I have a 1990 hunter 28 that has been maintained fairly well - I bought her last spring.... I have gone through and brought up all of the rigging, mechanical systems to my standard and am ready to shine up the hull ... I would like some good tips on the best way to buff out a hull ... and polish her.... thanks
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3M Fiberglass Restorer & Waxer
After using a variety of waxes over the years what we've been using on our '88 H-35 is 3Ms "Fiberglass Restorer & Waxer". This has a mild abrasive but the wax holds up for about a season on the hull and depending on the amount of UV damage to the gel coat, less on the coach roof. I've noticed that in the past few years the coach roof is getting dull quicker. The 3M stuff gives you a good buzz! To save money we bought a small size container along with a gallon size, big unit-cost savings over the small container, at Doc Freemans in Seattle, and then just do a refill. It doesn't flow very well so refilling can get a bit messy. For a buffer we bought a random orbital at Costco a while back and it uses a 10-inch bonnet. It works okay on the hull but isn't useful on the coachroof due to it's large size. I'd like to get a smaller diameter buffer with a right-angle drive, professional type model, for perhaps using on both top and bottom. We like to frequent Tool Town on 652 Elliot Way, Seattle, because it's on the way to where we haul the boat at Shilshole and they seem to know what tools hold up and what features are import. They also have fairly good prices. They're also a good source for other items like sandpaper, etc, if you're doing bottom painting. There are several (3 or 4) slight variations on this 3M product where one type has more abrasive and I don't know what the others have. We always polish the hull at the annual haulout as it's extreemly difficult to do while it's in the water. By the way, did you get to see the sun in Tacoma yesterday???
After using a variety of waxes over the years what we've been using on our '88 H-35 is 3Ms "Fiberglass Restorer & Waxer". This has a mild abrasive but the wax holds up for about a season on the hull and depending on the amount of UV damage to the gel coat, less on the coach roof. I've noticed that in the past few years the coach roof is getting dull quicker. The 3M stuff gives you a good buzz! To save money we bought a small size container along with a gallon size, big unit-cost savings over the small container, at Doc Freemans in Seattle, and then just do a refill. It doesn't flow very well so refilling can get a bit messy. For a buffer we bought a random orbital at Costco a while back and it uses a 10-inch bonnet. It works okay on the hull but isn't useful on the coachroof due to it's large size. I'd like to get a smaller diameter buffer with a right-angle drive, professional type model, for perhaps using on both top and bottom. We like to frequent Tool Town on 652 Elliot Way, Seattle, because it's on the way to where we haul the boat at Shilshole and they seem to know what tools hold up and what features are import. They also have fairly good prices. They're also a good source for other items like sandpaper, etc, if you're doing bottom painting. There are several (3 or 4) slight variations on this 3M product where one type has more abrasive and I don't know what the others have. We always polish the hull at the annual haulout as it's extreemly difficult to do while it's in the water. By the way, did you get to see the sun in Tacoma yesterday???
hull buff
For the last few years after using lots of products, I have had good results with meguiars, west marine, has a 3 part kit, first step is color restorer , or oxidation remover, and is a must, do not even try to do anything with out doing this first, then there is a polish and finally a way, i do have a 7 inch polisher, but truthfully have better results using , clean terry towels, , the trick seems to me to be the clean surface of the towel which u cant have with a buffer unless you have a lot of pads,This has worked on our 89 h23 and we get lots of compliments, usually one time for hull will due it for the season, top usually requires some work during season, ,good luckMike B
For the last few years after using lots of products, I have had good results with meguiars, west marine, has a 3 part kit, first step is color restorer , or oxidation remover, and is a must, do not even try to do anything with out doing this first, then there is a polish and finally a way, i do have a 7 inch polisher, but truthfully have better results using , clean terry towels, , the trick seems to me to be the clean surface of the towel which u cant have with a buffer unless you have a lot of pads,This has worked on our 89 h23 and we get lots of compliments, usually one time for hull will due it for the season, top usually requires some work during season, ,good luckMike B
Poli Glow
Tom: Check out Poli Glow an the www.paradigm-products.com website. You will be impressed with the results. Pay particular attention to the Hunter 23 hull photos on the site as well.
Tom: Check out Poli Glow an the www.paradigm-products.com website. You will be impressed with the results. Pay particular attention to the Hunter 23 hull photos on the site as well.
Try Island Girl.
Tom: I have been quite happy with Island Girl. The big difference with Island Girl vs the other products is that it is actually improving the health of your gel coat. Some of the other products are really only a temporary fix. With the Island Girl products you can just use any good wax after the treatment to protect the gelcoat. I used their stuff on the bulkheads two seasons ago. These are on a south face surface and you can still feel the smoothness of the gelcoat. I use the 3M spray wax to touch up things now and then but really think that Island Girl is the way to go.
Tom: I have been quite happy with Island Girl. The big difference with Island Girl vs the other products is that it is actually improving the health of your gel coat. Some of the other products are really only a temporary fix. With the Island Girl products you can just use any good wax after the treatment to protect the gelcoat. I used their stuff on the bulkheads two seasons ago. These are on a south face surface and you can still feel the smoothness of the gelcoat. I use the 3M spray wax to touch up things now and then but really think that Island Girl is the way to go.
