laying teak decks by Abeking

[mmd]

I thought you guys might be interested in how the really big guys lay out teak tecks. This is a new technique developed by superyacht builder Abeking & Rasmussen (from Internatioanl Boatbuilding Industry News):

"German boatbuilder Abeking & Rasmussen has teamed up with local joinery Rodiek to develop a new procedure for laying teak decks. The system involves measuring all parts of the superstructure (including fittings, hatches and other openings) with a newly developed laser device that ensures 100 per cent accuracy. The data is then downloaded onto a software programme that shows each individual piece of wood, enabling changes to be made prior to the manufacturing process.

"One of the advantages is that the owner is able to control the optics of all deck areas prior to the start of manufacturing," says Till von Krause, A&R's sales manager. "We can easily change the layout at this stage if desired even before one piece of wood has been cut."

All teak parts will be cut at the Rodiek joinery near Bremen on an NC milling machine. To guarantee the accurate laying of all numbered parts, Rodiek will also mill the plywood parts that will be glued to the metal deck as the surface for the teak parts.

Abeking has already installed teak decks of several new-build yachts, including the 40m (130ft) Alithia, which was designed by naval architect Bill Tripp and Andrew Winch of Winch Designs in 2002."

Pretty slick tecnology.

EDIT TO AD: pictures of Alithia, the boat mentioned in the quoted article above.

http://www.abeking.com/publish/diashow/alithia/ex/08.jpg

http://www.abeking.com/publish/diashow/alithia/ex/04.jpg

[ 01-04-2005, 07:17 PM: Message edited by: mmd ]

[JimD]

Probably also keeps waste to an absolute minimum.

[Magwitch]

,,,,,,,,,, but you still end up with a teak on ply deck, and on a steel boat for heavens sake!
I weep, I moan, I give up,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

IanW

[Gary E]

Nice setup that should only cost a few hundredthousand $... just whut this gang needs...one can buy it and rent it out...

By the way didja read this?
"Rodiek will also mill the plywood parts that will be glued to the metal deck as the surface for the teak parts.?

Seems to me that I have read on this here forum that the above described method is notso good...
but since it's a comercial boat, whose counting..

[Hwyl]

I'm guessing they can only do straight laid decks and not swept decks using this method. I suppose with another layer of sophistication one could do swept decks (semi swept is my favourite look). They would have to print the seams on the plywood to eliminate accumulative error.

Thanks Michael for causing my brain to engage.

Edited to add that I took a look at the A&R website. Hetairos has semi swept, I cannot post a picture because imagestation is down.

By the way, call me a heretic but steel is a pretty good boatbuilding medium. Most builders are really bad about through deck fittings and these can be a source of the dreaded electrolosys, this gluing up should help (I had one boat go bad in the deck scuppers). It sure is nice to have a steel boat underneath you if you hit something unyeilding.

[ 01-04-2005, 07:02 PM: Message edited by: Hwyl ]

[Don Z.]

http://www.abeking.com/publish/diashow/hetairos/ex/06.jpg

http://www.abeking.com/publish/diashow/hetairos/ex/05.jpg

And why do you need imagestation, forsooth?

[Hwyl]

Thanks Don, I even figured out how you did it. Pretty aren't they.

That's a design by Maine's very own Bruce King.

[ 01-05-2005, 05:49 AM: Message edited by: Hwyl ]

[Dave Fleming]

I was foreman at an Aluminum Boat Yard here in San Diego and we developed a method for laying teak on plywood using DETCO Deck Caulk. We used Marine Grade Plywood as underlayment.
Patterns were made of the areas, plywood cut, teak decking cut to fit and then the messy, time consuming work of applying the ply to a base of deck caulk on aluminum, followed by the teak laid in yet another deck caulk layer. After curing the whole mess was sanded smooth and then oiled.
Looked pretty slick and to the best of my knowledge the decks are still doing well. That was back in the middle 1980's.

That Thiakol based Deck Caulk is one tenacious material once it cures.

[Scott Rosen]

The only time a plywood underlayment creates a problem is when the teak is through-fastened. I haven't seen any decks built by that method in a long time. Nowadays, the teak is glued, not mechanically fastened, to the subdeck. There are a number of methods used, some with epoxy, some with thiokol or silicone, others with both. There's even an outfit, Teak Decking Systems, which prefabricates the decks so they can be installed in no more than several sections.

