Island Girl v Poli-Glow

[Tom S]

Hey Lionel - Buy it right here on Sailboater.com

Support your local Sailing Bulletin board sponsored by Phil H.http://shop.catalinaowners.com/category.tpl?fno=20&cart=3289296689181044&category=3

 

[Terry]

Tim, you might try this before...

you switch. If you have any Island Girl Pink, use about 2 1/2 capfulls in 3 gallons of water.Wash your boat and rinse well. If you purchased an kit that included SilkenSeal, spritz it on and wipe with a paper towel. You should see the shine coming back. (the gelcoat on my 1984 sailboat, Osprey beads water after 14 months, even here in St. Thomas) Apply your wax again and you should have the look you want. When applying the wax, it's easy to overapply it. A little goes a long way. I use 2"x2" pieces of terry towel as the applicator. As you apply the wax, use circular motions and look down the side of your hull. If you see light areas, go over it again. I do a 4'x4' area at a time and have found it works much better that working from one end to the other. After hull or topside is waxed, take a terry towel and very very lightly, buff the hull in a circular motion. This is my opinion, and I certainly don't want to offend anyone but, the people who really like Island Girl Products look at the product line as a system. If you want to purchase just one bottle of 'something.' IG may not be the what you want. However, if you have an older boat and want to make it beautiful again, the IG products work... and they last. I personally like the products, have used them on my boat for over five years, and quite frankly I became the IG Caribbean Distributor because a catamaran charter captain tried them and liked them. He recommended them to another captain and I purchsed and filled his order, so on.I have applied the IG system of products to old, severly oxidized and pitted boats, new, and everything in between in terms of condition. Pink is a fantastic cleanser. use it in the bilge or on deck. SeaGlow will not only remove all oxidation on any gelcoat hull, it removes surface rust, it cleans lifelines, water hoses, viny seats, headliners and powercords and fenders, cowls etc. Sea Glow will make any hypolon dinghy look practically new again. I've cleaned Cigarette's and Donzis' white interiors to look new again. Listen Guy's and Gals, I didn't come on this sight to make any enemies. I came here because Poly Glow might make some boat owners happy, but not as well as properly applied IG; it's a fact... the IG products are so much more versitle. In the long run, over a year or two, you'll save a lot of money when you use the I/G system. Just look in your lazarette or under the sink, in your garage or trunk... you'll find all sorts of products that you have stood in the West Marine or other boat store aisle staring at labels and spending a lok of time trying to buy the one products that will do it all for you. You can't do it. On the other hand, if you love your boat, you can purchase IG products directly from this website in kit form. Learning the use and application may take just a little longer, but you'll have your boat looking it's finest, soon.If you have any further questions, call me at 340-998-4715.Best Regards,Terry HudsonIsland Girl Products- Caribbean

 

[Terry]

RE: chalk

I just finished a 43' Albin trawler in the same condition. I first washed it with IG Pink that removed much of the chalkiness, however when I applied the IG Sea Glow to remove the built up oxidation, it pretty much turned into a chalky paste/mess. Here's what I did to solve the problem. I made a somewhat stonger solution of the IG Pink; about a 25% product to water mixture. Using a very fime 3M scothpad, I washed the boat again. This time I was able to remove the chaulk to where you would not have chaulk on your fingers when you rubbed it.I then used the IG SeaGlow with a fresh dry pad as directed (per, application instructions.) There is know way you are going to get that kind of gelcoat finish to look new again but, it looks very nice. After the SeaGlow application, I applied the SilkenSeal to help fill some of the pitts and and uv protection to it. Then I spayed the area I was working with the IG catalyst and applied IG Simply Brilliant. The results were good but not great due to the poor condition of the original 1979 gelcoat. The gelcoat is sealed and protected and will last for a year or more without chalking.Terry Hudson

 

[Lionel]

Instructions

OK for new glass but there is no indication of quanties / surface done !I have a 41 ft boat How many quarts do you recommend that I order ??Thanks

 

[Duane Maher]

Still using the Same Bottle of Mirror Hard

I have used one bottle of Mirror Hard for two seasons on my 1999 38-foot Catalina. Still have some left. I did the topsides, deck and cockpit area, and all the smooth area. Terry has the right idea to do small areas at a time. If you miss a spot or it wears away, it is simple to go back and redo it. I prefer the Mirror Hard to Simply Brilliant because MH has less wax than SB.On older boats I have seen folks use heavily diluted and in some cases straight Pink with a 3m 000 scuff pad to remove stains and chalk. Restore with Sea Glow. Sea Glow will not only treat the gel coat but also restore color. The gel coat should be very clean and smooth to touch (I think one bottle would be more than enough for a 40 ft) Then the trick is to fill in with a couple of coats of SilkenSeal before applying Mirror Hard. At this point the old boats are like new and do what I do on mine. Wash with Pink, than apply a coat of Mirror Hard once a season to renew. Of course for the stubborn stains, hit with Pink and 000 scuff pad.It is a system, and at first seems expensive, but in the long run it works better for me, than other systems.

