Help With Boat Decking

[Jeanie]

Does anyone know of a mobile boat builder who could help with deck repairs. Thanx in advance.

[JennyMorgan]

I do, a very good one. He's in London over the weekend, when he's back I will ask if he minds me passing on his details. Mind you, at this time of the year he might be busy. We also have a forum member who could also do the job, maybe he too will see your plea. What actually do you need doing? GPR or timber and where is your boat?

[Jeanie]

Hi there. It's a wooden deck...It is quite spongey in parts so not sure what needs to be done...It has a fabric covering it...hoping maybe doesn't need all doing, but I don't know...My boat is up river from Beccles...Thankyou Jean.

[JennyMorgan]

Hi Jeanie, will ask for you but my friend is Horning based. With wooden decks there is often damage that is hidden, only apparent when the deck itself is removed. Water has a horrible habit of travelling along deck beams and supports. My gut feeling is that you might be better taking your boat to a yard where an onsite workshop & slipway will be available. If you have got to the point of the decks being spongy then I suspect it will be a yard job rather than a few hours with a freelance boatbuilder. You are lucky in having two of the best yards for timber boats on the Broads at St Olaves, almost on your doorstep! One of them is https://www.southrivermarine.co.uk/ Any yard worth its salt will come out and quote but where spongy decks are concerned  you must expect several deep intakes of breath between clenched teeth as they poke about! Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but decks that have been allowed to go spongy, especially old, fabric covered ones, tend to be expensive to fix. Unfortunately the longer you leave it the worse it will become. 

[Jeanie]

Thankyou for that...I will keep looking...I know it won't be cheap but have no idea how much. Kind Regards Jean.

[JennyMorgan]

Jeanie, Steve at South Rivers Marine is a decent man with a wealth of experience with ailing wooden boats. I doubt that he can give you an exact quote but I'm sure that he'll do his best to help and advise you, if nothing else he's worth a phone call. 

[Jeanie]

Thankyou for your advise...Jean.

[annv]

Hi Jenny Give Hippersons in Beccles a call they may come out to give you a quote they will want it in there shed to work on where they have all the tools, you will get a good workmanship from them. John

[Jeanie]

Thankyou for that...

[Malanka]

Hello,

we we had the whole of Malankas decks replaced a couple of years ago. Half the cost over half actually was the time taken to chisel out the rotten members which at sub deck level were an integral part of the structure.

We went from original 2 by 4 sections to buttressed inch marine plywood. If you’d like a taste of what that cost pls pm me.

 

M

[Jeanie]

Hi there. Where did you have your boat done...and what was the cost please....

[JennyMorgan]

Hi Jeanie, sad news, my friend is booked up for months.

To redeck a small boat means that the boat needs to come out of the water and have platforms around her to work from, its is not a job that can easily be done afloat. I redecked a 26 footer about eight years ago,  had I paid a boatyard to do it then I suspect that it would have cost me, based on time and materials used , not less than four thousand pounds. That's not to say that every 26 footer will cost the same. It isn't just the decks but new quadrants where the deck meets the cabin side, new toe rails around the top edges and new rubbing strakes around the side edges and then the sheathing and paint for the decks. Fortunately I only had to replace one deck beam and the shelf that the deck sit upon was sound otherwise it could have cost me more. 

[Jeanie]

Okay Thanks for that..I will have to do some shopping around...Boats are never cheap to maintain I know ....

[JennyMorgan]

Jeanie, the nice folk at 'Galleon' boat storage & moorings, down Puddingmoor, have always allowed DIY. You could save money by doing all the labouring, e.g. stripping the old decking off and then finding a local boatbuilder, NOT a carpenter, who will do the skillful bits for you.

[Malanka]

PM sent Jeanie

 

M