Quickie wax or do nothing - short on time

Apex · Jan 4, 2015

wax is your protective coating....

....and if you read in Maine's post, the buff polish provides a smoother surface, which in turn helps reflect the suns energy more efficiently, which in turn makes the wax protectant last longer.

Anonymous 121765 · Jan 4, 2015

Scher,

Just last week, I took my electric pressure washer & with the low pressure nozzle, really cleaned my topsides. The pressure spray wasn't enough to hurt my epoxied paint. I still have to paint the cockpit but, what a difference in the fiberglass. No more off-color or oxidation, now it's ready for a coat of sealer/wax.

Hitting an area, it turned bright white & I couldn't believe the difference between the clean area as opposed to the slight sepia look glass yet to be done. My boat neighbor did the same using my pressure washer. He also did his hull, both sides. All of this done while at the dock. I have the Husky 2000 & use it for everything including my vinyl siding, walkways, car. you name it, two wands w/three different pressure nozzles. It was very affordable & I couldn't justify a gas powered washer (too strong). Using the washer, it really cuts down on cleaning time & elbow grease.

In the next week, I will clean my main in place by hoisting it sections at a time & washing from both sides, I've done this a few times before with NO problems. You'd be surprised how you can control what pressure to use by just keeping a distance from nozzle to whatever your spraying.

So, don't worry about splashing your boat back in in the water, you can do the rest of the cleaning right at the dock. Hell, I may even use it to whiten my teeth.

CR

njlarry · Jan 4, 2015

Capt Ron, sounds like a good idea for cleaning bird cap off the decks. Do you use any cleaning solutions with it or just plain water?

seadaddler · Jan 4, 2015

3M Wax/Cleaner

I have a sailboat friend who always uses 3M Wax/Cleaner on his boat
and does it all by hand and his boat is 30 years old and looks so new.
He goes over it after Wax/Cleaner with a 3M wax and looks so good
maybe not that great high gloss look but for a 30 year old boat looks
real good.
Nick

Anonymous 121765 · Jan 4, 2015

NJ,

This is what's KOOL. I don't have to use a cleaner or any elbow grease.

CR

njlarry · Jan 4, 2015

SOLD!

Sumner · Jan 4, 2015

This fall with the Mac I removed the oxidation with a Makita 9227 and a black pad using Presta Ultra Cutting Creme. It is aggressive so be careful around edges.

Next I went straight to Presta's Marine UV Creme Wax and really like it. I'd also used it on the Endeavour previously.

http://www.prestaproducts.com/Marine_UV_Creme_Wax-details.aspx

The wax is super easy to use. Wipe on and then off and that is it. Don't even have to use the buffer on it.

It is hard to get a good picture showing the gloss but you can kind of see by the reflection of the ladder. I didn't wax the very bottom of the hull just above the bottom paint as I want to paint a boot strip on when I get to Florida. When I started the boat was a chalky white and the wide black strip was heavily faded. I really thought I was going to probably start by sanding with a very fine paper. The Endeavour hull was even worst looking and I used Presta's Super Cut on it but it is really aggressive so you have to be careful and then go another step before the polish. I dreaded doing this job but it really wasn't bad using a Makita polisher/sander for the oxidation removal (not needed for the wax)...

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-7...FgJh4Xvhz_oAdiMJIaAiZe8P8HAQ#customer_reviews

Sumner
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RichH · Jan 4, 2015

Meguiars 'spray-on' QUICK WAX ... its a mix of Brazillian Carnauba wax, etc., goes on fast, drys fast, easily 'lightly' hand buffed with a micro-fiber polishing cloth. Apply but dont remove it by 'hard buffing' and it will last MUCH longer ... just like any other 'wax'.

http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-A161...UTF8&qid=1420388363&sr=1-3&keywords=quick+wax

agprice22 · Jan 4, 2015

You might consider using Acrylic coating. If there is a lot of staining or oxydization, you could sand first with 600 then 1200. Appying the acrylic takes a few minutes. It will coat the boat with a water resistant, UV resistant, scuff resistant layer. I have used ProForm floor finish on my boats for a few seasons now, and the results are excellent: tough finish, no yellowing or peeling, water resistant... I will definitely keep using it.

Literally takes a few minutes to wipe on. Use a fine cloth barely dampened with the acrylic. Wipe on all the way around the hull. Keep circling the hull. By the time you finish one coat, it is dry at the beginning. Keep coating til it looks like you want it to look. You can remove the acrylic with a 1200 sandpaper or a scotchbrite and soap.

