WAX ON or WAX OFF ?

[fred miller]

I'm about ready to lay up the boat on the hard for the season. I read a piece about waxing the hull in the Fall and not buffing it off until launch time in the Spring. The author claims it protects the gelcoat over winter and lets the wax "bond" to the surface better than an immediate buff off does.Is there any truth to this ? I would think that by leaving on the wax and not buffing [I use a paste wax] it would be a "impossible" to buff off in the Spring.Is there any truth to the value of leaving the wax in its hazed form sit over the winter . .am I going to need a chisel to get it off in the Spring?Any commentsFred MillerM Squared

 

[Don Berger]

I tried this once

It may depend upon what type wax you use. In my case, I put Collinite paste on the deck and hull and when I tried removing it in the spring, it left swirl marks which were very difficult to remove. Maybe a liquid wax would behave differently.DonIllusion

 

[Bill Leathen]

Pure Caruba wax

Years ago I could get a "pure caruba" wax (a yellow paste wax - no rubbing compound at all), that I could put on in the fall before I put the boat to bed, and then rub off in the spring. It did work. The can indicated that it would not be a problem and it wasn't. Of course in the spring I still put on a fresh coat of wax even though the old wax had been there for 5 months. I have not been able to find this wax in the past 3 years. I would not try this with any wax until I have read the instructions where it will tell you if you have to take the wax off right away or not. Now I just give the boat a coat of wax and take it off just as if I were about to launch it in the spring. I suspect the neighbors think I am nuts, but I believe it makes spring cleaning easier, and it gives you a chance to examine the hull for any unknown dings over the season.Bill Leathen Hunter 23 sailor