PolyGlow II
I've got a '93 37.5 that was completely neglected prior to our getting it. We went with PolyGlow and were amazed. It's been on for 6 months now (in FL) and it still looks like we did it yesterday. It's pretty easy to put on (deck: hard + hull: very easy = pretty easy). We had professional boat maintainers asking us what we were using. This stuff lives up to its billing. Jim "Prospect"
I've got a '93 37.5 that was completely neglected prior to our getting it. We went with PolyGlow and were amazed. It's been on for 6 months now (in FL) and it still looks like we did it yesterday. It's pretty easy to put on (deck: hard + hull: very easy = pretty easy). We had professional boat maintainers asking us what we were using. This stuff lives up to its billing. Jim "Prospect"
poliglow didnt work for me
I tried poliglow on our 87 34ft hunter last fall and was dissappointed with the results. The company was helpful and ended up saying my hull was probably too nice to use their product. I found the keeping it consistent very difficult and was told it wouldnt be a perfect thing. after messing around with it for a couple of days i took it off and back to 3m products. it could have very well been me but it wasnt as easy as they say to lay it on. craig
I tried poliglow on our 87 34ft hunter last fall and was dissappointed with the results. The company was helpful and ended up saying my hull was probably too nice to use their product. I found the keeping it consistent very difficult and was told it wouldnt be a perfect thing. after messing around with it for a couple of days i took it off and back to 3m products. it could have very well been me but it wasnt as easy as they say to lay it on. craig
Vertglas
I've been using Verglas for four years, first on a 25 Catalina and now, a 31 Hunter. Both still look very good. I think the key, with any polishing process, is lots of compounding, then lots more, then whatever. With Vertglas, it looks great until anything with petroleum touches it (suntan lotion, oil, etc), then it goes black - ugly and won't come out without stripping and compounding. So its not good on the deck areas but very good on the hull. I think 3M products on the deck areas will give a good year protection. Now that Vertglas has an easy stripping process, its not major to strip and reprocess after four or five years, but prior, it was a real hassle. Two part epoxy painting is probably the best restorative process, but until then, Vertglas has its place.
I've been using Verglas for four years, first on a 25 Catalina and now, a 31 Hunter. Both still look very good. I think the key, with any polishing process, is lots of compounding, then lots more, then whatever. With Vertglas, it looks great until anything with petroleum touches it (suntan lotion, oil, etc), then it goes black - ugly and won't come out without stripping and compounding. So its not good on the deck areas but very good on the hull. I think 3M products on the deck areas will give a good year protection. Now that Vertglas has an easy stripping process, its not major to strip and reprocess after four or five years, but prior, it was a real hassle. Two part epoxy painting is probably the best restorative process, but until then, Vertglas has its place.
Prep work for poliglow
I bought the polyglow kit at the annapolis boat show, and plan on using it this spring on my 86 H34. The application with the squeegy looks pretty simple. But my question is how much prep work is required prior to applying the poliglow, and whats the best way to do it? Thanks, Mike S/V Island Time
I bought the polyglow kit at the annapolis boat show, and plan on using it this spring on my 86 H34. The application with the squeegy looks pretty simple. But my question is how much prep work is required prior to applying the poliglow, and whats the best way to do it? Thanks, Mike S/V Island Time
Agree with Mr Nantz
To begin with, I use the same basic 3M "Fiberglass Cleaner Wax" (sold at West Marine) using a cheap COSTCO buffer. I find that this lasts about one season without touchup. However, I take this one step further by finishing off (after the 3M buff out) with Starbrite's "Premium Marine Polish with Teflon". I like the type of shine this produces plus the fact that the finish looked really good this fall. Note that each season, by repeating this process, the overall appearance keeps getting better and better. I have always had some misgiving about waxing "Whisper's" topsides. Last year (other than the sides of the dog house and vertical sides of the cockpit area which I treated as above) I used West Marine's (I thought it was a Starbrite product but cannot find it in the catalog) "Non-Skid Deck Cleaner". It works great leaving a nice dull sheen which is not slippery underfoot when wet. I plan on continuing my use of this product.;
To begin with, I use the same basic 3M "Fiberglass Cleaner Wax" (sold at West Marine) using a cheap COSTCO buffer. I find that this lasts about one season without touchup. However, I take this one step further by finishing off (after the 3M buff out) with Starbrite's "Premium Marine Polish with Teflon". I like the type of shine this produces plus the fact that the finish looked really good this fall. Note that each season, by repeating this process, the overall appearance keeps getting better and better. I have always had some misgiving about waxing "Whisper's" topsides. Last year (other than the sides of the dog house and vertical sides of the cockpit area which I treated as above) I used West Marine's (I thought it was a Starbrite product but cannot find it in the catalog) "Non-Skid Deck Cleaner". It works great leaving a nice dull sheen which is not slippery underfoot when wet. I plan on continuing my use of this product.;
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