Island Girl v Poli-Glow

[Steve Dion]

IG Pink will remove the IG non-skid sealant

I know, I know, the instructions are not the best. But you can either read the directions or call Jim Willis.The Island Girl Pink will remove the non-skid sealant.

 

[Tom S]

Steve D. Yes, but not as well as it should

I too have had the IG non-skid protector turn into a dirt mangnet (this was on the very fine non-skid - not the big diamond pattern)I had contacted Jim W and I even tried his special IG pink to remove it in the tiny crevices, but it was next to impossible to get everything out.I am basically happy with the IG Pink and regular sealant protector though.

 

[Neil Brand]

Isd;and Girl aWaste

I agree with Jeff D. Island Girl was a waste of my time and money. Also the directions are very poorly written. save your money

 

[Ted]

Talking about I.G. vs. PoliGlow . . .

. . . is almost as fun as talking about water ballast vs. traditional ballast.Anyways - it's PoliGlow for me. I plan on recoating my boat this spring, having done the original PoliGlow in 1999.

 

[john]

I am thinking of doing my 27' cherubini this

spring. Will one kit do it? I am not doing the anti-skid surfaces. They show 7 coats their web site. Did you put that many on?

 

[Duane Maher]

Used IG for Years

I have used IG for 5 years. You can say I have grown up with Jim’s products. Here is my take on his products.For me they simply work. Attached is a photo of my boat after applying 2 thin coats of Mirror Hard. After a season of use and winter storage the boat is dirty but it still shines and water beads up. To renew for the coming season, I simply wash with a strong diluted Pink and reapply Mirror Hard. I use a Black and Decker Scum Buster and it take only one day, wash in the morning and apply Mirror Hard in the afternoon.Pink – The best cleaning product out there. I use it for my boat, house and car. I have not bought any other cleaners in years. I have gotten my whole end of the dock using Pink and other IG products. The problem is most folks don’t realize that you only need a little Pink to go a long way. Also folks think because it does not foam it is not working. I even use Pink on my carpet to clean up cat throw-up. The key is using plenty of water to rinse.Basically the above are the two main products I use for my fiberglass boat.I used Sea Glow Cleaner on my lifelines followed with SikenSeal. Have you every try cleaning lifelines and plastic vents? How about the fenders. You should try it. Call Island Girl and they will send you a small sample. It is truly amazing.I use Crystal Clear on my Dingy every year along with SilkenSeal and my Dingy still looks great, even though it is 20 years old.To be balanced. I did have problems with the Non Skid sealant. It did attract dirt. Island Girl said I got a bad batch. In any case I removed it with 3M’s Adhesive remover. That is what Boat builders and dealers use to clean their boats. And now I just clean the decks with Pink.If you want any more info email me at duane@maher.name

 

[Peter]

IG vs others

All I know is that I used IG and was disappointed overall. I found 3M worked better and costs about $100 less. That's my take on it. I'm glad I didn't even try the non-skid sealer.Peter

 

[Terry]

Hi Jeff... it's terry in St. Thomas, VI

As I mentioned, Jim works very hard to continously improve his products. Perhaps you applied an early version, perhaps you didn't read the instructions and applied it to thick. If you were unhappy, it might have been better to contact Jim and work through your problem rather than being negative.My long time experience with Jim has been positive and that's the reason I distribute Island Girl Products. They work and if you do have a problem you can always talk with Jim to work through the situation. Question for you... Can you speak directly to the owner of 3M Products, StarBright Products, Colinite Products, etc. and have them personally help you solve your application problem? NO! You can't. Jim has been there for me from novice stage to professional stage. He has a system that works.Jim and I have talked about it many times... MOST PEOPLE DON'T READ INSTRUCTIONS. It's human nature. And, the few IG ccustomers who are dissatisfied with their results when questioned, admit that they didn't follow the instructions. Jim has been diligent about updating his instructions and making them better understood; as well as improving his products. It's impossibe to make everyone happy... and Jim Willis knows that. So, if you aren't happy, 1st call him, then if you can't resolve the problem return the product.Jeff, take it from someone who knows, IG Products work and Jim Willis is always there to help you with a problem. Jeff... this is a big world we live in. Globally, from North to South and East to West there are absolutely varying conditions. How can one product work in all conditions, all the time? That's why I belive in Jim and IG Products! He's there to help his customers work through the conditions they live in.Call me at 340 776 2585 if I can help.Best regards,Terry

