Boat Waxing for People Not Looking Forward to It.

[Navman]

I just paid $200.00 for my Shurhold buffer. I like it because it is lighter than my MAKITA " variable speed buffer. I did follow MAIN sails 600 step process and it worked very well. It took me 3 days!. Now I just wash it and use the 3M restorer/ wax and it work great. 4 hours per side and I am done. I also wash the hull while at anchor and have waxed it by hand when anchored. I have come to the conclusion that waxing mid season is not necessary but I do still use a cleaner on it 3-4 times a season. Have not yet done the decks and cockpit. This year maybe unless sailing gets in the way (fingers crossed).

~~ _/) ~~

 

[Bolo]

Around here the boats are in the water all year, and only come out for bottom paint. So all the waxing is done in the slip.

Although working topsides with a heavy buffer over water looks awkward, I was quoted the same price for the job done on the hard. "We have to rig a scaffold so it's actually not easier."

As for regularity, once a year is probably a high frequency--or less. Much less, given the expense.

Must be a California safety thing cause in Maryland they use ladders. . Just inspected the waxing job on my boat, which is on the hard, and happy I didn’t have to do it.

 

[Christian Williams]

To report: In the end I bought the Shurhold Dual Action Polisher Pro, for $250. 6.5 inch random orbit, 900 watt motor. Yeah, there is a Harbor Freight apparent equivalent for under $100. Does it vibrate, deafen you, and explode in three months? Who knows. There is so much conflicting information and advertising and car-shop guys with strong opinions that I finally just gave up being led in circles and ponied up for the Shurhold, which comes in a pretty red bag made by children far away.

My conclusions, after sifting 1,000 arguments, and ready for correction:

--Any real shine comes from the compounding stages, which I skipped because the boat was recently compounded.
--The polymer product used (Shurhold's Pro Polish) is easy to use and left a minor shine, about the same as my last $1200 professional job.
It is easier than wax simply because it leaves hardly any residue to be wiped away. One microfiber rag or bonnet for the whole deck.

I first washed the deck with boat soap, hand scrubbing away small amount of occasional mildew.
Polishing took total six hours, in two sessions. Not too bad, lots of bending of course. Deck only, not hull. The deck and transom take most of the UV, the topsides seem much less affected.

The intent is merely to preserve the gelcoat, and by all accounts I'll have to do this 2-3 times a year in our SoCal environment.

The real equipment required is to live near your boat and be retired.

 

[dhill]

For those who are waxing your boat in-water, what are some of your logistical tips? Do you always wax from the dock or do you wax via the dinghy. If the latter, what are best practices to attain the necessary stability and stay close to the hull? What steps/tips do you take to prevent the waxer (machine or perhaps the person ) from falling in?

Thanks!
Dave

 

[Loren Beach]

Buffing the lower portion of the topsides is pretty hard to do, laying down on the dock. A friend of mine successfully used the idea of a halyard with then end strapped to his buffer. He could swing it fore n aft, and readjust the halyard for changing height of the passes. No matter how you do it, it's going to be hard on the muscles.

Aside: at about 700 to 900 bucks a year for a pro, you could write off much of the cost of an LPU paint job (with clear coat) on the hull in about 20 years.
Of course, you can rationalize 'most anything you really want to do... !

 

[Frank Langer]

Dave,
I do all my own wax work (and most of the basic repairs on our boat). It's easier to polish and wax the boat on the hard with a scaffold, but I usually do it twice per year with the boat in the water. I do one side of the hull per day, as both sides is too much at my age (70). It only takes a couple of hours. I do it by hand, not with a machine, so I don't have to worry about dropping it in the ocean.
I put a foam pad or padded towel on the dock to kneel on, and do it in a two foot section at a time, applying wax, then moving to the next section while that was dries a bit, then buffing the original area, then the next, and so on.
I use the dinghy on the other side, taking an extra cloth and wax bottle with me in case its needed to avoid having to exit the dinghy unnecessarily. A water bottle to keep me hydrated is helpful.
It's all very easy, not worth paying someone to do.
Frank

 

[peaman]

I once did a few weeks of "day work" in south Florida waxing large yachts. We had use of a couple "work floats", which I think some yards, and maybe marinas have. They floated with only a few inches between standing surface and water, so it was possible to get pretty close to the waterline. It might be worth it to ask around where you are, if anything like this is available. Those floats used for jet ski docks might be pretty useful.

 

[David Grimm]

To report: In the end I bought the Shurhold Dual Action Polisher Pro, for $250. 6.5 inch random orbit, 900 watt motor. Yeah, there is a Harbor Freight apparent equivalent for under $100. Does it vibrate, deafen you, and explode in three months? Who knows. There is so much conflicting information and advertising and car-shop guys with strong opinions that I finally just gave up being led in circles and ponied up for the Shurhold, which comes in a pretty red bag made by children far away.

My conclusions, after sifting 1,000 arguments, and ready for correction:

--Any real shine comes from the compounding stages, which I skipped because the boat was recently compounded.
--The polymer product used (Shurhold's Pro Polish) is easy to use and left a minor shine, about the same as my last $1200 professional job.
It is easier than wax simply because it leaves hardly any residue to be wiped away. One microfiber rag or bonnet for the whole deck.

I first washed the deck with boat soap, hand scrubbing away small amount of occasional mildew.
Polishing took six hours, in two sessions. Not too bad, lots of bending of course. Deck only, not hull.

The intent is merely to preserve the gelcoat, and by all accounts I'll have to do this 2-3 times a year in our SoCal environment.

The real equipment required is to live near your boat and be retired.

