Cockpit Teak

glennd3 · October 28, 2021, 12:49:54 PM

I was planning on just sealing around the screws.

Noah · October 28, 2021, 01:19:57 PM

That should work!!! You can see that moisture and dirt has gotten behind the trim in the past, so sealing the back with your finish of choice (or epoxy) will protect them and bedding/sealing around screws will stop moisture from migrating into the wood or cabin through the back through screws.

glennd3 · November 01, 2021, 03:06:37 PM

I still need a couple of more coats but getting there.

glennd3 · November 03, 2021, 11:35:47 AM

I put the eyebrow pieces back on and used wood glue on the plugs. I have to wait a day before sanding the plugs down. I also cleaned the white fiberglass that had years of different finishes from other applications. I am going to wait to do the trim that holds the hatch boards and the companionway hatch cover till the boat is hauled for the season, next week. some pictures..

glennd3 · November 03, 2021, 11:36:43 AM

some more..

glennd3 · November 16, 2021, 01:14:43 PM

Now that the boat is on the hard I started working on the teak again. During the trip to the marina where I store the boat for the winter I cut and sanded the plugs for the eyebrow pieces and put on a couple layers of cetol to hold till spring. I will then re-sand the eyebrow pieces and reapply the cetol. I have to wait for the correct temps to do it properly. I removed the vertical pieces that create the grove that holds the hatch boards, three screws each. They were not coated where they attached to the fiberglass. However there was a material almost like candle wax that came off easy with a putty knife. Does anyone know what it may be? I am still working on removing the horizontal base board, eight screws. I had a problem getting 2 out, stripped heads. I then tried drilling off the screw heads but as luck would have it my drill battery died. I will go back tomorrow to remove those screws. I am hoping that 5200 is not used to attach that piece to the fiberglass as it did not want to give very much. I may have to use a couple of half inch plugs where the 2 problem screws are located.I have included many pictures but I can only post 5 at a time so have patience for me. I hope someone finds this thread useful.

glennd3 · November 16, 2021, 01:16:43 PM

more

glennd3 · November 16, 2021, 01:18:58 PM

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glennd3 · November 16, 2021, 01:20:52 PM

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glennd3 · November 16, 2021, 01:23:11 PM

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glennd3 · November 16, 2021, 01:24:42 PM

lastly

ewengstrom · November 17, 2021, 08:38:08 AM

I've been following this post with interest since I did this same work in July 2020. I feel it's a good time to weigh in because I was able to solve a problem I think several C34's suffer. After we purchased Ohana I noticed evidence of a leak on top of the aft port side of the engine compartment cover, right in the corner. I tried several ideas...but that area always seemed to get wet after it rained.
When I removed that piece of teak on the sill the problem became quite clear.....there was little to no sealant under the sill.....the sill is just flat enough that water can collect there and migrate down the unsealed edges and it would end up soaking the engine compartment cover and the surrounding areas.
My solution was to finish the underside of the teak, tape off the area completely and bed the sill in a healthy amount of black polyurethane caulk. I removed the excess caulk that squeezed out and continued on with refinishing the faces of the teak.
That area has been bone dry for well over a year now and I'm happy with the results.
Below are pics of the sill area when I'd removed the teak.....it was PACKED with dirt and debris which obviously didn't help the situation.
I've noticed other Catalina's (not just 34's) that put tarps or other specialized covers over the hatch areas and I wonder if it's to keep water out of the boat.....
This solution was actually pretty simple and I hope it helps others.

glennd3 · November 17, 2021, 11:32:56 AM

Eric thank you for your response. I was finally able to remove the sill teak today and as you noted there did not seem to be any sealer there. I am going to clean up the teak and the fiberglass and wood that it attaches to. I will have to use some kind of sealer but do not know which to use. It seems I will have 1 chance of doing it correctly because of the way it is mounted. Some of the teak stayed on the wood/fiberglass when I removed it. do not think it had been removed since it was originally built. In fact the teak sill plate leaves a little to be desired. I am thinking of making a new one but may not have the skills to do it. Some pictures. Also do you have some pictures of your finished project?

glennd3 · November 17, 2021, 11:35:54 AM

more

ewengstrom · November 18, 2021, 06:47:18 AM

I don't have any current pics of the finished exterior teak, not anything in detail anyway...... (I'll get some this Saturday when I go down to de-commission the boat for the winter....

I agree that the sill piece is a bit of a hack job when viewed from the bottom...there were some BIG gaps on the underside at the ends so the fact that the original sealant didn't seal is no mystery to me.
I did fill this entire area with caulk and as I stated earlier and the leak is gone. I know there may be better caulks out there than Polyurethane, but my reasoning is that I also wanted to be able to pull this piece again should the leak reappear years down the road.