THE ONLY TEAK SUITABLE FOR MARINE DECKING IS FROM WILD TREES, THEREFORE, WE HAVE TO ENSURE HARVESTING IS CARRIED OUT RESPONSIBLY John Shinske,
quality demanded by our clients and, at the same time, making sure that everything is in order to meet EU Timber Regulation.
“The very word ‘sustainable’ suggests that teak comes from plantations but, unfortunately, this is not the case for the marine market. It’s true there are many teak plantations, not only in SE Asia, but also South America and parts of Africa, but none of this timber is destined for marine. The only teak suitable for marine decking is from ‘wild’ trees, therefore, we have to ensure harvesting of these logs is carried out responsibly and that each tree purchased has a reliable paper trail, to ensure that correct forestry management has been maintained.”
“The huge raw material cost and responsibility to the environment means that a badly laid or maintained deck is basically irresponsible. Properly maintained, there’s nothing as beautiful as teak decks, but the amount of work involved in maintaining this level of beauty is huge.”
“Teak decks are for those with a passion who can dedicate hours to looking after them, or for those for whom money really is not an issue and can afford a team to maintain them on a daily basis and bring in specialists to undertake more intensive, regular maintenance.”
Managing Director
of
Barcelona based Teak Solutions was away from his office and somewhere in deepest Myanmar at the time I was compiling this report. John told me he was personally overseeing the quality and supply of his next batch of teak. “Wood is soft, plastic is hard. Wood is cool, plastic is hot.” I think you can guess which side of the argument John is on!
So when I floated the idea that teak is generally regarded as being hard to treat, clean and maintain in good condition, he countered with another strongly worded argument that I struggled to disagree with, when he said: “Everything on a yacht requires maintenance as it lives in a harsh environment. This includes the exterior paint, window glazing, interiors and engineering. Teak is one of the friendliest surfaces on a yacht. A new paint job is required every 5 to 7 years and costs three times what a new teak deck will cost, which will only require replacement every 15 to 20 years!
“It’s now impossible, a fact which Teak Solutions wholeheartedly agrees with, to purchase old growth teak which does not meet the European Union Timber Regulation requirements.Obviously when dealing with a natural resource we all need to be extremely careful where the
VANDECASTEELE HOUTIMPORT By stocking high quality quarter sawn and FEQ Burmese Teak in their distribution facilities in Belgium, Vandecasteele Houtimport is a dedicated partner in continuous Teak supply in the European and US market. Thanks to our promptly available stock, orders can be prepared exactly to our clients’ needs within 2-3 days. The wide selection of Teak decking strips, margin boards, cap rails, flitches and FEQ grade is one of the finest stockholdings in Europe. Dedicated to trade in harmony in both business and the environment with customers and suppliers are just some of the strengths of this family owned company since 1883. For more details Tel: + 32 (0)56 43 33 33 or visit
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product comes from and for this reason Teak Solutions follows an extremely rigid Due Diligence code, ensuring the teak we supply is supplied according to all EUTR regulations put in place to make teak a sustainable resource for future generations.”
To summarise, there’s an awful lot of interesting and innovative teak substitute and composite deck products and suppliers out there gaining market share for different reasons. And as for almost every kind of purchase made in life, cost and quality varies, but simply to ignore this increasing technological trend would be a big mistake.
On the flip side, yes, natural teak is more expensive than alternatives, yes, it requires more maintenance and attention to keep it looking good and nearly always requires professional, skilled installation, by people who know what their doing. But as the saying goes: ‘first impressions count’ and probably never more so than in this market when those high-flutin’ guests arrive onboard a boat.
For some people, the fact that teak is scarce and difficult to source in the required quality makes it even more desirable than ever before.
ONBOARD | SUMMER 2018 | 149
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