Interior Woodwork - Tayana 37 Operation & Maintenance Manual

obtain in the laundry section of any well-stocked grocery store. Washing soda is
an excellent cleaner and has a tendency to bleach the wood somewhat. It will not
damage paint or gelcoat, unlike some teak cleaning products, although it should
be thoroughly cleaned off. Use about one cup of washing soda in a bucket of
water (more soda if the deck is really dirty), and one of the many plastic
scrubbing pads which are on the market. Scrub the teak with the soda solution
until the wood is thoroughly cleaned. Then rinse thoroughly and let dry. Avoid
using deck or scrub brushes, as these tend to damage the softer parts of the grain
and leave the teak rough.
The number of teak oils on the market is virtually endless. We have found that the
best are those which contain a minimum amount of varnish. Such oils do not
leave quite as brilliant a finish, but they last almost as long, and they age more
gracefully. If one wishes to maintain the brilliant teak brown, he will have to
clean and reoil every four to six weeks in tropical areas; somewhat less frequently
in higher latitudes.
The polysulfide products that are used to caulk the teak decks merit some special
consideration. Certain of the more corrosive teak cleaners and at least one teak oil
product can damage polysulfide. As mentioned above, corrosive teak cleaners
should be used infrequently and the directions should be very carefully followed.
These compounds should be washed off completely and as soon as the directions
permit, even if the product is advertised as not hurting caulking compounds. On
the other hand, teak oils that can soften polysulfide should never be used. One of
these oils is reputed to be a widely advertised two part product.
The polysulfide caulking is relatively easy to maintain and repair. The most
common problem is that the caulking pulls away from the teak and breaks the
seal. When this happens, it does little good to try to fill the resulting space with
more polysulfide because the new material will adhere neither to the old
polysulfide nor to the teak. The old polysulfide should be completely removed
and then the teak should be primed with the primer recommended by the
manufacturer. Once the primer has dried, the space should be filled with fresh
polysulfide--leave a bead which is higher than the surrounding wood. It will take
several days for the polysulfide to cure. Note that moisture tends to increase the
rate of curing, and it is a good idea to keep the caulking damp. Once cured, the
caulking can be sanded off flush leaving a practically invisible repair.
C. INTERIOR WOODWORK
Interior woodwork is generally solid teak staving or teak faced plywood panel.
Both of these are maintained in the same manner if they are unvarnished or
natural. If you have ordered your yacht with natural wood which you wish to keep
light, it is best to finish the teak with a light wax. The process is simple. The
wood should be thoroughly cleaned--start with a vacuum cleaner and get all of the
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