 

[tom b.]

ok .. i'll give it another try

i use the ig system over a year and a half ago when i first bought my boat. a 74 c22.It was very chalky and needed some attention. I'm very anal about following instructions so we won't go there. IG did get my boat looking alot cleaner than using wax,ie, cleaners or whatever else I tried. No I didn't keep applying things over different things. Just tried them in small spots to see what would happen.. Using the IG system, my boat did look better,but,there were alot of places that didn't really look like I did anything.Was I using the 000 pad to hard and leaving scratches behind..that was another problem. z

 

[Terry]

Tom, more than likely...

the results you described come from the gelcoat being very porus and the wax was just absorbed.Clean your boat really well, but before you apply the wax make sure you use the SilkenSeal and the IG catlyst. If you don't have any, you can purchase from this site. The catlyst, will seal your porus areas and keep the wax "on top" of your gelcoat.Terry

 

[Bill18593]

IG seems to have more curves

than pitcher's camp at spring training.So what's the story? If the boat has well-worn / porus gelcoat, it needs SilkenSeal and IG catalyst before I put down Non-Skid Sealer? Am I reading this correctly?If so, then this seems a contradiction to the "published" information and the info provided by Mr. Willis a couple of days ago.Can you be REALLY specific about what is needed and how it is to be applied? This is going on deck and cockpit.

 

[r.w.landau]

Jim Willis, contact him.

Island girl products were developed by Dr. Jim Willis. Yes, the directions are (were) difficult to understand. The products are great. Jim Willis can explain what you need to know about his product in a short period of time.I think the biggest problem with Island Girl is a misunderstanding of directions. Three months ago Jim was working on this. One of the problems is that the products are so versitile that a common set of directions would rule out all it's other uses. The other major problem is user misuse. Terry already spelled that out. With Island Girl, more is not better. The build up will collect extra dirt.Yes, there are problems with the product. If you have used Polyglow products first, it is a plastic film that is difficult to remove. It will look good for 4 or 5 years, then, try to remove it, about the time you are trying to sell your boat. Island Girl does not go over Polyglow very well. The same situation is true with someone that has used Penetrol products.Island Girl not only works on Fiberglass but vinyl, and many other synthetics. I showed it to a major Corian fabricator here in Pittsburgh and he called Jim and ordered some.If you buy some and don't understand the directions, there is an 800 number on the bottle. Jim has answered the phone both times I called him.Proper usage is the key to these products and getting off what was there before.The major bonus with this product is that it is renewable. Polyglow is a film, like penetrol or varnish, in a period of time say 4 to 5 years,that film yellows or peels. The nice thing about Island girl is that it is completely removable (with the IG pink)or can be touched-up with about as much or less effort as it was to put on in the first place.Island Girl needs to be redone once in a while.Your area will determine that ( 6 to 12 months). If it is kept up with, it is like a waxed car. It will look good and will need refreshed once in a while.(do not pile it on) sometimes a cleaning will bring it back. You can only put so much plastic film on something before it looks bad. This is my concern with Polyglow and Penetrol.r.w.landau

 

[Duane Maher]

Bill, do not put SilkenSeal on

your Non-Skid. It is not designed for that. SilkenSeal is used as a base on a very porous gelcoat and for quick touch ups. It can be very slipery for Non Skid.In restoring an old boat you would use a couple of coat of SilkenSeal, then Mirror Hard. Once you have done this it is easy to maintain.Mirror Hard is great for a new boats. Never have to use any abrasives.

