In early November I had the opportunity to fly down to Sarasota Florida and visit Teak Decking Systems (TDS). This winter they are building two decks for us, one for an 80’ Jongert named Kemmuna, the other for an F&C 44 named Freya. Beyond these two projects we have done a lot of business in the past with TDS, our Teak Deck Resume is quite vast, most recently we installed a deck on the 95’ Holland Jachtbow built sloop but we’ve also installed decks on smaller boat such as a Hinckley T-29.  Before my visit to TDS my only knowledge of the company was that we sent them deck templates and 8-12 weeks later a teak deck showed up, so the trip to the factory was a great learning experience.

When the deck was nearly ready for shipment, TDS extended an invitation to the Kemmuna crew and me to visit the new deck. I flew down to Sarasota with Brad and Ketra, the crew of Kemmuna to visit their new deck. It was great to see the new deck all laid out and have the opportunity to make any modifications prior to delivery.

If you haven’t been involved in replacing a teak deck in your lifetime, it is quite an interesting process. For Kemmuna, the process began in August of this year when Teak Decking Systems of Maine visited the boat and made templates using door skin glued into the various shapes that made up the deck. The templates were then shipped to TDS where the magic happens. The good folks at TDS then begin to map out the deck and create the backing, which is essentially a high density plastic. From this point, one person handpicks teak for color and grain match to be laid for the new deck.   The teak is then glued on using their specially formulated glue. Once the teak is glued to the backing, the seams are laid and various other bits and pieces are created (hand rails, toe rails, various trim for hatches). Of course it’s much more complicated than that, but that’s the simple version. One thing I thought was very cool is that the same crew that starts the deck -finishes the deck, not only giving continuity to the entire process, but creating a great deal of pride in the product. It was apparent to me in talking with these folks that they truly took pride in their work and each deck was important to them. They truly want to please their customer.

Besides Kemmuna’s new deck, TDS had many other custom decks on the shop floor that were under construction, everything from large custom motor yachts to smaller production builds such as Sea Ray and Chris-Craft. They also have a division that deals exclusively with Cruise Ships, they are always busy!

The tour of the factory was incredible, TDS prides themselves in keeping what they do as efficient and as “green” as possible, they do not waste a single piece of teak during the process, everything is well thought out to minimize waste. The teak they use comes from a forest in Burma that was actually planted by the British and put aside to build war ships!

A few weeks after we departed Sarasota, the deck arrived here via truck in Camden to be installed. Larry Murray of Teak Decking Services of Maine (TDS’s local distributor) was here with his team of guys to help us unload the deck and then begin the installation process. The deck is still in the process of being installed and everyone is pleased with the progress. If you want to learn more about a new teak deck, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Just follow this link to our contact form and select Ben in the drop down window.  http://www.wayfarermarine.com/contact

From all of us at Wayfarer Marine, we wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Benc