Polish and wax non-skid deck

[Tmacmi]

Do you have any tips or tricks for polishing and waxing factory imprinted non-skid on decks.

The best I've seen is a buffing brush https://shurhold.com/products/dap-sc...BoC1WMQAvD_BwE on a random orbital sander for both the polish and the wax application.

[Bill O]

In general principle, not certain why you would want to add wax (slippery) to non-skid.

Got it that you are most likely putting your boat away for the winter and want to protect the gel coat, but do not think I would want any residual wax in the non-skid come next season. How about a good cleaner?

[Tmacmi]

Originally Posted by Bill O

In general principle, not certain why you would want to add wax (slippery) to non-skid.

Got it that you are most likely putting your boat away for the winter and want to protect the gel coat, but do not think I would want any residual wax in the non-skid come next season. How about a good cleaner?

I'd like to use wax to help with the removal of bird poop, spider poop, etc. plus protect the gel coat. Also protect gel coat after polishing. My theory is that residual wax would be in the valleys of the non-skid not the tops.

But input about waxing non skid is appreciated

[Cheechako]

I wouldn't wax non skid. It's poor enough grip on most boats already. But also, a waste of time.
Wax on flat surfaces goes away very quickly. Rain is abrasive and takes it right off. It's life is short enough on hull sides which don't get the wear of a flat surface.

[smj]

Woody Wax?

http://www.woody-wax.com/fiberglass-...d-deck-wax.php

[svpatience]

+1 to not waxing non skid

I've always understand that to be a no-no, and the rationale always made sense to me. The various types of poop is a PITA! My approach is to try and get down to the boat at least once a week and "get it while its fresh". I just grab my deck brush/mop, dunk it in the water, and scrub the poop off. It usually takes a couple passes to get it off and get enough water on the deck to rinse it off. This is quick, and avoids having to do a full boat washdown which takes a lot more time. It also stops the crap from baking into the paint/gel coat.

[flee27]

I used the Shurhold brush in the link and it worked well. I used it with a compound and then a liquid wax (both from total boat). The compounding definitely helped clean the deck better then washing did. The wax did not make the decks slippery and did help them look better. But to Cheechako point it did not seem to last/help keep the decks clean for very long. Would guess it helped with future cleaning maybe a couple of months best case.

Don't know anything about the Woody Wax.

Foster

[Tetepare]

I bought the StarBrite non-skid wax to fill the pits in the fiberglass. I didn't expect much out of it. Surprisingly, it dried quickly, and I could feel it. It was never at all slippery. In fact, it was grippy. I was pleasantly surprised.

[JPA Cate]

Hi, Tmacmi,

We had the kind of non-skid you mention on our Yankee 30. It was always washed after use, every weekend, and never waxed. I'd be concerned about making it slippery, too, but have not ever used the product Tetepare describes.

I think if I lived in Michigan, where the boat is out of the water for the long winter, it might help with spring cleaning, and then it will soon be gone, as mentioned above. You could give it a try and see if you think it was worth it, and report back. Or, check at your marina or sailing club: surely someone else may have already given it a try....

Ann

[Tmacmi]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I had forgotten about that Starbrite product, that might be the ticket. I may hold off another season on this one though. Polishing and waxing the hull was pretty daunting and we haven't even done the flat deck sections, coach top and cockpit surfaces!

[flee27]

Not to discourage you but the hull it a big job. At least in the water. I just did mine over about 4 weekends of working until my arms/shoulders couldn't any more. I lightly wet sanded with 1500, compounded, polished, then waxed. my 42' boat grow to at least 1000'. Maybe more.

I really liked the Total Boat compound and polish products I used. I followed that up with Collinite No. 885 wax per Practical Sailors recommendation.

Huge job but the reward is there. My gel coat was not in bad shape but definitely had been many years(At least 6-8 best I can surmise) since it had more that a wash. Boat now looks great.

Good luck with yours. Just be patient and work on it a little at a time.

Foster

[chris mac]

Originally Posted by smj

Woody Wax?

http://www.woody-wax.com/fiberglass-...d-deck-wax.php

We have the same textured non skid, and use woody wax. Within a couple months of applying I could still just rinse fish blood off the deck. But would recommend reapplying after 4-6 months .
It doesn't affect traction(except during the application)
I highly recommend it

[kayakerChuck]

Another vote for Woody Wax.

Follow the directions! It's super slippery until it get rinsed & dried. It's now MUCH easier to keep my decks clean. Traction is at least as good as it was on the previous bare non-skid.

My slip is about 50- from a dirt road, so I get LOTS of dust & dirt. After applying the WW, I've not washed my decks in about 2 months. The rain is doing a fine job of keeping them clean. Previously, I washed my decks every week or two.

[GreenWave]

Rather than waxing your non-skid use a boat wash with PTFE in it.

[ItDepends]

Originally Posted by smj

Woody Wax?

Woody Wax Brushes, Gloves, And Applicator Kits

^^^^ THIS^^^^

This stuff is awesome. Non-slip, easy to apply. A bit pricey, but well worth it. My Admiral would kill anybody trying to take away her Woody....

We learned about it years ago from a Practical Sailor test of products for waxing non-skid decks. We have never been out of stock since.