Teach me your methods and tell me what products you prefer to wax your cats.

[tomfl]

Am I really the only one who uses soap and water to clean the boat before I assess the state of the gelcoat and figure out the next step?

[slug]

Originally Posted by tomfl

Am I really the only one who uses soap and water to clean the boat before I assess the state of the gelcoat and figure out the next step?

Common practice is to wash the boat with an acidic solution to remove all calc before you begin polishing

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by slug

Common practice is to wash the boat with an acidic solution to remove all calc before you begin polishing

A more common practice is to wash your boat on a regular basis to keep it clean and then wax (or use something like 303) to protect it after washing. Polishing only needs to be done if no one has maintained the boat for a long time.

[sailjumanji]

This is the longest lasting wax, as per multiple years of testing by Practical Sailor, and my own personal use and trying other alternatives over the past 20+ years. If you want to do stainless, its the second product.

I had a 2002 Seawind cat that after we buffed, polished and waxed, were able to keep the gel coat alive for almost three years with twice per year applications of the Fleetwax. It holds up best. Its more difficult to use as it is a paste, but worth it.

[dfelsent]

Originally Posted by sailjumanji

This is the longest lasting wax, as per multiple years of testing by Practical Sailor, and my own personal use and trying other alternatives over the past 20+ years. If you want to do stainless, its the second product.

I had a 2002 Seawind cat that after we buffed, polished and waxed, were able to keep the gel coat alive for almost three years with twice per year applications of the Fleetwax. It holds up best. Its more difficult to use as it is a paste, but worth it.Attachment 212411Attachment 212412

Hey! I’ve used those for decades on monohulls.

[dougweibel]

Originally Posted by sailjumanji

If you want to do stainless, its the second product.

I had a 2002 Seawind cat that after we buffed, polished and waxed, were able to keep the gel coat alive for almost three years with twice per year applications of the Fleetwax. It holds up best. Its more difficult to use as it is a paste, but worth it.

+1 on the Collinite 850. Love that stuff for stainless and aluminum.

What exactly do you mean you were able to keep the gel coat alive for almost three years? What happened after that?

[Sparx]

So....now is a good time to wax, but the boat is in the water. What techniques work for you to access the hull and get a good result when the boat is floating?

I have sat on the paddle board holding onto a line run from bow to stern to hold me and the paddle board close to the hull. Definitely not using a lines powered buffer for this situation.

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by dougweibel

+1 on the Collinite 850. Love that stuff for stainless and aluminum.



What exactly do you mean you were able to keep the gel coat alive for almost three years? What happened after that?

I had to take out the buffer and compound and polish it, then wax. If you keep up with it, you can just do periodic wax. The buffer takes off gelcoat. Only so much of that on a boat. Read MaineSails procedure. It is excellent

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by Sparx

So....now is a good time to wax, but the boat is in the water. What techniques work for you to access the hull and get a good result when the boat is floating?

I have sat on the paddle board holding onto a line run from bow to stern to hold me and the paddle board close to the hull. Definitely not using a lines powered buffer for this situation.

I have a fixed dock at home. When water is high, I can wax down to the waterline. When I pull the boat for bottom paint every 2-3 years, I pay the yard to wax all fiberglass, even the non slid. On my 38 ft cat, that just cost $1850. Its a 2019 boat and worth it. They even did bottom of Bridge deck. And yes non skid is gelcoat too, so it needs wax.

I've also moved the boat to a floating dock at marina to wax. And paid pros to do it, and they used floating platform. I've also seen them use a dinghy.

[sailjumanji]

On my 33 ft Seawind cat it would take me about 5 days to wax everything. I used Woody Wax on that non skid. I use a good boat wash, which doesn't remove wax. I do a bit each day. Otherwise it is an overwhelming job.

On the new 38 ft Seawind, it took about 60 man hours for the yard to do every surface. They used 4 cans of the paste wax. Its a new boat, so they didn't have to compound or polish. Polish is where your shine comes from. I am a bit less worried about shine than protection, although its a one year old boat so it shines decent enough. I'll wax it again in three or four months. I just finished doing stainless. Thst took about three afternoons.

I am meticulous about my boats. I sold me 2002 Seawind in 2018 and got a very good price. My 2000 model Corsair 28R has shiny waxed gel coat when it sold in 2007, and was never compounded or polished. Maintaining gel coat will hold resale value.

[sailjumanji]

Compound and polish both remove the oxidized layer of gel coat. There is only so much gel coat on a boat. Keeping it waxed keeps the gelcoat alive and shiny. Once it gets oxidized, you have to remove with compound. Exposes new gel coat that needs to be waxed to protect, or if unprotected will start oxidizing from UV.

I have a full sunbrella cover for my fishing boat. It is waxed as well, but the cover is more effective in keeping it protected.

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by Sparx

So....now is a good time to wax, but the boat is in the water. What techniques work for you to access the hull and get a good result when the boat is floating?

I have sat on the paddle board holding onto a line run from bow to stern to hold me and the paddle board close to the hull. Definitely not using a lines powered buffer for this situation.

Your boat is new. Shouldn't have to compound. Wax goes on by hand, and wiped off by hand with microfiber cloth. Buffing wax off will just melt it. I think Mainesail observed that as well. I've found that spray the hull lightly with water bottle, then run on wax, makes for more consistent application. And maybe a bit easier and buff off. Oh and change the buff off rag frequently. Otherwise once the rag gets loaded, it doesn't remove wax as well. Nor shine.

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by sailjumanji

Your boat is new. Shouldn't have to compound. Wax goes on by hand, and wiped off by hand with microfiber cloth. Buffing wax off will just melt it. I think Mainesail observed that as well. I've found that spray the hull lightly with water bottle, then run on wax, makes for more consistent application. And maybe a bit easier and buff off. Oh and change the buff off rag frequently. Otherwise once the rag gets loaded, it doesn't remove wax as well. Nor shine.

I meant buffing wax off with an electric buffer will heat and melt the wax.

[sailjumanji]

Oh and putting wax over oxidized gel coat will turn out like absolute crap. Cloudy finish. And it won't last.

Oxidized finish. Rub your hand over it. If it comes back gelcoat color, it is oxidized. If you see white gelcoat cloud in the water as you wash and rinse your boat, it is oxidized. That's your boat finish washing into the water!

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by dfelsent

Hey! I’ve used those for decades on monohulls.

I used it on my Corsair trimaran too, and my fishing boat. My fishing boat was a cat as well!