another wax & polish question
 

Hi guys got a question for all of you.

Need a wax recommendation. Have a 2007 boat that I have had since new. Barn kept in the winter and it stays out side on the trailer in the summer. In the spring I generally buff and polish with a couple of different compounds and foam pads. I am a big fan of chemical guys automotive compounds. But within about 2 months the top sides loses it shine and begins to oxidize. Live in the northeast we don’t get the intense sun like some of you in the south or west and our boating season is only about 4 or 5 months. Been searching the forums and see what others use. I have tried a few marine waxes and they don’t seem to last any better than automotive waxes I have tried. It would be nice to make it through the season without having things oxidize so quickly. I think I need a sealer or something after I finish compounding and then maybe a good wax. Been reading some posts about this already collinite seems to be mentioned a lot as a great product and so does vitreo by fountain of youth. But the web site doesn’t give a lot of detail. What do people recommend after compounding that will last a season?

I’ll just offer one man’s opinion – mine – on this one. Speaking from past experience, how long a particular surface “shines” depends on a number of things. Probably the biggest are:

- What kind of shape the surface is in before you apply a wax or sealant
- How clean that surface is before you apply a wax or sealant
- How much sun that surface sees after you apply a wax or sealant

From my experience, you can bring back (get to shine again) even the most horribly oxidized gelcoat – if you remove enough of the oxidized gel and expose the fresher gel underneath. (Sometimes there just isn’t enough gelcoat left to do this.) Next, one needs to finely polish that new surface to get the maximum flatness and thus shine. Then one needs to protect that surface with some sort of wax or sealant.

I will offer one big caution here. Although some may disagree with me, from what I’ve seen, once a gelcoat surface gets really oxidized, you can bring it back and make it shine. But here’s where I disagree with some folks. In my experience, once it’s oxidized, you can bring it back – but it will just oxidize again - and even faster than original gelcoat. That said, your best plan of attack is never to let the original gelcoat surface oxidize in the first place.

I noted that how clean your surface is before you apply a wax or sealant makes a big difference in how well the wax or sealant performs. If you don’t get all of the polishing product off of the surface before you apply the wax or sealant, how can you expect the stuff to bond to the gelcoat and thus have a shot at lasting? You can wipe the surface really well with clean microfiber towels and get it pretty clean. You could follow that with a good wash and get it even cleaner. Or you could do both and follow up with Isopropyl Alcohol on a clean microfiber towel for maximum effectiveness.

Finally, what wax or sealant you use can make a big difference too. A boat generally experiences a much tougher environment than a car because when you’re sitting in the water, you get the sun reflected from all angles. A car generally only gets sun from above. That said, traditional Carnauba waxes – especially those that have some sort of UV inhibitor added – will work fairly well. The newer synthetic sealants are much more resistant to UVs and heat than traditional waxes – so they should last a bit longer. (Vitrio is one of these.) An added benefit is that they generally go on and come off much easier than traditional waxes. If you want – and if you’ve got lots of time to kill – you can apply a synthetic sealant first, then let it cure for at least 12 hours. Then apply a traditional wax over the top for both added protection and a slightly deeper / softer shine.

But let’s see what Glassdave has to say because he’s the absolute master here.

I can't agree more with Too Stroked - our boats are typically in an environment that is one heck harsher than any car - including the salt and snow of a winter-

I have had a lot of luck with McGuire's (sp??) boat wax. Maybe the concentration of the wax and UV protectants is more than for auto wax - I don't know.

Also for the oxidation I've used the 3M oxidation and polish combination - it worked very well - in fact too good.

I think the bottom line is that I wash and wax our boat a couple of times during the season - Yes I am anal retentive - but I really like a clean boat and car-- my dad used to say they ride better - I thought that was crazy -- but you know I think dad was right!

all the best

3pointstar

In addition to the above comments, get a full cover for when the boat sits outside.

Padraig

Thanks for the feedback. Been reading some other posts on wax and polish this week. Seem that once your boat reaches the age where you start to get some oxidation it seems that a polish and wax every 4-6 weeks is in order. My boat isn’t like some of the other ones that I read about where the oxidation is chalky. Wish I had got a full cover when the boat was new. I am definitely the type of person that keeps my stuff really well maintained and clean. Boat gets washed and cleaned every weekend in the summer. I am going to try out some of these other waxes this spring. And also try and clean the boat real well after compounding this spring. See if it last a bit longer.

Full cover or wax every month or ever few weeks depending on age a condition of gel. I take care of a few 1967 and 1968 Chris Craft Commanders. There gel comes back amazing especially there hull sides, there decks bounce back but there at the point they could use monthly or sooner touch up waxes.

I use Rejex. 30 year Gel.

My neighbor uses that on his cars and they always look good. I'm a polymer base coat, canuba top coat (for that eye popping shine) kind of guy. Do you have any knowledge of how Rejex stands up to South Florida Sun and Salt?

Collinite Fleet Cleaner Wax has been my choice for boats down here for years...last 6 months to a year with great results.

I went to the Rejex web site and I think I may give it a try.

My brother uses it on a 68 Azmut down in Miami Beach. Works well for him

Sorry never used a sealent before, so would you put wax on top or do you just compound then a sealent.