 

[Terry]

Bill

Hi Bill, On older boats with deep porus gelcoat use these instructions...I think, in the past, that anyone who has used the Island Girl System of products may have had a little problem with the instructions. Jim has spent a lot of time to make using his Island Girl applications easier. If you love your boat and want superior results, you'll persist and get it right. The long term results are well worth it.If you have a well worn porus gelcoat finish, plus a molded non-skid deck, here's what you need to do: Wash everything really well with the IG Pink. Let dry by toweling it off or just walk away for lunch and come back. One of the most important aspects of a good detail, is to rinse really, really well.After that, use your '000' scotch pad to open the pores while using the Seal Glow to "deoxidize" your boats finish. Instead of using the cap applicater that comes with your shipment, I pour the SeaGLow into a spray bottle and wet a small section. I like to work a 4'x4' area and move on to the next. After you have applied the SeaGlow, wait a few minutes and wipe the previously coated area with white (non-colored) paper towels until they show no more grey oxidation. It's important to remove the all SeaGlow using a paper towel to absorb the oxidation. It's easy. OK, let's say you've done your entire hull. The next step is to apply the Silken Seal UV protectant/sealer. Make sure you cover all areas well. This is a very easy/effortless step. After, the SeaGlow, I would suggest that you purchase IG's new catlyst. This product will help seal older porus boats such as yours, and keep the wax from absorbing into the gelcoat. I do the same 4'x4' area with the catlyst and then apply the thicker IG Simply Brilliant Super Wax. It may take two coats for your boat. I cut a clean, old towel into approx. 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" pads. Pour six to seven drops of the wax on the pad and start, using a circular motion. Look down your hull and look for white or dull looking areas. These are 'spots' you missed or are very absorbant porus gelcoat. Just mist the area very slightly with the catlyst and reapply the wax. Ok, one more quick and easy step. Remove the excess wax with a clean dry terry towel by lightly buffing. Do not rub hard.I know all these instructions sound like you will be there all day and the next but, truthfully, you sould be able to do your 22' boat in about five hours. It goes pretty fast one you get started. Repeat the same process for your topsides, cockpit area.Now for the non-skid. Again, it has to be clean and if you are doing this in a boatyard, there will be dust that has settled on your boat's topsides. I suggest that you simply wipe it down with one of the IG Ultra Microfiber chamois/towels (absolutely the very best "rag, towel, chamois" you can own. To apply the non-skid, I use a spray bottle that has a fine mist setting. Lightl spray an area about 3 feet square, and use a bristle brush in a circular, up and down motion. You want to make sure you get an even coverage without making it a thick application. I've found it works better if you take scissors and cut the 1" bristles down to 1/2" to make for a stiffer brush. Once finished, wait about :30 minutes... then hose all covered areas off using a soft spray setting on your water nozzle. Walk away and forget it for 24 hours. DO NOT wak on the non-skid application. You can apply the non-skid at the dock after your boat is out of the yard, if you choose.Hope this helps. One other thing. If you want you stanchions and lifelines to look really almost like new, use IG SeaGlow in the following manner. On your lifelines use the scotch pad with 4-5 drops of SeaGlow to remove the oxidation, and use paper towels to remove the oxidation. Use the SeaGlow on your stanchions to remove surface rust on older boats. On new boats don't use the scotch pad, use a cloth or tooth brush with the britsles cut short to remove the rust. Afterward, use SilkenSeal to coat your lifelines and the wax to coat your stanchions (be sure to buff the wax off the stanchions.)Hope this helps to get your old boat looking new again. You can also use the SeaGlow and a scotchpad to clean white vinyl and then seal it with SilkSeal.Terry

 

[Bill18593]

Terry

I've already done the hull topsides with PoliGlow and I'm very satisfied.A friend of mine with H25.5 did his deck with IG non-skid sealer and he's satisfied. I'm going to do the deck and cockpit with the Non-Skid sealer. I have the sealer and a bottle of IG Pink on order.In the process of prepping for PoliGlow, I scrubbed (hard) the entire boat with PoliPrep to remove stains, chaulking gelcoat, a lot of dirt, grime and reminders that the birds are the real owners of boats. I cleaned everything above the waterline last fall and the boat was spotless. And chaulkless, and the birds lost their landmarks.With that in mind, do I really need to scrub the boat the same way with IG or do I just need to go over it to get the winter dirt off in prep for the Non-Skid Sealer?My basic understanding is that only one thin coat of non-skid should be applied. Is this correct or should I do a second coat after a few days / weeks of the first to complete the job?

 

[Terry]

Bill...

If you rub your gelcoat, do your fingers show a chalkiness? If it does, I would suggest washing the area you are going to treat with 'ooo' grade scotchpads and the IG Pink, you have on order. Just being outside, the sun keeps on working to create oxidation. If it were me and I hadn't used my boat over the winter, I would make sure it's really clean.I would say to treat your boat with one thin coat of the non-skid sealer.Terry