I recently purchased an older boat and the hull needs some work. To look down the side the cream colored hull is "splotchy" in one place and fine in another. The blue stripe is the same, almost opaque or cloudy then all of a sudden a nice deep blue. I have tried rubbing compound to try and even the finish out but to no avail. I would appreciate knowing about any products someone has used and can recomend for this issue or do I need to completely refinish? Thanks
Cleaning the hull
- Thread starter Gary8065
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Repair?
Might this hull have been repaired and you are looking at the spots that are newer than the rest of the hull? If that is the case, I don't think you won't be able to do much.
Might this hull have been repaired and you are looking at the spots that are newer than the rest of the hull? If that is the case, I don't think you won't be able to do much.
Could be tannin and/or iron staining ......
First wash the hull with a strong caustic detergent. Then Rinse so that ALL the caustic is removed. Then, do a trial wash with oxalic acid to bleach out the tannins and iron staining that has penetrated deep into the pores of the gelcoat. Obtain oxalic in a hardware or paint store (wood bleach). Mix up with water so that there are 'some' undissolved crystals remaining in the bottom of the bucket. If the oxalic removes the splotches, this suggests that the gelcoat is porous and is in desparate need of a buffing and waxing to keep the 'pores' sealed. Use 'protection' when using oxalic: rubber gloves, goggles, etc. as oxalic will rapidly absorb through you skin and harm your kidneys.
First wash the hull with a strong caustic detergent. Then Rinse so that ALL the caustic is removed. Then, do a trial wash with oxalic acid to bleach out the tannins and iron staining that has penetrated deep into the pores of the gelcoat. Obtain oxalic in a hardware or paint store (wood bleach). Mix up with water so that there are 'some' undissolved crystals remaining in the bottom of the bucket. If the oxalic removes the splotches, this suggests that the gelcoat is porous and is in desparate need of a buffing and waxing to keep the 'pores' sealed. Use 'protection' when using oxalic: rubber gloves, goggles, etc. as oxalic will rapidly absorb through you skin and harm your kidneys.
Higgs - No previous repir
It does not look like it has been repiared. There is just cloudiness in the finish.
It does not look like it has been repiared. There is just cloudiness in the finish.
Try Aquabuff
Ahoy Gary; Did you try to rub the hull by hand? If so it will not work very well. Go to Harbor Freight and get the variable speed polisher/grinder with a 2X2 buffing pad. Paint some Aquabuff on the hull and buff until it is gone. If this brings out the shine then go for it and then wax the hull. There are 2 grades of Aquabuff start with the fine one,ifthe fine won't bring out the shine then go to the corse one. If still no luck you will have to wet sand the boat with 2000 grit. The last resort is to wet sand and then go back to the buffing. All this depends on the thickness of your gelcoat. You have to start fine and work backwards so you don't go through the gelcoat. If sanding will not work you will have to paint the hull with a product like Awlgrip. Fair Winds Cap'n Dave
Ahoy Gary; Did you try to rub the hull by hand? If so it will not work very well. Go to Harbor Freight and get the variable speed polisher/grinder with a 2X2 buffing pad. Paint some Aquabuff on the hull and buff until it is gone. If this brings out the shine then go for it and then wax the hull. There are 2 grades of Aquabuff start with the fine one,ifthe fine won't bring out the shine then go to the corse one. If still no luck you will have to wet sand the boat with 2000 grit. The last resort is to wet sand and then go back to the buffing. All this depends on the thickness of your gelcoat. You have to start fine and work backwards so you don't go through the gelcoat. If sanding will not work you will have to paint the hull with a product like Awlgrip. Fair Winds Cap'n Dave
Here is what I did
I cleaned the gelcoat with Island Girl's gelcoat cleaner and restorer and then applied 5 coats of poliglow. I agree that 2000 grit wet sanding may be necessary but Awgrip will be very expensive. Try a product like Poliglow first. It will only cost about $75.00. Then if you need to awgrip and you can afford it, 75 clams is nothing. I will post a picture tomorrow. Tim R.
I cleaned the gelcoat with Island Girl's gelcoat cleaner and restorer and then applied 5 coats of poliglow. I agree that 2000 grit wet sanding may be necessary but Awgrip will be very expensive. Try a product like Poliglow first. It will only cost about $75.00. Then if you need to awgrip and you can afford it, 75 clams is nothing. I will post a picture tomorrow. Tim R.
