Solace–New aft deck

Just before Christmas the owners of the pleasure wherry SOLACE decided that as it was a relatively quiet winter for repairs that now would be a good time to relay her aft deck.  As far as I am aware mine is the third laid deck she has had and I think I am right in saying that her first, dating from her building sometime around August 1903, was in some kind of pine that survived until the first teak one was laid in a rather peculiar manner and was not entirely successful.

We had nearly enough teak on hand from when I re-laid SOLACE’s foredeck a few years ago, a much more difficult task than the present one as the longer planks were some twelve foot in length and each plank was absolutely individual being marked out with string lines to get the edges straight.

Quite quickly the wide troublesome teak boards were pried away allowing a disappointing closer look at the deck beams. Years of slight leaks had caused catastrophic decay, rather unfortunate as I like to keep things original if possible, however they really were too far gone and in any case the smaller aft one was already a replacement. This came out easily but the larger beam although badly rotten fought to be released, especially the two ends tucked under the plank ways or side decks. Alas the top of the stern apron, the inside bit of the stern post, had also got it bad so the first job was to cut this away and repair it. The two beams were next to be replaced and the larger again needed fiddling about with as it had to have a very long scarph, or diagonal joint through it to get it into place.

Now the interesting work could begin. Burma teak is I am assured sustainable, but due to humanitarian reasons is not allowed to be imported into Britain at present. Our batch was tracked down several years ago to a container in Holland and we were extremely lucky to get it through Tim’s perseverance in the required lengths.

Unlike the foredeck a pattern could be used for the aft deck so after dividing the widest dimension at the aft bulkhead into the twenty required planks and then dividing one of the beams also into that number a ply wood pattern was made and used for each and every plank being cut and altered as required.

Starting from the centre line each 2” thick plank was made up bearing in mind that the shape of the well also needed to be cut out as we went along so that only the side planks ran the full length.

The twenty planks have now all been made and fastened into position and the small stern sheets bulkhead with its little central cupboard door repaired and replaced. Of course the whole area was literally soused in wood preservative before it was once again sealed up.

It only now remains to tidy up the caulking seams, prime them and pay in the black Sikaflex. Really Sara, we have always used this material it’s not just because it’s Swiss!