Best Wax & Procedure

[grizer]

@hugo, hey i spoke w marine 31, they have discontinued their “coating” product you mentioned.

[Rich W]

I have had great success with Shurhold Yacht Brite products. I have used them on two newer boats, and they have helped maintain the finish. One was black hull, the other maroon.....those colors can be tough to keep up.....no problem with the Shurhold products. You compound with Buff Magic.....with either wool pad or foam. Then finish with ProPolish. This is their po I'mlymer based polish/wax. They have great instructions online. If you do as instructed...you can't beat the results. My latest boat is 93 350 Aft cabin. The gelcoat looks like new......pretty much all season....I am in upstate New York. I get compliments all the time. The Shurhold site will ship directly to you.....very reliable.

Good friend of mine had the ceramic coating done on his 2014 Monterey (black gelcoat). Came out beautiful..... pretty much maintenance free....above my price range however......

Rich

[Cooler]

Hello All! 2 cents worth from survey of users. I work part time in a marine store and one thing I can tell you, everyone has their personal favorites. Meguiar's users are probably the most loyal and passionate. I have used a plethora of products. It all comes down to how much work you really want to do. More work...more shine for longer time. One caution: high speed wheels will burn gelcoat pretty quickly.

Grizer - Carver used Ultra Gelcoat by Ferro for a number of years, 99% sure it was used in 98. You may want to contact them for recommendation. They have several Ohio locations. https://www.ferro.com/contact/global-lo ... %20America

My personal choice is less work. I stay away from cutter's. If the finish gets bad enough to require a cutter, I hire a professional. I really like Colonite products, using a number of their products, both multiple and single step. Having said that, I recently used Mequiar's one step #50 cleaner wax, and I am impressed with the application and removal process. Colonite is runny, Meguiar's is perfectly pastey. Used a slow speed orbital buffer to apply, with a terry cloth bonnet. Removed with clean terry cloth towels by hand. Polished with a lambswool bonnet as a final step. Looks nice, but now I need to see how long it will last. I may put on a coat of Mequiar's wax in the spring. The boat is in warm storage right now, with no exposure to sunlight. I want to see how the initial application behaves in a couple of weeks. There are some formulas that will actually continue to absorb and react to gelcoat for short periods after application. An extra coat of wax in spring should be real easy to apply to seal in and extend shine time. Great thread. Keep adding more input.

Cooler

[mbenner]

Pepmyster, please give us a full report on your application when you're finished, and another at the end of next season on performance and durability. Sounds interesting...

I'm also interested on how other CYO's clean and protect their textured decks.

[Cooler]

Pepmyster, I second that request for report on the ceramic coating. Are you doing hull and above, or just above? A detailer friend of mine said he has done it on cars, but not on a boat yet. He said the decontamination process required for gelcoat is absolutely necessary, and adds so much labor that he knows his price would be prohibitive. That plus he is waiting for actual results of time durability before he wants to "test" it out on a boat. Apparently, the product he would use has only been out a couple years. He does not want to expose himself to complaints if it ends up being a single season remedy. I can't wait to hear how this works. Just love that depth effect on Formula and Cobalt boats. If ceramic creates that look, I would give it a go. Can't wait!

Michael, when you say textured, do you mean the non-skid? Cooler

[mbenner]

Yes, the non-skid surface is what I meant.

[Cooler]

There are a couple of non-skid cleaners out there, but I avoid using them. If there is any wax or finishing element to them, you are basically defeating the real purpose to non-skid which could end up with slips and falls. I have too many visitor's that enjoy free drinks, so I am really conservative. BUT, I clean the non-skid with a pressure washer once a month. I am also fortunate to have a couple of dock hands that clean boats on the side. Just a light, non-greasy boat soap, as needed. They charge $20 an hour, use my brushes and soap, and it only takes them an hour to do the non-skid. Those kids will do a lot of work for not a lot of money, especially if you have a surprise pizza delivered to their building once in a while.

Finally, I put up a small message with vinyl lettering, requesting "no shoes on deck". People see it, they are not offended, and they do not grind in any dirt in the non-skid. If they ask, I tell them it is for their safety, lots of shoes slip easily on fiberglass.

Cooler

[RGrew176]

The people in the slip next to my boat swear by Barkeepers Friend in the powder form. Looking at their non-skid areas on their boat look really good. I am thinking of giving it a try next season.

[bud37]

Source of the post I am a clean freak. I want our baby to shine like no other! Used so many types of waxes, This spring, I'm doing a ceramic coating on it. Gotta try this......

What is this ceramic coating, how is it applied ?

I have bags full of the next greatest potion to make your boat shine with little to no work.... HA ! Tried them all over the years, with lambs wool, foam, towels , microfibre, you name it....all the same result, tired old guy, boat looks ok but ultimately fades again. I honestly believe that there is one solution to this dilemma, get the boat painted and be done with it ( even that may be troublesome if there are no reputable shops around )....either that or keep buying new boats as the gel gets faded and gets chalky

...

[denpooch]

Admiral Grew, the guys on the dock use an 'off the shelf' cleaner called 'Soft Scrub' on the non skid surfaces. Works pretty good, but I don't think it's environmentally friendly.