When compounding and/or wet sanding, there are a few tricks I use to do as a dealer.
If heavily oxidized, I used comet to clean and then rinse off with another washing using a dishpan soap detergent which does a better job than most boat soaps. After letting dry, I used 3M Finese IT compound paste in a gallon bucket with clean polishing cloths which were constantaly cleaned for build up or replaced. The polisher had to be a variable speed as anything over 1000 rpm was not good as it will burn the gel coat if left in one place while running. The key is going back and forth with the polisher never allowing it to sit in one place. Sometimes it took two times to get the desired look.
If heavily oxidized, I used the next higher grade of compound first and then went back to the Finese It. Once all done, I mildly washed the surface again and then applied a pure wax by Melges. The key is to wax the hull once per year as it is angled to the sun and at least twice per year topsides. I liked the 3 M cleaner wax as it worked better for me than other products. Those products where you can coat a surface to make the boat looks good only lasts a short time before another application and then in some cases it is heck to get off. I hope this helps you.
