders!

Next Matt recreated the two turks head knots on each helm.  These help us realize where “center” is which is crazy important wile underway.  Sometimes, you are looking at the sails or the mark or the channel and can’t look at the wheel.  So, it is important to be able to “feel” the knots to know your wheel is centered.

Interior Table Cleaning

We have a beautiful table inside the cabin that folds open to make an even larger table (double the size).  We try to maintain it and keep it clean, but daily use, oils from hands and cleaners and what not create build up.  The outer edge, or darker wood gets the brunt of it.  It was way overdue for some loving.  We take a very gentle approach as we don’t want to scratch the wood.  Using a metal scraper, we tenderly scrape the gunk off (with very little pressure).

I promise you it did not look this bad until you zoom in.  My sister who is fastidious about cleaning never noticed it so don’t judge 🙂

It was remarkable who well it cleaned up. Looking at the bottom three images:  before cleaning, after cleaning, and after oil.

And the finished table:

I took the opportunity to do more of our rails, leading edges and more….over a week’s time:

Nav station

Nav station

Prop Cleaning

Matt whipped out the hooka to clean the props which had grown a bit hairy.  He jumped in before I had a chance to take a before photo so all you get is his photo.  Hooka, weight belt, cleaning tools and he is off to shave our props.

Matt with the hooka gear on

Matt with the hooka gear on

The props after their hair cut.  The yellow is prop speed which helps keep the growth to a minimum.

Raw Water Pump Repair

The port side raw water pump needed to be serviced.  Matt replaced a bearing and the shaft.  In the left photo you can see the old and new shaft along with the bearing.  While he had the pump off he also replaced the hose to the raw water pump.  The old and new.  What a difference.

Random $hit:

On one of our walks we encountered the lovely ladies who were crafting gorgeous floral crowns and necklaces.  Not only were they stunning, but they smelled devine!

Just a beautiful photo of Sugar Shack on a particularly calm day.  I was snorkeling back to the boat and popped my head up to get my bearings.  It was just so pretty I had to share it with you.  You can see how clear the water is as the coral heads are apparent.

 

Did you meet the sharks, rays, and fish in Vaiare in our last blog.

Events from this blog post occurred during the third week of August, 2021.  Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind our adventures.