 

[Tom S]

Ok Terry -- I'll bite

"applied an early version "Possibly - I think Jim W informed me 'after the fact' that it was either a bad batch or a new formula -- I still have one side (the one I practiced on with IG Non-skid) of my fine non-skid looking dirtier than the other -- Do you want to come by and clean it for me? You are more than welcome, I've already wasted **way** to much time trying to clean it. And that includes using Jims "special IG Pink" cleaner."perhaps you didn't read the instructions and applied it to thick"Nope -- I took an extraordinarily long time making **sure** I applied it correctly (BTW much longer than I **ever** would have to have to figure out for a traditional product) . "Question for you... Can you speak directly to the owner of 3M Products, StarBright Products, Colinite Products, etc. and have them personally help you solve your application problem?"No -- But then again **** I NEVER had to **** The products go and work as expected, no need for a chemical engineering degree to figure out application .Plus if I had an issue with any of those companies most have a toll free number to call and if I wasn't happy I could return it for a refund - but as mentioned before they are much more fool proof."Jim and I have talked about it many times... MOST PEOPLE DON'T READ INSTRUCTIONS. It's human nature. And, the few IG customers who are dissatisfied with their results when questioned, admit that they didn't follow the instructions. Jim has been diligent about updating his instructions and making them better understood; as well as improving his products. "Nope -- Not always & thats the problem --- WAY too complicated -- washing the boat and then a good wax seems to have the same results and MUCH simpler."take it from someone who knows, IG Products work and Jim Willis is always there to help you with a problem."I believe that, but I don't have the Time nor Energy nor Effort to want to have to contact Jim. I just want my damn wax/sealant or product to **work** and go on and not cause me headaches. Tradional products like wax's etc have never done that to me -- KISSTerry --- You asked for it -- You just did a disservice to IG Products and Jim. I wasn't going to knock his products - and like I said earlier- some of them have merit --, but I felt it important to respond.Bottom line if you have a PAINTED boat and its fading and looking old, I think Jim W's products have a lot of merit to rejuvenating the look. But for general Gel Coat in ok condition I think a good wash and wax is just as good -- lasts just as long -- is much cheaper and you don't need a PHD to apply it.

 

[Jeff D]

No need for insults.

I think Tom S responded appropriately and I have little to add other than when I purchased my kit from Mr. Willis, it was very late in arriving. After speaking to him, he indicated that he was having trouble getting ingredients at the time and there were some formulation changes. He even offered to throw in some additional product, which he never did, but that is neither here nor there. That was two years ago. Even in his own earlier post, Mr. Willis indicated problems with the non-skid product which I believe should not have been distributed when it was not fully developed. He also indicated problems with black soot. Perhaps his product is better now, but I will use other options. Given the number of similar complaints and the fact that there are constant changes to the products one has to wonder about the consistency of the products formulation and quality controlYes, I absolutely read his instructions and even suggested to Mr. Willis at the time, via e-mail, that he put them into a simple flow chart. So you can see I had been in contact with Mr. Willis at least twice, once to find out where my order was and the second to complain about the exhaust soot on the transom which never was a problem when using wax. This weekend I am finally going after it with a stronger rubbing compound.

 

[Dan]

vendors? distributors?

am I wrong in thinking that this was for non-commerical use???

