Advice on refreshing deck after new bottom job...

[SVMySalvation]

So, last month i was blessed with a new to me '98 30' catalina mkiii. due to it being such a big investment, i decided to get off to a good start by having a fresh bottom job and getting the sides painted a navy-ish blue. boat shop talked me into gel-coating sides, and while expensive, i decided it was worth it so boat is off being worked on. (they said it would last longer and hold up better than paint.)

ok, so as i anticipate the return of this amazing and now beautiful boat, im starting to think about the deck. the boat shop said the deck had oxidation and is recommending they put new gelcoat on deck. the job is already costing 3 times what i originally could afford, so i dont think i will have them do that. but i do want the deck & cockpit to look as beautiful as the rest of it.

My partner-in-crime manages a large collision center and is very knowledgeable in painting autos. we feel we can tackle this on our own but i have done research and am confused about the paint vs gelcoat discussion. any advice for me out there? he is great with 2-part paints and can study up on gelcoat, if need be.

What do ya'll think?

 

[JohnVTX]

Buff it out

 

[Gunni]

Yes, buff it out. Here's how.

 

[SVMySalvation]

Buff it out

ok.

so i can buff out the existing gelcoat deck? the boat shop said that it had too much oxidation on it and would never look right with just buffing. im a newbie, and dont want to disagree with them, but it's only a 1998 boat.

So many of you have so much experience, i thought it would be good to get feedback here.

 

[Daveinet]

On my previous boat I tried several things to clean the deck including rubbing compound and a buffer. When it was all said and done, in the end the best thing I used on it was Baking soda and a scrub brush. That was the only thing that seemed to get the dirt out of the pours. After that I pressure washed it and then took ZEP High Gloss Floor Polish and wiped it on with a rag. Wiping it on puts in on very thin, so it took about 3 coats. I've since sold the boat, but I assume it held up OK. I also did my motorhome at the same time and it still looks pretty good 5 years later. This is a popular method amongst RV owners, although some have complained about it flaking off. My opinion is that they put it on too thick, or didn't get the surface clean to begin with. I would suggest no more than 3 coats, and 2 coats might even be better. Some brag about the shine after 4 or 5 coats, but I think those are the ones who have trouble later. If you want more shine, use wax over the top.