Great info! I use a 4000 psi pressure washer on my Whaler non skid decks, but always with a psi adjuster on the wand. Less than ten bucks and essential. Also, pull out the cushions first and stay away from the windshields.
Great question, Ruben! Here's another video that shows the process and some of the products we've found that work well: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-q02QKZXFQwQ.html If the oxidation is so bad that compounding won't remove it, you may need to add a wet/dry sanding step before compounding. Your best defense, though, is to rinse off your boat after use, regularly wash and remove stains, and keep up with the polishing. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
Matt Dun try NOT carnuba wax and go into the 21st century of polymer-based or nano-tech polishes that last years, not months/weeks. As a boat detailer, 1 time a year and done.
Great video- question: I'm in NY (boating in salt water) and my boat is stored inside a heated warehouse during the winter. I take very good care of the gelcoat finish during the boating season, but I noticed quite a bit of water spot staining on the hull after hauling out at the end of this season. After a light compounding with a DA machine, I then applied LIQUID wax (before watching this video). Based on your video, I would like to add a PASTE wax for more durability. Should I apply the paste wax over the liquid wax now, or do I have to use a light compound to remove the liquid wax first and then add the paste wax?
Interesting question! It actually depends to some degree on the wax. Some waxes have mild cleaners added, which will more or less strip away most of the liquid wax as you apply. Some others don't. This will have some level of effect, but most importantly, as the carnauba from the liquid wax degrades, the paste will go with it. So it's likely that adding paste over the liquid won't buy you much extra time. The general recommendation is always paste first, liquid second. All of that said, we wouldn't recommend using a compound to remove the old wax but instead, a good cleaner. Collonite, among others, makes a cleaner/wax remover just for this purpose. Then you can get a fresh start.
Try vinegar on a rag and wipe slowly to keep it wet and it will dissolve it, rinse off. I'm in fresh and very alkali water here and boat is black! Works very well and comes right off. I use to spend hours with wax and that didn't even get it all off! Not sure if it would work for salt but it's worth a try?
I bought a used 2007 Edegewater 205 Express that the previous owner apparently had bumped into a dock resulting in some minor spider cracks in the gelcoat. My plan is to use Shurehold's Buff Magic and then follow up with paste wax. Will that seal the spider cracks temporarily until I can regelcoat the damaged area.
Thanks for the question. Although it is hard to give a definitive answer without seeing the boat, the wax will offer some short-term protection. I’m assuming that the damage is above the waterline as the boat bumped the dock. However, if any cracking extends below the normal waterline, this can’t wait and should be attended to now. My worry is that often things that start out as a temporary fix end up being permanent, soI would strongly urge you to repair this type of damage as soon as practicable. If you do put a heavy coat of wax on, you will need to ensure that all traces of this are removed before attempting any repair as the wax will prevent the gelcoat from correctly adhering to the boat. If you need assistance for the repairs, we have several videos on gelcoat repair on our channel. They each describe different methods of repair.
I wet sanded my boat then used a 3m buffing compound with wax. Now it is too late to polish, correct? After a few months I should use paste wax then a finishing wax and I will be good for max protection.
Hi Steve. That's a tough one without knowing exactly which 3M product you used. If you buffed with a compound that included a wax, either stick with wax, or wait and/or wash it off before going to a polish. Hope this helps.
You may be right, but we always recommend checking with the manufacturer and using products designed specifically for its materials. If you want to give it a try anyway, spot test the vinegar/water mix in a hidden location, and if it works without causing any damage, great!
Thanks for the tip, Beor. While it's not for cleaning fiberglass, as is the focus of this video, it is appropriate for vinyl. Just use it very carefully as this product contains ingredients that can be deadly to marine life and ecosystems.
Thanks for your question. After compounding, the gelcoat is polished and is then followed by a wax to protect the surface and maintain the shine. I have had good luck with 3M's Finesse It for the polishing and Colinite boat wax for the final protective layer, both are available from retailers like West Marine.
I get the part about protecting the gelcoat, but I want to enjoy my boat, not spend hours and hours cleaning and waxing it. I suspect this is why many people do not bother or just apply paint. My level of maintenance would be only 1 time a year. Trade shine for fun. My question is what is the value if it comes off the 1st or 2nd time you use it? A lot of work for little return.
We'd agree is it a lot of work, A.R., but those who want their boat to really shine might feel the return is worthwhile. Also, we'd note that the spray wax is a much easier, quicker application than paste wax. All things considered, many who feel such as yourself simply pay a neighborhood kid to do the waxing on a regular basis.
I have a small bayliner boat which has a bit of blue on it and i just rub some baby oil or transmission oil on it and it seems to polish it for a while.
So here's the thing ... putting baby oil on just about anything is going to shine it up for a little while. But using a good wax will last a lot longer and actually protect the fiberglass, which baby oil (or the like) won't do. If it works for you, great, but we don't recommend it.
Hi Charles, thanks for your comment. There is an error in the text overlay in the video which we are working on fixing. You are correct - if you're polishing with a "fiberglass polish," that comes before the wax.
Charles Wayne Johnson Jr You're kind of right. It should go; Correction (compounding), clean (remove grease and oil) and then polish. No intelligent need for anything over a good polish like restructure marine polish, flagship, 3m liquid wax, anything but carnuba(looks amazing in a showroom, dies in the wild) polymer-based, nano-tech even ceramic coatings are lightyears ahead of traditional wax. 1 good coat done right should be all a new boat needs 1 time a year in most climates. Even if it looks good a year later, do it again. Easier to keep up than catch up. Then you pay guys like us. Asking for more coats of wax should have died with the space age.
Good eye, Jim. This was from a webinar we did with Lenny back in 2017. So it was done live but was a PowerPoint presentation with Lenny on the phone. We edited it down from the original hour length to make it a bit more manageable to watch. We do state that clearly in the video description, but if you were expecting a 30-some minute video, especially in the RU-vid world as it is today, it could be unexpected. If you want a video that shows the compound and wax process, we do offer another shorter video that covers that.
Sorry for the disappointment, Ray. We'll double check to make sure the title is not accidentally misleading. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave feedback.
Come on this guys a rookie for sure !!!!! Everyone knows the proper way to clean a boat hull is with the lower stomach lining from newborn seals in the North Pole and Rhinos semen !!!!! ........always restores the gel coat on my boat and smells great as well !!!
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