 

[Mike Pilolla]

IG and PoliGlow Experience

I've been using IG on my 450 since about 10 months after I purchased her in 2000. I decided to try the product because I had just sold a 37.5 whose gel-coat had done what most boats will do when neglected, dull and chalky. I had been the 3rd owner, and too late to do any preventative maintenance. Last year I went to a Hunter dealer open house just after doing my cleaning and application of IG for the season. I swear the finish was better than the brand new Hunters on display. With the exception of a few minor problems, due to my own inexperience with the products, I've had great results. It's one of the few products on the market that really does what it says. I always had problems with diesel soot buildup on the transom of my 450 until I started using IG. The life lines continue to look new, snowy white and shiney, the blue boot stripe and her name comtinue to look new. She's always much easier to clean, especially after our winters in Baltimore. We live aboard and the "city" seems to settle all the soot onto our decks from late November until April and there is no water available to clean decks. The first year I had to clean the decks after the winter is what motivated me to try IG, to try and minimize the effects and make it easier to clean. I guess the best testimony to it's effectiveness is that I'm still using it and will continue to.Hope this is helpful.

 

[Phil Herring]

Dan, RE: vendors and distributors

Because Terry is in the Caribbean and most of our owners are in the US and Canada, I'm not too concerned that he's using the forum for commercial gain.He also has some insight on the use of the products that I thought might be beneficial.That said, if you have reason to believe those or any other posts are here for commercial puposes please ocntact me offline at phil (at) sailboatowners.com. Thanks!

 

[Bill18593]

Will test the latest non-skid

Last fall I bought a h25.5 that probably never saw any gelcoat maintenance. Before the midwest weather turned too cold, I scrubbed every square inch above the waterline with PoliPrep and did the hull topsides with PolyGlow. Awesome results. Hull topsides look new. Everybody who saw the before and after is amazed at the difference. So am I.I knew better than to use PolyGlow in the cockpit or on the deck (very slippery when wet) so last week I ordered some IG Pink and Non-skid Sealer. I was just called by a customer service rep from (I think) this site to make sure Jim had the age of my boat (??) to give me the correct formulation. (Really!??)So I will get the "kit" in a week or two and will try the non-skid. I'll report back what I discover and how the application went.To keep the playing field level....I always read the directions several times before I ever start a project. I'll certainly do so with this one. Since I don't want to redo the work, I'll take my time and try to do it right on the first attempt.

 

[patrick]

chalk

Okay, I've gotten the distinct impression that poly is the favorite, but what would it do for me...I have recently acquired 1978 H25 with a white(ish) unpainted gelcoat that you would swear was coated with baby powder if you touch it. We're talking NO wax, ever! What, if anything could I expect from this product? Also, How much will I need to invest to do the job(waterline to deck)? I'd love to hear from someone who had a similar situation. Thanks for any info.

 

[Bill18593]

Previous post (to patrick)

See my previous post. It sounds like there is fairly serious chaulking of the gelcoat. That's what I had.My suggestion (and the results of tests documented in Practical Sailor) is to scrub entire the boat with PoliPrep, then treat the hull topsides with PoliGlow. Don't use PolyGlow on the deck or cockpit. It gets too slippery when wet.Regardless of the product you choose to use, take your time and VERY CAREFULLY read the directions for use before you even place your order. Using the Poliglow kit, if you scrub the entire exterior of the boat above the waterline and treat the hull topsides, will take about half a day.The PolyGlow kit will provide enough material to do the job twice for a H25.I have not tried other products.

 

[Steve]

Bill, do yourself a favor.....

....and only test a small portion of your non-skid. Don't do like I did, and many of the posters on this board and treat all of your non-skid. Within 3 or 4 months - following directions or not - you WILL be regretting using the non-skid. Put it only on as much of your non-skid as you want to have to scrub back off. You'll thank me and the rest on this board by July - trust me.

 

[Tim]

Poliglow after IG

This time last year I applied multiple coats of IG to my topsides. This year I plan on using Poliglow. Has this been long enough for the IG to wear off or do I need a special product to remove it? I can tell you I lost the gloss of the IG midway through last season and the hull now looks as it did last year at this time.Tim R

 

[Lionel]

in what stores ???????

I d like to try IG or Poli Glow but where can I buy ?? Was not at WM or Boat US Thanks

 

[Phil Herring]

Well... here

You can get Island girl in the chandlery of this site, under Boat Care.We don't carry Poliglow but we do have NewGlass II, which is almost exactly the same thing, and also highly rated by Practical Sailor.See link below.