How Often Do You Wax Your Boat?
 

I mean a complete waxing of the topside. I do mine once a year, in the spring with pure caranuba wax. I wax the transom often because it makes the soot easy to wipe off.

I wax at least 4 times per year. I've been using McGuire's (sp?) boat wax and it really does a nice job.

3pointstar

Carnauba is not good for boats... Try Driven out of So Cal... Driventoperfection.com easiest stuff to work with and NOTHING sticks to it... Yes I've used a lot of stuff. Owned a detail company for 10 years

says right there on the bottle
 

Your cig is a bad b*tch!

2 to 3 times per season

Once or twice a year with Boat Candy Crystal Polish paste wax and spray wax the sides after every run with Boat Candy Speed Gloss.

At least three times a year with mothers and wiped down after every outing with Lucas spray wax

Two to three times a year with Hula boat care's products. Keeps my boat shining.

Wax once per year but it is usually a short season here in the Pacific Northwest.

I never "wax" my boat. Period. Never. I use a high quality polish. Once a year by machine, then once in the middle of summer by hand if needed.

You do realize that you're pretty much assuring the need to remove gelcoat every time you polish right? Polish removes a microscopic layer of the surface in order to expose a "new" surface below. "Wax" on the other hand adds a microscopic protective layer - which helps eliminate the need for constant polishing. And I put the word "wax" in quotes because there are many types of products that "seal" the surface. Some of them are indeed made from wax.

Hullsides twice per season, deck 5 or 6 times per season. Meguiars Premium Boat Wax is the BOMB. Every two years with my Fountain, I would spend a day on the deck...cut/glaze, polish, pure carnuba, then finish it off with the Premium. The boat was a 1995...it was still looking pretty good in 2009, considering how difficult it is to keep red gelcoat looking fresh.

Second pic is the AT after its first waxing last spring...

I'm in the north and have a short season too. Also, my boat is trailered and stays in a garage. My boat and two Mustangs get waxed once a year. My truck, twice a year because it gets driven in the winter. That Cig is really shining, I C Dead People! Even shinier than my Donzi after I waxed it yesterday. Ya gotta love red!

Buff whole boat with Strata Ultra Cutting Cream Light then buff with Strata Ultra Polish every spring. Do the deck once a month with Mothers by hand.

wax once per year and use turtle wax ice in between

Twice a year with Waxing Frenzy, and use the Frenzy Spray Wax touch-up about once per month in between.

Once a year. Wash with boat soap with wax. Usually water still beads up when I wash for winter storage. I use
attwood polish and woodywax soap with a touch of salt away mixed in. Transom under platform gets purple power after each use. I need to find an hd wax for that so I dont have to degrease all the time. I store indoors with a fan always blowing to move air to inhance evaporation/ humidity control.

Never with wax...makes the deck too slick and unsafe to walk on.. New buff job only when needed.

I spray wax it every time I use it after a wash so it sparkles.

I have yet to wax but only had it since Oct and Fast Boats did a full detail on it before I got it.

Prob a good wax job twice a year.

Where do you get the Waxing Frenzy? I didn't think they were still around.

Padraig

Like I said I do that too and use the turtle wax Ice. But for those that wax a million times a year, try the spray on sometime it will save lots of time.

Acid wash once a year to get the deeper brown stains out then wax.

Speed Gloss every wipe down has made wipe down smoother and reduced the scum line buildup over the course of a season.

I use Zaino show car polish on mine, it's not an abrasive polish and contains UV protection. Awesome stuff for cars and boats.

I bought my boat last September and its been on the water 5 times since then, I've waxed it 3 times so far and its getting waxed again next week. Probably overkill but I like for it to be shiny!
http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/...IMAG1096_1.jpg

That is an inaccurate statement. Cutting Compounds can remove gelcoat and are used in the restoration process of badly oxidized gel coat finished. Cutting compounds can be thought of as liquid, very fine, sand paper. I use Fountain of Youth Vitreo Polish/Polymer Sealant, this has no abrasive qualities. Therefore cannot cut or remove the gel coat. I exclusively use Fountain of Youth products on mine and customer boats.

I spray wax mine after every use and once a year with the 3M marine wax. Stays so slick that we had 3 casualties at the Chattanooga poker run. We tied up side by side and at least 3 went in the drink. I was accused of using crisco. Maintainence with the spray wax(eagle one wax as you dry)seems to help a lot.

And any "polish" is a very, very fine abrasive (cutting) compound. How else do you think it would polish? That's why things shine after polishing. The surface has been leveled - if even at a microscopic level.

Full Disclosure: I moderate a Detailing web site, so I might know a little bit about the subject.

Well since you moderate a website, I guess you are an "expert" Sorry for challenging your knowledge.

Once a year with xxponet, it actually last longer than 1 season.

http://xxponet.com/index.html

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I wouldn't call myself an expert - at anything. I learn something new every day. Many folks really don't understand the differences and nuances of various detailing products though. Some even actually believe that one can take a junkyard black Nissan Altima and wipe on / wipe off a product and have it look like new - like they show in the commercial. (Or last through 1,000 car washes, or ...) And many of the products out there are just plain smoke and mirrors.

Please don't take my comments in a negative fashion. Jus trying to clear the air.

Tom

Hull sides twice a year. Have used many products over the years (all non-carnuba) but currently using Spider Wax (Leverage). I've never waxed from the rubrail up. Open bow with too much crap to work around. Spray wax only a few times a year. Still shines like new after 10 seasons. Helps that it is white and not a dark color up top.

On my previous solid red gelcoat 2006 Baja bought with 17hrs on it, I had to wax the top deck every week and polish it once a month to keep it looking brand new. It never sat out in the sun unless it was getting used. I will never own another boat like that.

Current boat, buff/wax beginning of every season and a total spray wax/quick detailer after every use.

I did a little research on this cold, rainy day and it looks like polish is at least minimally abrasive:

"Boat polish is a product with varying degrees of abrasive power used to clean and polish various on-board surfaces. Those featured on NauticExpo are intended primarily for use on recreational vessels.

Applications

Polish is used on hulls, stainless steel railings, portholes and other visible surfaces.

Technologies

These products consist of a creamy paste containing micro-beads of varying diameter and abrasiveness. They are applied with a cloth or chamois. One can also use a hand-held electric polisher with an appropriate disc."

I use Mequiar's "56 Marine-RV Pure Wax, Carnauba Blend"

With gelcoat thickness generally being between 20-30 mils, you'd be hard pressed to ever "polish" through gelcoat. If you took off 5-10 mils of gel via maintenance polishing over 20 years I would be amazed. Especially with the new micro abrasives that have been coming out in the past few years. As a reference point, the paint job on your average car is between 4-6 mils.

ICDEDPPL , did you polish the hatches on your flat deck. Mine are flat black and would like to know if that was an option or a change you made . They look great .
RG.

around after 6 wash's which is 7 weeks,

the bad thing is you cant walk on the front deck with out sliding until after the 2nd wash

I saw a fly try and land on it and he busted his ass

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It sure helps to have some little helpers, I put them little turds to work! :D

http://33outlaw.zenfolio.com/img/s1/...65606018-4.jpg


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One a year. Wahtever is in my garage on the side and deck and 303 on the transom.

I use Maguires wax for my boat once a year.