Wooden Deck - help needed

[Johnk]

Hi folks,

So sorry to intrude! My boat is actually made of steel (yuk!), but I'd like to lay a nice wooden deck to cool her and my feet down in the tropical heat. I'll need at least half a metre of timber to do the job and I'm looking for the most economical timber to do it with. Teak is out of the question because of its price and Qld Beech is difficult to find. I'm therefore looking at something like Vitex which borders on being a little on the heavy side, or imported Beech if it's suitable. Someone even suggested Douglas Fir as a possible alternative.

Being new to this forum (post No. 2), I'd love to hear from anyone who has laid a deck with the above or alternative timbers. Any advice will be appreciated, but please save your breath if you want to argue against a laid deck. I'm 61 and feel unsteady on a pitching steel deck.

I'm also looking for a source, so if you have something, please let me know.

Best wishes to all,

John

[Daddles]

This suggestion might be totally off beam because I don't really understand this boating business too much.
At my boat building course at TAFE, we're using kapur, a Malaysian hardwood that you can pick up at any hardware store as hardwood decking - it comes about 3" wide with that grooved surface. It works nicely. Is cheap and readily available. We're using wherever you need hardwood, either in sheets or stripped down for laminates.

Perhaps that may do the job.

Richard

[Cliff Rogers]

G'day John.

I'm in Cairns too.

I'm a woodturner but I have a mate that's into building wooden boats.

There is a Wooden Boat Association in North Qld & there is now a Cairns Chapter. The contact member here in Cairns works for a specialty timber supplier.

Here's the link.... http://home.austarnet.com.au/soutersmith/about/aboutwba-nq.htm

There is also a Cairns Woodworkers Guild that has a Club house in Knight St.
There is usually some one over there on the weekends.
I used to be a member but I'm never in town on the weekends.
We have a house & a shed on 10 Acres on the tablelands so we get away from the heat Friday arvo & come back Monday morning.

Let me know if you can't trace them down & I'll see if I can get you some phone numbers.

[Toymaker Len]

Hi John, You might look into the use of pauwlonia timber. I don't remember what its marketing name is but its a very durable light timber grown in plantations so sustainable, clear grain, kiln dried and cheap. Also light coloured so it will reflect the heat to some extent and keep the boat cool.

[sinjin]

Hi Johm, on the question of your deck. I would strongely advise you to save your money and buy Teak. The cost of using douglas fir will get u in the long run. It will not be a stable timber in the condition you live in and also the cost saving will be nothing after you start to buy protective oil/ varish to look after it. And apart from that, i think you said you need very little in terms of total area.
Teak for decks is just simply the best. And from a maintenance point of view pratically nothing.....So my advice is to save a little longer.