Just to throw it out there; my Harbor Freight equivalent is serving its 4th season. It spends its off time in a backpack along with waxing supplies burried up in a damp dark compartment in the bow of the boat. You never know when you may be compelled to wax and buff while traveling. It operates just as it did the day I got it. Even after being dropped off the step ladder many times. Speed 3 is not loud at all. Other boaters always stand admiring their reflection in the high gloss I am able to achieve on the sides of the hull. Not bad for a $65 dollar investment.

 

[lnill]

Waxing my boat 10 years ago cost $350 and now it costs $1000. "Cost of material has gone up". Uh huh.

I am without motivation for the Maine Sail 692-step compounding and waxing process, and get tired just reading about it.

I'm considering this Shurhold machine and system, $300+ for the gear. Opinions?

Back in the 90s my marina offered a polish like this. It held up well for a couple of seasons.

 

[David Grimm]

Somewhere at a dock not far away there is a guy trying to read the back lable of the pro polish bottle in the reflection off the deck of his Ericson. Lol.

 

[Mr. Scarlett]

For those who have gone "all the way", with the acid wash, compounding and wax, how long did it take? In the water or out?
I feel that I should do this sat least once before farming it out - and the boat needs it.

 

[bgary]

Deck only, not hull.

Smooth areas only, or did you use it on the nonskid as well?

Having recently done the Annual Springtime Scrubbing of the Green (tm), I'd really find something that prevents the green grunge from appearing on the deck.... or at the very least makes it easier to remove. But I haven't yet convinced myself that (e.g.) waxing the decks will produce a benefit without making the non-skid... uh, skiddy. Maybe a polymer product that seals without leaving a waxy residue could be an option.

B

 

[Christian Williams]

Not the nonskid. In this region we don't get that green stuff, apparently result of low humidity and very little rain.

I tried Woody Wax on a skiff 10 years ago, and it didn't make the nonskid slippery. I liked the way it smelled. Whether it made a difference, dunno.

 

[Hcard]

I am have not waxed or polish by boat for two years and I guess is time to do it. Can anybody please recommend the order in which the process has to be undertaken and the best (quickest results) compounds to use? Many thanks.

 

[jav317]

I found a product I used for hard water spots when I owned a ski boat. You rinse the boat with fresh water. Then spay on the treatment and buff it off. It took a 25 year old boat and made it look new. So, why not try on the 1990 Ericson. I did, and the results are everyone telling me how great the gelcoat looks and asking me who waxes the boat!
The stuff I use is called, Hot Sauce. Available on Amazon and other stores.
I rinse the boat with fresh water, spay a micro towel with the Hot Sauce and wipe all smooth surfaces then follow with another micro towel and hand buff off. I do small areas at a time. You know, wipe on - wipe off. I do the hull with two mirco mops. One wipe on, one wipe off. Takes me about an hour to do the complete boat. Simple and Amazing!

 

[Pete the Cat]

This is one of those "it depends......" situations in my experience. Depends on the condition of the boat gelcoat (if it has not been painted) and that can vary by what parts of the boat have been exposed to UV for how long and how oxidized they are. Also depends on how much time you want to put into the effort.. The guys in many yards use 3M products and generally follow the concepts of the car detailers (see Youtube videos on detailing). Rubbing compounds should be a last resort as they are tough on gelcoat and it is softer than clearcoat. Some PO of my Ericson ground through the gelcoat with too aggressive abrasives in several places and this is a pisser--it is impossible to repair. Then there are a class of polishes that are often numbered for abrasiveness (McGuires does this as does 3M and others--there are Youtube videos on all this). I generally start with a pricey cleaner wax (I actually like Starboard brand of One Step but have also used 3M's similar product) to see if its very light polish will bring back the finish. The very best and lightest abrasives (and most expensive) actually dissolve the abrasive particles as you are using them which helps polish without removing too much gelcoat. If I have to go to more abrasive levels to get the results--I will do that reluctantly. When it comes to wax, I like Collinite paste wax and find it is easy to put on by hand or machine and lasts as long as anything I have used.
I have seen the guys in the Caribbean go to 1000+ sandpaper to work a badly sun damaged hull and make it look new, but have no personal experience--though I have sandpapered --400, 800,1200, 1800, 2200 grit sequence--really badly hazed plastic windows and made them look new. I have fixed badly scratched patches of gelcoat with this process. You can buy all these automotive very very fine grit sandpapers on Amazon.
I am reluctant to recommend the new ceramic poly glass products folks are using on cars these days, simply because there is no comparison of gelcoat to clear coat in terms of hardness and bonding characteristics. I don't know anyone who has used it on gelcoat and I am not going to be the first.
If you have a yard do it, they probably will not take the time and will use a hefty abrasive and then a polish and finally a wax all with machines. The yard I work in uses Starbright One Step and a big DA polisher and calls it good and it will cost you $800. I paid a competent professional $1600 for a two week job on my much neglected, new to me, Ericson where he did all the work with the proper progression of 3M abrasives and attention to detail (including all the stainless). So a good job is not cheap. But it was worth it to me. But folks with his experience are hard to find so this is not a route i would recommend to most. I knew the guy. I am too old for this work.
If you are doing the hull you really need a very good DA polisher and I have a Makita and a cheap one I bought at Harbor Freight. The HF one is a bit lighter so I like it better but the old Makita has many years on it and is still working. I prefer the old 3M wool polishing pads to the newer, cheaper foam pads. I have found that buying a stack of good quality terry towels from Amazon is much better than the micro fiber stuff for all the hand work. Microfiber towels are not consistently manufactured and most seem not to do the job as well. I also find that the deck polishing is probably 90% hand work because of working around fittings.
Those are my experiences.
Paint is a completely different matter and I have little experience with that.
FWIW.
Oh, wear a mask (an expensive one) if using a DA with those abrasives. I have scars on my lungs from years in the boatyard. All. my mistakes have been learning opportunities but some have left their mark.