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Waxing the hull while in the water

Stuart 28-2

Member II
I've waxed the hull while in the boat yard and it's time to do it again. This time it's in the water. At this point I'm planning to do it from the dock. I'm on a lake and don't have a dingy (and see a lot of difficulty in that anyway). My question is how to get all the way down to the water line?
I was thinking do all of the one side down to about 6" from the water line. When the neighbor is out for a few hours take the halyard to a cleat on his dock (with his permission, of course) and heel the boat over just a little effectively raising the water line a few inches. I have trialled this and it seems to work well. Needs very calm day and early in the morning before anyone around.
Has anyone tried this?
Alternative suggestions?
 

bsangs

E35-3 - New Jersey
I've waxed the hull while in the boat yard and it's time to do it again. This time it's in the water. At this point I'm planning to do it from the dock. I'm on a lake and don't have a dingy (and see a lot of difficulty in that anyway). My question is how to get all the way down to the water line?
I was thinking do all of the one side down to about 6" from the water line. When the neighbor is out for a few hours take the halyard to a cleat on his dock (with his permission, of course) and heel the boat over just a little effectively raising the water line a few inches. I have trialled this and it seems to work well. Needs very calm day and early in the morning before anyone around.
Has anyone tried this?
Alternative suggestions?
We recently compounded and waxed the hull in the water. While we did use a dingy (with no problems), we planned to do exactly what you're describing to heel the boat over a little bit. We were going to use two halyards - main and a spinnaker - and run them to cleats on our neighbor's finger pier. They hadn't yet brought their boat into the water, so it would have been easy. But, using a Worx battery powered buffer, I was able to get much closer to the waterline than I'd anticipated, so we never ended up doing the process. It should definitely work for you though. Others have done it, no reason to think it isn't feasible in your situation. Good luck.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Just inspect the dock cleat bolts or other tie point and be sure it will take the strain of the halyards.
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
With a finger pier on both sides, the guys around here just bend and work the topsides to the waterline with their heavy polishers, no safety line involved.

It hurts my back just to watch them doing that all day.
 

G Kiba

Sustaining Member
Borrow an inflatable paddle board. You can sit on it comfortably and with line tied from bow to stern you can pull your self along the hull while using the line for leverage as you wax and buff. If you get hot, take a swim break.
 

Pete the Cat

Member III
Just did my hull today. I recommend getting some outdoor carpeting or an old cockpit cushion to lay on and do it dockside. I have never had a problem getting down to the bootstrip---although it is a challenge to hold the polisher in that position. I generally take a couple days to do it. Take breaks. Remember to thoroughly clean the hull with detergent before you start---you do not want to grind in the dirt and chalk you can't see.
 

Frank Langer

1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
If the hull is in generally good shape, I dispense with the electric polisher and simply apply wax by hand with a cloth, let it haze a bit, then buff with a microfibre cloth by hand. It turns out pretty well and is much easier than trying to hold a polisher while kneeling or laying on the dock.
Frank
 

Bolo

Contributing Partner
With a finger pier on both sides, the guys around here just bend and work the topsides to the waterline with their heavy polishers, no safety line involved.

It hurts my back just to watch them doing that all day.
There is no amount of hull "dullness" that will induce me to wax the top sides while the boat is in the water and my 70 year old back is happy that I have finally taken that attitude. It's just tells me, "Bob, let's go sailing instead." :D I usually wait till haul out time to do the bottom and wax the topsides. But truth be told, I have hand polished the hull once or twice from a dinghy. I helps to tie the painter off to a cleat or some other structure on the boat and I installed a cleat on the inflatable dinghy transom that I used for that same purpose. I also have taken advantage of those suction cup grips for holding onto the boat when polishing. They're used to overcome that Newton thing, "Every action produces an equal and opposite reaction" that works especially well when sitting in an inflatable dinghy in the water.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
There is no amount of hull "dullness" that will induce me to wax the top sides while the boat is in the water and my 70 year old back is happy that I have finally taken that attitude.
Sure do agree. I did hire a young person to do a rudimentary hull polish from dockside once or twice in about 20 years, but mostly just lived with the dulling of the old gel coat. That, with the never-really-matched-color of decades of little repairs, was a contributing factor in deciding on a full repaint with Awlgrip.
 
I haven’t done this, but someone recently shared to tie your buffer to a halyard and it takes away the weight of the machine. It doesn’t solve the waterline issue but may help save a bit of strain
 

bgary

Advanced Beginner
Blogs Author
If the hull is in generally good shape, I dispense with the electric polisher and simply apply wax by hand with a cloth, let it haze a bit, then buff with a microfibre cloth by hand. It turns out pretty well and is much easier than trying to hold a polisher while kneeling or laying on the dock.
I do the same thing. Adjust the docklines so I can lay on the dock and reach down where I need to. Takes maybe a half hour or so per side. About the only part I can't do this way is the counter under the transom.

I use 3M Cleaner and Wax (09010), it works a treat if all the topsides need is a little .... uh... cleaning and wax.

https://www.fisheriessupply.com/3m-marine-fiberglass-cleaner-and-wax


Bruce
 

Stuart 28-2

Member II
I ended up making this rig and just attached to the dock with G clamps. It works great. Though, Still a chore to get under the last few feet to the stern. Next time I think I will go with the suggestion of doing by hand - just for that portion.
IMG_20230601_083225525_HDR.jpg
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
I like the rig. Good idea.

I bought some of Bruce's brand in Post #12. (Be sure to mention his name.)

It does go on easy by hand and you wipe it off with mild pressure till it's gone, rather than buff.

Less fuss and work than the $300 polisher and pads I bought a few months ago.
 
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