DrTeak Speaks! – Page 3 – Cruising Concepts

FINISHING TEAK PART 1.5

Finishing teak will be discussed next after the applications of Ship N Shore.

First the sealing coats must be dry. This is easily detected with the palm of the hand touching the wood surface. If the first impression is a coolness to the touch then it can go another day of drying. The assumption is that the dryers are below the surface, evaporating, and cooling the surface. With has much as I apply and soak in upfront several days may be afforded as hurrying up with the first coat of oil simply keeps the oil from curing as fast as it might go. It would seem that the more time up front for curing those first penetrating coats, the faster the next coats of oil will really be dry the next day. If the oil is cool at the surface just adding another coat in a hurry will disturb the surface below leaving a rough feeling the next day and yet you had sanded it the day before.

That First Coat of Oil:

Start

FINISHING TEAK 2.0

We have already gotten to the point of having finished with the penetrating oil and letting it cure. The next step is to decide whether to finish with oil or varnish. First we will discuss finishing with oil.

TABLES FOR THE INTERIOR

Mike,
Table arrived this morning,we set it up last night and it looks beautiful! It’s the perfect fit!
It actually fits better than we expected,and my wife is really happy with it. Thank you! You did a beautiful job!
The checks in the mail,(where have I heard that before?)
I took photos this morning and ill send them from my phone
Thanks again!
Ed

COMPANIONWAY DOORS FOR CATALINA 30

Hey Mike,

I want to thank you for doing a perfect job on the companionway doors; they fit like a glove, look like they are original doors on the boat–except that the finish you put on them is so clean and shiny that it makes all my other teak look tired and due for an update.

From start to finish, the project took just over an hour; it helped that you included both the square screwdriver bit and the drill bit as well, as well as everything else we needed. The installation was simple, straightforward, and I couldn’t be more pleased.

There weren’t many people on the dock on a weekday, but to a person, everyone who saw the doors marveled at how great they look. The quote of the morning, however, was “world-class,” and he was right on the money.

Again, thanks for such a superb job; I’ll be proud of these doors everytime I set foot on the boat.

Best,

Bob

STARBOARD DOORS FOR BENETEAU

Yesterday one of my very astute repeat customers found this picture of a Beneteau 36.7 and passed it on to me. He had ordered a set of teak doors from Cruising Concepts for his former Catalina and was very happy with them. He has just bought a new Beneteau 36.7 and wanted a new set of doors made of Starboard. So taken with the good looks as he proclaimed in the picture he found he called immediately.

MY NEW COMPANIONWAY DOORS

Mike,

The doors came and they’re gorgeous, many thanks! J Now I’ve got to figure out how get them installed – I’ll give you a call if I need some inspiration.

Thanks,

– Tim

DOOR COMPLIMENT, TARTAN 3400

Mike, perfect fit! Superb craftsmanship. Thank you, Rich Vale.

COMPANIONWAY DOORS

While companionway doors are not a substitution for the drop boards, it is important to pick a robust design. We offer both teak and plastic, Starboard, doors. Teak is the strongest hands down over the plastic as the plastic yields under very little force. That is why we use a 3/4 by 1 3/4 weather fascia overlapping the center between the two doors. This gives a very thick 1 1/2 inch cross section as compared to other doors that may have a 3/8 lip which neither provides suitable strength under a direct blow even with internal reinforcement nor proper resistance to water intrusion. These doors made with a 7/8 inch overlap and 1 1/2 cross section are intended for every day live aboard use as opposed to doors intended just for day use. In addition doors may be made as bifold to one side. A stainless piano hinge is used in the center and the entire assembly folds to either port or starboard. This is very convenient to lift off and carry in one hand without the two halves sliding opposite each other and out of your hands.

COMPANIONWAY DOORS FOR THE ISLAND PACKET SUBMITTED BY OWNER NEAL DOTEN

Mike, good afternoon . . .

I just finished submitting a write-up on the Island Packet website. I created a gallery of photos to go with it.

I don’t know if you can access the forum entry or the gallery, so I will provide the forum text below:

Surely you’ve said to yourself, “There’s got to be a better way . . .” I would do that almost every time I had to remove or insert the hatchboards. During the cold or rainy weather at this time of year, that happens a lot. So, I finally decided to do something about it.

I had companionway doors on my previous sailboat. They worked well for me and I decided to do the same thing on No Moss. After seeing some examples in the forum, I contacted and eventually ordered a set of companionway doors from Cruising Concepts (http://www.cruisingconcepts.com).

I provided the required dimensions to Mike and he did an excellent job of building the doors. They arrived well-packed and undamaged. Included was an excellent set of instructions and the required hardware to put together and install the doors. Mike was very helpful and answered my phone and email questions in a timely and professional manner. You’d be hard-pressed to find better customer service.

My woodworking skills probably register at the low end of the “carpentry skill-level scale,” but I managed to finish the project with very pleasing results. Translation: if I can do it, almost anybody can.

One thing that I did (not in the directions) was to solve the issue I had with the Lexan panels having a very slight amount of play when inserted in the doors. (I chose the “permanent” Lexan panels installation versus the interchangeable Lexan and screen option.) I asked Mike about using silicone (or other caulking), but he said it wasn’t really necessary/recommended.

I opted to apply small felt pads (like those used for drawer and cupboard doors) to the edges of the Lexan panels to make them snug in the door. Also, I added a barrel bolt at the bottom of the starboard door for greater security and a tighter fit when the doors are closed. This probably wasn’t necessary, but I had the same arrangement on my previous boat doors and liked the option.

One added advantage of these doors is that they slide into the same grooves used by the hatchboards on the sides of the companionway. Thus, you have the option to go back to hatchboards whenever you wish — without retrofitting any hardware.

I have created a gallery of photos that will provide more detail. See the gallery “No Moss IP38 Companionway Doors.” If you have any questions, let me know.
Hopefully, the above plus the photos will create some business for you.

Best regards,

Neal

COMPANIONWAY DOORS INSTALL KITS NOW HAVE ALL THREE LOCKS, HASP, KEYED, AND COMBINATION

Cruising Concepts will now ship as standard locks of all three types for their doors in one kit. This will include the traditional thick SS hasp, the marine rated keyed system , and the combination lock. This will apply to Beneteau, Catalina, Hunters, and all other makes. This will save time and money for all. The supplied hasp may also be used for locking from the inside.