Question on what coaming material for Renegade was used

BrokeCurmudgeon · Post by **BrokeCurmudgeon** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 5:58 pm

I have a 1967 Pearson Renegade. I have always thought that the cockpit coaming was teak but recently I was tols that all of the older Pearsons used Phillipines mahogany. I looks like teak to me but now I am beginning to think otherwise. Does anyone have difinitate knowledge on this matter. I am assuming that it is the origanal wood.
Thanks and fair winds!

Fred
Waka iti
Pearson Renegade #65
San Francisco Bay

Hirilondë · Post by **Hirilondë** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 6:44 pm

My Renegade came with all mahogany exterior trim. I changed it all to teak.

Hey Fred, good to see you posting here.

Ceasar Choppy · Post by **Ceasar Choppy** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 9:44 am

When I owned #3, the previous owner has ripped out and thrown away the coaming (!), but not before having ill-fitting replacements made, out of mahogany. So I don't know what the original was for the coaming.

But I can tell you that the toe-rail was teak. But after 35+ years it was rotten so I replaced it. Being someone of modest means at the time, I replaced with mahogany ($500) instead of the teak ($1500-- had a hard time finding it in 13 ft+ lengths).

Quetzalsailor · Post by **Quetzalsailor** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 4:55 pm

Definitely would not be Philippine Mahogany. That's pretty much a trash wood and a purposefully misleading name for a species in the same family as Luan, Meranti. Goggle or wiki "Dipterocarpaceae" for more than you care to know. At the very least, Philippine Mahogany won't bend very sweetly and is not rot resistant. Pearson would never have used such stuff.

Hirilondë · Post by **Hirilondë** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 6:02 am

Quetzalsailor wrote:Definitely would not be Philippine Mahogany. That's pretty much a trash wood and a purposefully misleading name for a species in the same family as Luan, Meranti. Goggle or wiki "Dipterocarpaceae" for more than you care to know. At the very least, Philippine Mahogany won't bend very sweetly and is not rot resistant. Pearson would never have used such stuff.

The Philippine part never caught my eye. But your right Quetzalsailor. We stock 2 types of mahogany in the loft at the boatyard: African and Honduras. African is a dark red, very stringy and resilient. It is a bit of a nuisance to work with as it doesn't plane well at all. It does however bend quite well, is fairly hard, rot resistant and varnishes and paints well. Great stuff for planking and exterior trim. Honduras is softer, lighter in color but mills very nicely on all equipment. I like it for cabinet work.