With the season approaching and time at a premium I have been tempted to try Collinite 870, a one step, cleaner/wax. My time to work on my boat is limited and I thought this would be an option. I had planned to use Collinite 885 fleet wax but am tempted to try the Collinite 870. Any opinions on the 870 compared to the 885?
wax opinion
- Thread starter Mike8193
- Start date
- Status
Don't use combo cleaner/waxes...they're really not effective IMHO. Read Maine Sail's post on waxing and polishing if you want to know how to do it right.
WAX
When my 07 H-36 was brand new I gave it the Main sail treatment it it was great and kept it's shine real good and easy to keep clean.
Now four season's later and retired and living in Florida you would think I could do it again, which it is alot of work main's sail treatment but it is worth it if you have the time and energy,do to bad back problems I had to take the shorter way and used coolinite straight fiberglass cleaner and than 885 wax,guess what it din't last as long.
Just had some spaces put in my back X-Stop it's called and so far after 2 weeks feeling better and waiting to see the surgen for the go ahead to clean and wax and go sailing.
Do what you can for at least some kind of protection,you get what you give it is for sure.
Nick
When my 07 H-36 was brand new I gave it the Main sail treatment it it was great and kept it's shine real good and easy to keep clean.
Now four season's later and retired and living in Florida you would think I could do it again, which it is alot of work main's sail treatment but it is worth it if you have the time and energy,do to bad back problems I had to take the shorter way and used coolinite straight fiberglass cleaner and than 885 wax,guess what it din't last as long.
Just had some spaces put in my back X-Stop it's called and so far after 2 weeks feeling better and waiting to see the surgen for the go ahead to clean and wax and go sailing.
Do what you can for at least some kind of protection,you get what you give it is for sure.
Nick
Don't have time? Then...
...invest some time cleaning and polishing your boat then skip the wax and Poliglow it. Five coats the first year, but they go on fast, like waxing your kitchen floor. The prep work is the key though, as whatever you don't remove you seal in and look at for the next 5-10 years LOL. After the first year you just remove any black marks or streaks with a white nylon scotchbrite pad, wash the hull and then apply 2-3 maintenance coats. Takes about 2 hours total for a 30 footer.
This spring I had yet another person come up to me and say he hadn't seen me around while he was polishing / waxing his boat, (which was a Pearson 303 some 8 years newer than mine) but was wondering what polish I used to get my boat looking so much better than his and whether I had snuck in at night in March to do it. When I told him he was looking at poliglow and I hadn't touched it since last season his jaw dropped to the pavement.
A great polish and wax job may look better, but if you don't have time (I don't) then spending about 2 hours and $30/season on Poliglow is worth its weight in gold. The only down side is that at some point it becomes time to strip it down, polish it and recoat it 5X again and although there are specialized products to do it with, it can be fun from what I understand. I haven't done it yet and from what I can tell my boat has been in poliglow for over five years and perhaps as long as ten. It just depends how anal your are about even your poliglow finish. In my case the tape stripes that are on the hull have had it and it doesn't make sense to renew them without stripping the hull of poliglow to apply them properly. I'll certainly be honest with my opinion after I go through stripping it when I do so.
I have attached a larger photo of my boat (also my Avatar photo) after two maintenance coats (not three, as I was in a hurry) two years ago. Note the reflections visible in the hull, especially the fenders in the photo in the water. I have no connection to Poliglow whatsoever...just trying to spread the good word to other hard working souls who can't find the time like me.
...invest some time cleaning and polishing your boat then skip the wax and Poliglow it. Five coats the first year, but they go on fast, like waxing your kitchen floor. The prep work is the key though, as whatever you don't remove you seal in and look at for the next 5-10 years LOL. After the first year you just remove any black marks or streaks with a white nylon scotchbrite pad, wash the hull and then apply 2-3 maintenance coats. Takes about 2 hours total for a 30 footer.
This spring I had yet another person come up to me and say he hadn't seen me around while he was polishing / waxing his boat, (which was a Pearson 303 some 8 years newer than mine) but was wondering what polish I used to get my boat looking so much better than his and whether I had snuck in at night in March to do it. When I told him he was looking at poliglow and I hadn't touched it since last season his jaw dropped to the pavement.
A great polish and wax job may look better, but if you don't have time (I don't) then spending about 2 hours and $30/season on Poliglow is worth its weight in gold. The only down side is that at some point it becomes time to strip it down, polish it and recoat it 5X again and although there are specialized products to do it with, it can be fun from what I understand. I haven't done it yet and from what I can tell my boat has been in poliglow for over five years and perhaps as long as ten. It just depends how anal your are about even your poliglow finish. In my case the tape stripes that are on the hull have had it and it doesn't make sense to renew them without stripping the hull of poliglow to apply them properly. I'll certainly be honest with my opinion after I go through stripping it when I do so.
I have attached a larger photo of my boat (also my Avatar photo) after two maintenance coats (not three, as I was in a hurry) two years ago. Note the reflections visible in the hull, especially the fenders in the photo in the water. I have no connection to Poliglow whatsoever...just trying to spread the good word to other hard working souls who can't find the time like me.
Attachments
Allow me to echo the PoliGlow recommendation. The ONLY product of any kind that does exactly what it says it does. Makes my '74 Pearson shine like it were an '04. I'll never wax and buff again (neither will the 15 or so people in the yard who've stopped to ask 'what the hell is that?')
I was not impressed with Collinite 885 Fleetwax ...
I spent a lot of time doing all the prep work to get a great finish and thought it was going to be great all season with two applications of wax. I did this for 2 seasons. First of all, applying that stuff was a PIA. Secondly, it hardly took any time at all before dirt was embedding into the wax and looking grimier than if I didn't even have wax. The only way to get rid of the embedded grime, especially around the stern and the exhaust port, was to scrub with an abrasive pad, which only makes it worse in the long run.
I tried Maquires paste wax this year. I'm hoping for better results but if I get the same, I will be ready for poliglow. Something tells me that an acrylic finish which does not allow embedded grime will be the way to go.
BTW, I don't think you will do any better with a combo wax.
I spent a lot of time doing all the prep work to get a great finish and thought it was going to be great all season with two applications of wax. I did this for 2 seasons. First of all, applying that stuff was a PIA. Secondly, it hardly took any time at all before dirt was embedding into the wax and looking grimier than if I didn't even have wax. The only way to get rid of the embedded grime, especially around the stern and the exhaust port, was to scrub with an abrasive pad, which only makes it worse in the long run.
I tried Maquires paste wax this year. I'm hoping for better results but if I get the same, I will be ready for poliglow. Something tells me that an acrylic finish which does not allow embedded grime will be the way to go.
BTW, I don't think you will do any better with a combo wax.
I've found through years of experience that the Collinite 870 is preferable to the ubiquitous 925 that many use.
The latter is yellow in the container and over time, shows it's color especially as it ages. The 870 starts out white and stays that way with the added benefit of a mild cleaner component which is not abrasive.
The latter is yellow in the container and over time, shows it's color especially as it ages. The 870 starts out white and stays that way with the added benefit of a mild cleaner component which is not abrasive.
Practical Sailor has now, not once, but twice, rated Collinite #885 at the tops tops for longevity and appearance for paste waxes. One can will last you years!
- Status