International Boat Industry – June-July 2019

80 JUNE–JULY 2019 | International Boat Industry ibinews.com

TECHNICAL

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT | DECKING

WHILST TEAK REMAINS HIGHLY PRIZED AS A SOLID DECK COVERING,

GREATER ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AND TIGHTER BUDGETS MEANS

THAT ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS ARE GAINING MORE OF A MARKET SHARE

WORDS: JAKE KAVANAGH

 Natural teak remains the deck material of choice for traditional yachts, motorboats and superyacht tenders, whilst

artificial alternatives are becoming more popular, especially in lighter colours with white or grey seams

THERE HAVE BEEN some major leaps in

technology when it comes to non-slip

surfaces, driven by growing markets running

parallel to the boating sector and with

similar needs. These include houseboats,

passenger ships (especially cruise ships),

gyms, wet-rooms, swimming pools and

waterside living space. These applications

demand the same aesthetics as a motorboat

or yacht, but often with much larger areas

to cover, so cost and longevity become

major issues.

With mature teak becoming ever rarer

and more expensive, there has been a big

swing towards greener alternatives. These

include softwoods that are treated to make

them harder and more ‘teak-like’ and a big

surge in the rise of artificial or ‘faux’ teak

deck coverings. These have traditionally

been made from vinyl extrusions, but early

versions proved heavy and prone to getting

too hot in direct sunshine. Since then,

advances in chemistry have made these

alternatives far more practical, and with

a whole palette of designs and colours to

choose from. Whilst the more traditional

yacht and motorboat owner will still favour

a timber deck, those with smaller, faster and

more outrageous craft often prefer decking

that reflects their personality or matches the

boat’s customised colour scheme.

PLENTY OF OPTIONS

For the leisure industry, this means there

are now four main types of non-slip

covering for external decks, including

those for open cockpits. These include a

basic pattern moulded into the substrate,

traditional wood, faux teak, rubberised

mats or non-slip paint. From here there

are several subdivisions. For example, teak

can be replaced with treated softwood

timber for a lower cost, paint can be

replaced with harder-wearing resins, and

rubberised mats can be made from a wide

range of other materials, from cork to

EVA (Etheylene-Vinyl Acetate). The huge

popularity of open pontoon boats and

TIMBER & MAT

DECK COVERINGS

 Now even the smallest of craft can feature

a ‘teak’ deck. These two tenders cleverly show

what is available, and the way plastic vinyl

extrusions can be used for matching cap rails

and gunwale strips