TEAK
n the face of it, it might seem as if it has been all doom and gloom in the world of boatbuilding timbers in recent years. The headline news is that since the military coup in Myanmar (formerly Burma) in February 2021, it is has been illegal to import teak from that country into Europe and the UK. While it is generally agreed that the best quality teak has always come from Myanmar, it also grows naturally in other parts of Southeast Asia and it has become increasingly available as plantation teak all over the world, including several countries in Central America, the northern part of South America, West Africa and Indonesia. While opinions vary as to the suitability of plantation teak for boatbuilding, the main problem occurs if the trees are felled when they are too young. “A good teak tree needs to be between at least 60 and 80 years old to give us what we need for a boat,” said John Lammerts van Bueren of timber suppliers Touchwood. “So we, and the land owners, have