I just lightly scrub it and recoat before the season. The coating lasts for years.

Thanks,

Andrew

Anonymous 121765 · Jan 4, 2015

AG,

Why would you want to sand your gelcoat or fiberglass? Just like with teak, sanding only removes layers/wood. Older boats have already lost alot of their gelcoat. If so, then your taking the color coat down. This is where certain chemicals may come into play. My pressure washer removed my stains so, sanding should be your last choice, not the first.

If you want to strip your wood, Snappy Teak for me works the best. A two-part stripper & your wood will look like sandlewood. A light fine sandpapering to knock down the pulp hairs & to smooth rough areas & you're ready to varnish or oil. Work smart, not hard.

CR

Scott B · Jan 4, 2015

captnron said:
AG,

Why would you want to sand your gelcoat or fiberglass? Just like with teak, sanding only removes layers/wood. Older boats have already lost alot of their gelcoat. If so, then your taking the color coat down. This is where certain chemicals may come into play. My pressure washer removed my stains so, sanding should be your last choice, not the first.

CR

Step #2

http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=117266&#post706131

Anonymous 121765 · Jan 4, 2015

Scott,

Our boats will never adorn the cover of Home & Garden Magazine. I am of the thought that sailing the boat is the main reason why we have the boat, deck maintenance is what we do for self-pride and/or for folks to say. "Nice boat man, I see you keep it up nicely."

But, if you would rather go by step# 2, that's also fine, because there's never only one way to do something. Choices & opinions differ, that's why I like this site man.

CR

HukilauMike · Jan 4, 2015

I'm like you; I don't want to spend a lot of time trying to get a great shine. I have limited time and I'd rather be sailing. My boat is older and the gelcoat is oxidizing a bit, and my main goal is protect what's left, not make her look new.

I've tried the one step compound/wax products; and I've compounded, then waxed. However, I tried a new method last spring based on a recommendation from someone I met at the Defender Spring Sale. This new method produced the best looking and longest lasting results for me.

I remove last year's wax and dirt with Interlux 202. This is a solvent that wipes on and off easily with paper towels. No fuss, no elbow grease. Takes about 15 minutes to do the entire 23 feet (both sides) of my boat. Then I use a cheapo random orbital buffer to apply a high quality liquid marine wax. I hand buff it off with microfiber towels. Defender had the Scotchguard brand of wax on sale, so I tried that. The shine and waterbeading held up for the entire summer. The entire operation from start to finish took less than two hours.

I am sure that if I used Maine Sail's method (which I printed out a few years ago), my boat would shine like the sun. However, I really don't want to go to all of that trouble myself, nor do I want to pay someone to do it for me. I'm fine with the results I get now.

uncledom · Jan 4, 2015

http://hullkote.com/hullkote/

Big boys just rub this on their hulls and go. Pop the boat out and reapply, no bottom paint. This is the anti-foul, go go juice of choice. If only I could afford all the haul outs. I do use it on my sides.

Sailm8 · Jan 4, 2015

I would do nothing if you are really going to pull it in 2 months. You are just making more work adding wax now that needs to be removed in 2 months. But then again, I'm basically a lazy SOB and avoid work to go sailing whenever I can.

HukilauMike · Jan 4, 2015

uncledom said:
http://hullkote.com/hullkote/

Big boys just rub this on their hulls and go. Pop the boat out and reapply, no bottom paint. This is the anti-foul, go go juice of choice. If only I could afford all the haul outs. I do use it on my sides.

how much does it cost?

uncledom · Jan 5, 2015

HukilauMike said:
how much does it cost?

39.99 @ West Marine but you can find it a bit cheaper online.

http://www.boatersplus.com/mclube-h...4&cadevice=t&gclid=CMDT3fX0_MICFZPm7Aodul4A8Q

$28

st nick · Jan 5, 2015

HONEST i use ISLAND GIRL PRODUCTS on my Morgan 384 I'm in Clearwater FLA . its clear no buffing lasts a year ( beads water) no buffing all clear liquid. no buffers at all.
See their web site "Island Girl.com " . Its not cheep but i can tell you from real
this stuff works.
The owner is a Chem engine living on a sailboat in Hawaii ! He sure knows what hes doing..
This is not a poly glow type of product at all. !
Every one remarks that Wind Rose looks new she is 1982 ! Lee Nicholas

VF84Sluggo · Feb 4, 2015

I checked out Island Girl. Sounds like it really works well. How is it applied? Do you just wipe it on and that's it?

I'm really interested, especially since there seems to be no buffing. That's the part I really dislike!