KRIMPEN AAN DE LEK – Teak has peerless properties for yacht building, but availability is often iffy. Royal Boogaerdt Timber, (RBT), a leading supplier of teak to the European yacht-building industry, markets laminated Thai teak as an alternative to the solid version.
In 2021, Muanmar’s military coup brought the latter to a standstill. Teak has long had a bad name. RBT Director Eric Boogaerdt’s laminated Thai teak is “years old. “Thick trunks, tall trees,” he says. “With large stretches of knots-free wood. They are ideal for making yacht decks.”
Over the years, teak import rules have become strict to prevent illegal logging. Because of corruption in Asian teak nations, EU regulations were enacted in 2013. They require importers to prove no illegal logging occurred in the culling of trees.
Just before the 2021 Myanmar coup, RBT completed preparations for the legal import of Myanmar teak. “Because sustainability is paramount, we also shape import regulations. We contribute local expertise.”
After the coup, the EU banned Myanmar teak imports. Neighboring Thailand has nicely filled the teak trade gap. Boogaerdt: “Thailand has created plantations that grow FSC-approved wood. The wood quality is good, but the trees are often no older than 30 years. “That’s too young. The trees should be 60 to 80 years old to have the length and diameter and still only a few branches,” says Boogaerdt.
Boogaerdt’s Laminated Teak, or Super Yacht Line Teak, consists of strips of teak glued together. The glue used is waterproof melamine glue.
The strips show no defects or color variations. “The planks look solid quarter-sawn teak,” says Boogaerdt. “Laminated teak has advantages over solid teak. It’s more stable and sturdier.”
In addition to this laminated product, RBT supplies a broad range of solid Thai teak in various sizes, all fully certified like the laminated product. The latter comes in 4- to 6-meter lengths and different plank widths.
Boogaerdt still sees demand for solid teak, and ‘that’s not realistic in the long term. We want to trade in an honest, sustainable, natural product,” he says. “A teak deck should tell you the yacht’s owner values sustainability,” says Boogaerdt.
In addition to laminated teak decking, RBT has built up a new stock of FSC-certified teak. “I also want a future on this planet for my children,” he says. “Unfortunately, not every trader thinks that way.”