Thanks, Capn Dave
A friend told me months ago about Harbor Freight, but I haven't been able to remember the name until reading your post. And I've been looking for a polisher/sander at several stores, including Home Despot, without success. Found a couple on the Harbor Freight web site that will fit my budget nicely. I've been using 3M Restorer and Wax to get those billions of tiny black specks off my gelcoat. Really looks nice, but buffers don't bring enough pressure and doing it by hand wears me out in a hurry. I'm thinking I can apply enough pressure with a polisher. Do you agree? Thanks again, Mac
A friend told me months ago about Harbor Freight, but I haven't been able to remember the name until reading your post. And I've been looking for a polisher/sander at several stores, including Home Despot, without success. Found a couple on the Harbor Freight web site that will fit my budget nicely. I've been using 3M Restorer and Wax to get those billions of tiny black specks off my gelcoat. Really looks nice, but buffers don't bring enough pressure and doing it by hand wears me out in a hurry. I'm thinking I can apply enough pressure with a polisher. Do you agree? Thanks again, Mac
Vertglass
I used a product called Vertglass to seal up a 32 year old Cal T/2. It looks better than it has in 15 years. The initial cleaning of the hull is cut polish and then used oxalic acid to remove stainless rust. Was done 05 spring and the finish is still good, though a good wash with their soap will bring up the shine. I put on 6 coats to bring up the shine and each year, a good wash and two more coats is supposed to revive the finish. It is a gelcoat sealer rather than a wax polish. Kit is under $100 USD and the true test will be next spring after our rainy, cool winter to see if the product is as good as its testimonials. Other sealers may be available under other brand names.
I used a product called Vertglass to seal up a 32 year old Cal T/2. It looks better than it has in 15 years. The initial cleaning of the hull is cut polish and then used oxalic acid to remove stainless rust. Was done 05 spring and the finish is still good, though a good wash with their soap will bring up the shine. I put on 6 coats to bring up the shine and each year, a good wash and two more coats is supposed to revive the finish. It is a gelcoat sealer rather than a wax polish. Kit is under $100 USD and the true test will be next spring after our rainy, cool winter to see if the product is as good as its testimonials. Other sealers may be available under other brand names.
Buffers just dont cut it!!!
Ahoy Mac; I agree with you about those buffing machines. They just dont have the guts that a polishing machine have. You can really lay into a hull with one. Be careful though you dont wanna got plum through that gelcoat. Fair Winds Cap'n Dave
Ahoy Mac; I agree with you about those buffing machines. They just dont have the guts that a polishing machine have. You can really lay into a hull with one. Be careful though you dont wanna got plum through that gelcoat. Fair Winds Cap'n Dave
3M Perfection
Gary, When I bought my 1978 Hunter Cherubini 33, "Tainui", the hull was very oxidized and looked like it never had a wax job. At first I used 800 grit and moved up to 1000 grit wet sand paper. afterwards, I washed the hull, waited for it to dry and then used a cheap harbor freight variable speed 3,000 rpm polisher. Be sure you buy the professional 3M wool polisher pad (2 sided). I highly recommend you also use an arbor extension on your polisher. This gives you the extra room for the polisher pad to bend as you muscle your machine into the hull. I used 3M "Perfection" compound polish/cleaner and I am very satisfied with the results I obtained on a 27 year old hull. Top it off with a good teflon RV/hull wax with UV protection and you will be in business. I hand rubbed the was on the hull and used the other side of the buffing pad to buff it out with. When using any compound using a polished at 3,000 rpm be sure no other boats or cars are near by, the material can sling a long way. Good luck and happy sailing.
Gary, When I bought my 1978 Hunter Cherubini 33, "Tainui", the hull was very oxidized and looked like it never had a wax job. At first I used 800 grit and moved up to 1000 grit wet sand paper. afterwards, I washed the hull, waited for it to dry and then used a cheap harbor freight variable speed 3,000 rpm polisher. Be sure you buy the professional 3M wool polisher pad (2 sided). I highly recommend you also use an arbor extension on your polisher. This gives you the extra room for the polisher pad to bend as you muscle your machine into the hull. I used 3M "Perfection" compound polish/cleaner and I am very satisfied with the results I obtained on a 27 year old hull. Top it off with a good teflon RV/hull wax with UV protection and you will be in business. I hand rubbed the was on the hull and used the other side of the buffing pad to buff it out with. When using any compound using a polished at 3,000 rpm be sure no other boats or cars are near by, the material can sling a long way. Good luck and happy sailing.
buffing pad too..
the buffers don't get it, but I think it's partly due to the soft pads they come with. I used a buffer that has a nylon(?) type mesh pad. It worked great, cut through the oxidation and brought the original color out. Pad seemed to make all the diff in the world.
the buffers don't get it, but I think it's partly due to the soft pads they come with. I used a buffer that has a nylon(?) type mesh pad. It worked great, cut through the oxidation and brought the original color out. Pad seemed to make all the diff in the world.
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