I own a 12 year old boat. The fiberglass is getting chalky and probably needs to be painted. An "old salt" suggested that I could wait a few more seasons on the paint job if I washed the boat really well then went over the hull and decks with a mop soaked in Armorall. this might work well for the dash of the car but I have never heard of this on a fiberglass boat hull. Is this dangerous or a real cure? What are your thoughts?
Cure for Chalky gelcoat?
- Thread starter Robert Tuten
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Personal Choice
Armorall is slick, I personally would not use it on a deck. A 12 year old boat should not need painting yet. For the hull I use 3M Imperial Microfinishing Compound Liquid. 3M has a compound liquid that is more course than this but I prefer the microfinishing. There is no sillicone in these products, the next step is two coats of a good quality wax, at least twice each year, maybe more, up to four. Best of luck. Paul
Armorall is slick, I personally would not use it on a deck. A 12 year old boat should not need painting yet. For the hull I use 3M Imperial Microfinishing Compound Liquid. 3M has a compound liquid that is more course than this but I prefer the microfinishing. There is no sillicone in these products, the next step is two coats of a good quality wax, at least twice each year, maybe more, up to four. Best of luck. Paul
Island Girl
I found that the Island Girl series of products did a great job on a 79 tired white fiberglass hull. The PO had not maintained the gel coat and it was quite chalky. The products are non-abrasive, unlike rubbing compound. I will admit that Island Girl did not work on my next boat a factory blue hull. I had to resort to rubbing compound and conventional wax.
I found that the Island Girl series of products did a great job on a 79 tired white fiberglass hull. The PO had not maintained the gel coat and it was quite chalky. The products are non-abrasive, unlike rubbing compound. I will admit that Island Girl did not work on my next boat a factory blue hull. I had to resort to rubbing compound and conventional wax.
PoliGlow
It is probably the easiest and the longest lasting of all the restoring products. www.poliglowproducts.com Regards, Ted
It is probably the easiest and the longest lasting of all the restoring products. www.poliglowproducts.com Regards, Ted
Possible solutions
The Poly Glo kit includes a great cleaner that was very effective for me in removing very heavy oxidation. Took half a day to scrub every square inch above the waterline on our 25.5. Poly Glo works great on the hull topsides. After about a year, the boat areas treated with the Poly Glo still retain their deep shine. But Poly Glo should NOT be used anywhere you want to walk, sit or otherwise need to be NOT slick. Its slippery! What we did was to treat the hull topsides with Poly Glo and everything else with Johnson's Future Acrylic Floor Finish. It shines nicely, seals the surface and isn't slippery under foot.
The Poly Glo kit includes a great cleaner that was very effective for me in removing very heavy oxidation. Took half a day to scrub every square inch above the waterline on our 25.5. Poly Glo works great on the hull topsides. After about a year, the boat areas treated with the Poly Glo still retain their deep shine. But Poly Glo should NOT be used anywhere you want to walk, sit or otherwise need to be NOT slick. Its slippery! What we did was to treat the hull topsides with Poly Glo and everything else with Johnson's Future Acrylic Floor Finish. It shines nicely, seals the surface and isn't slippery under foot.
Armour All
I had asked the same question this spring- interestingly an " old salt" in our club had also used it and the boat looked pretty good. The consensis on this site was that it would wash off in a very short time. I saw the boat again this week and y'know it still looks pretty good! Certainly if it were going to wash off there was plenty of rain for that to happen this year I have used Collinite Fleet wax and over the past couple of years there has been an improvement on the topsides. I did the deck with Aurora non slip wax this summer and it looks pretty good maybe another coat in the spring will improve it more
I had asked the same question this spring- interestingly an " old salt" in our club had also used it and the boat looked pretty good. The consensis on this site was that it would wash off in a very short time. I saw the boat again this week and y'know it still looks pretty good! Certainly if it were going to wash off there was plenty of rain for that to happen this year I have used Collinite Fleet wax and over the past couple of years there has been an improvement on the topsides. I did the deck with Aurora non slip wax this summer and it looks pretty good maybe another coat in the spring will improve it more
Island Girl II
Once you get it clean, Island Girl can really bring back the finish. The resins fill in the pours in a more permanent fashion than wax, requiring less upkeep and giving a better finish.