Many of these methods have been around for over 25 years, and except for wear on the teak surface, do not suffer from the problems of the older methods of through fastening.

[AngWood]

I'm thinking I'll use Abeking's method on the boat I'm building. I've got a laser 'round here somewhere.... ;)

[Gerald]

I currently have 8 months invested in a 37' steel sailboat. I have flame sprayed the inside with zinc and will soon be blasting and flame spraying the outside. If left un painted, flame sprayed aluminum is pretty skid resistant. It seems like adding teak is adding a lot of weight to and already heavy boat?
I have managed to configure the outside attachments in such a way that not one single hole will be drilled thru the hull to attach items.
Gluing the teak to plywood sound cool. However, how do they attach the plywood?
Gerald

[Hwyl]

Originally posted by Gerald:
Gluing the teak to plywood sound cool. However, how do they attach the plywood?
GeraldI think they glue that too.

I have seen some nice steel boats with non skid decks and nice teak trim. Except it's more than trim, small areas around hatches and cockpits. A sacrificial king plank under the anchor chain (with a windlass) and regular planks either side. Small teak area around the cockpit etc. That way you get some teak with a fraction of the work and weight.

[Dave Fleming]

As I made mention, the ply underlayment was glued down to the Al. deck plating with the same material as the teak decking. Very labor intensive as we had to prime each and every piece of decking prior to the glueing. The the seams had to be filled, let cure and then sanding and finishing.

There were no through fasteners penetrating the Al. deck plate. We worked out a scheme of weights to keep the underlayment tight to the Al deck plating first then when cured say overnight or 24 hours. The teak decking was done the same way.

IIRC, there is an outfit in Fla. that specializes in this work. Think they advertise in either WB or PB.

[JimConlin]

Teak Decking Systems (http://www.teakdecking.com/) does the shows and advertises in the better boatbuilding magazines. They sell custom-fabricated teak deck surfaces, as well as the goo to seail them. This is used by some of the better Maine yards.

[Magwitch]

Can't blame the yards or the boat-builders for following the money. If the client wants a teak overlay and is prepared to pay then he will get what he asks for.
Still, a real teak deck is a wooden boat thing, better and no more expensive than (yuk) teak on ply. A fake teak "deck" on a grp, alloy, steel or w.h.y is just that, fake , and a waste of good timber. Got an aluminium boat? Fine. Have an aluminium deck ,,,,,,,,,
Just a personal view you understand. smile.gif

IanW

[yorgie]

Hear hear.Nothing worse than seeing a teak deak on a white plastic tub.Joel White couldn't even understand peoples fascination with solid wood over ply on wooden boats.

It's the same as fake wood paneling on car doors.

[Dave Fleming]

Ian, when you are building a 15 millon dollar 'rich boy toy' with almost every gadget that man can devise, a Teak Deck overlay is no big thing for that kind of person.
They, in the main, have no conception of the way we feel about wooden boats.
It is a game of one upmanship. In fact that yacht was a close cousin to the one built before it. The new owner contacted the folks who had the original built after seeing it in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. He asked them if he could visit them onboard. They being a very gracious couple agreed. After being onboard the original, he got permission from the owners to copy many of the features of that vessel into his version. The original was 98 feet O/A and his was 115 feet O/A. The layout was almost a duplicate of the original including the main deck owners stateroom with retractable skyroof over the bed. And of course the Italian Blue Leather upholstered pilot house!
PS: The original did not have Teak Deck overlay except for the swing away swim platform.

[Magwitch]

Hmm,,,,,,,,
Have you seen "Merrymaid"?

http://www.classicboat.co.uk/auto/newsdesk/20040827162928cbnews.html

A wonderful 'Big Class' cutter from 1906ish. She waited for 60+ years for a sympathetic owner with the funds to refit her. She was bought by a group that wanted to race with the rich boys classic events in the Med.
They put powered winches on her,,,,, and a teak on ply deck. I shared the Basin at Heybridge with her for twelve years. I wish she was still there waiting for an owner with sense and taste as well as cash.
Ah well,,,,,,,,

IanW