Once you get it clean, Island Girl can really bring back the finish. The resins fill in the pours in a more permanent fashion than wax, requiring less upkeep and giving a better finish.
Liquid Glass...
Worth consideration... I just ordered a pint myself. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Worth consideration... I just ordered a pint myself. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Armor All
As crazy as it sounds, there must be something to the use of Armor All. The original owners manual for my Freedom 30 suggests using Armor All on the NONSKID. If it won't kill you on the nonskid, it wouyld probably work on smooth gelcoat.
As crazy as it sounds, there must be something to the use of Armor All. The original owners manual for my Freedom 30 suggests using Armor All on the NONSKID. If it won't kill you on the nonskid, it wouyld probably work on smooth gelcoat.
Try Formula 303 Protectant - better than ArmorAll
Here is a link to the 303 Protectant site - their product is somewhat similar to ArmorAll but it offers UV protection as well, and they have specific instructions for restoring faded gelcoat.
Here is a link to the 303 Protectant site - their product is somewhat similar to ArmorAll but it offers UV protection as well, and they have specific instructions for restoring faded gelcoat.
Try IG!
Robert: I am will Bill O! Try the Island Girl Pink to restore and recondition your gel coat. Regardless of what you put on it after that you will have a good base to updating the finish. IG will make any additional wax or finish work much better.
Robert: I am will Bill O! Try the Island Girl Pink to restore and recondition your gel coat. Regardless of what you put on it after that you will have a good base to updating the finish. IG will make any additional wax or finish work much better.
finese
if the gelcoat is chalking use finese it super fine rubbibg compound and a high speed buffer 8000 plus rpm and wet buff the gelcoat will come back and look the day it did out of the factory after a coat of wax is applied
if the gelcoat is chalking use finese it super fine rubbibg compound and a high speed buffer 8000 plus rpm and wet buff the gelcoat will come back and look the day it did out of the factory after a coat of wax is applied
Amazing!!!!
So many different remidies for such a basic function. Lots of snake oil salesmen out there, it appears. All kidding aside. The most effective proven cure for a chalky boat is the time tested method of buffing compound and wax. 3M makes very good stuff. A good power buffer, some 3M marine compound and wax and your in business. Mind you, this is not the less labor intensive way of making your boat shine, but it is the best long term results. Just walk around a good busy boat yard. You won't find anyone using Island Girl, Poly-Glo, or the one that really humors me, acrycalic floor polish on any boats. You will see lots of buffing going on. Check it out.
So many different remidies for such a basic function. Lots of snake oil salesmen out there, it appears. All kidding aside. The most effective proven cure for a chalky boat is the time tested method of buffing compound and wax. 3M makes very good stuff. A good power buffer, some 3M marine compound and wax and your in business. Mind you, this is not the less labor intensive way of making your boat shine, but it is the best long term results. Just walk around a good busy boat yard. You won't find anyone using Island Girl, Poly-Glo, or the one that really humors me, acrycalic floor polish on any boats. You will see lots of buffing going on. Check it out.
buff buff buff
I used a Mikita buffer with 3M pads and 3M Superduty buffing compound. At first I was a little nervous because the Superduty compound made the fiberglass look brown, but when I continued to buff the boat, a beautiful shine appeared and the chaulky look was gone. I used 3M pads that I ordered from a local dealer.
I used a Mikita buffer with 3M pads and 3M Superduty buffing compound. At first I was a little nervous because the Superduty compound made the fiberglass look brown, but when I continued to buff the boat, a beautiful shine appeared and the chaulky look was gone. I used 3M pads that I ordered from a local dealer.
Regardless of what
you do to the hull, you need to make sure it is clean! I would do the buffing with an agressive cleaning compound, followed by a fine white compound, I think when you see the results, you will decide to wax it. I suggest Collinite fleet wax, as it has done wonders for my 20 year old H34!
you do to the hull, you need to make sure it is clean! I would do the buffing with an agressive cleaning compound, followed by a fine white compound, I think when you see the results, you will decide to wax it. I suggest Collinite fleet wax, as it has done wonders for my 20 year old H34!
Colinite 885 paste
Once you get that Chalky gelcoat off. This according to Practical-Sailor.com.
Once you get that Chalky gelcoat off. This according to Practical-Sailor.com.
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