Removing old wax

[GoAway]

Waxing the hull of my boat has gotten quite difficult. I have been told this is because I have a build up of old wax and the new wax is dragging it around. What is the best way to remove the old wax without wearing down the 35 year old Gelcoat and painted boot and cove stripes?

[a64pilot]

I doubt that wax is building up.
However there may be other things in the wax that builds up.
There are chemicals available that painters use to strip wax for painting, many modern waxes have chemicals and oils in them besides just wax now, and these things make painting difficult, so there are wax strippers now.

I’d go to an automotive paint shop and ask.

[john61ct]

aka solvents? there be dragons

probably better to check with the older boatyard guys before just jumping in with whatever the auto guys say

[Stu Jackson]

A classic:


https://forums.sailboatowners.com/in...ff-wax.117266/

[ohdrinkboy]

Dawn dish washing detergent removes wax. In fact, car wax manf. often tell you not to wash with Dawn unless you are doing it to remove the wax. Might be worth a test area to see if it helps.

[john61ct]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

A classic:
https://forums.sailboatowners.com/in...ff-wax.117266/

Wow, great stuff from Da Man as usual

[a64pilot]

That is a tremendous amount of work, and once you wet sand and polish, your sort of married to it.
It seems to open the pores of gel coat and you have to keep it up.
Like bright work I guess, the work never stops.

[JPA Cate]

Hello, Go Away,

There is a product called Poly Glo. It is a polymerizing wash for gelcoat. It comes as a pack, and contains a light acid wash for removing old wax, and stain, from the hull. We used it for years on our previous boat, and were quite satisfied. Follow the instructions.
It looked best when we did all the coats, but they are pretty fast, and it can be done with the boat in the water. No affiliation with the company. In the US, I believe it is available, or a very similar product, under the name TSRW (for "this stuff really works").

Ann

[Tatheelrod22]

I was logging in to see any additional responses to my most recent question and I ran across yours and I'm glad I did. I stumbled across a product online late in the fall called Glidecoat, which I have now used on my previously oxidized navy hull sailboat. Full disclaimer here. I'm in no way affiliated with this family owned FL based company, other than having developed a bit of an online and phone dialogue with one of the sons named Kyle. The product is not inexpensive and it's really a four step process but the difference in my hull is unbelievable! I actually invested in a gloss meter to allow me to objectively measure the improvement so it's for real. The real key is going to be the longevity which of course I can't comment on yet, but all I can say is WOW. To your specific question on wax removal, there are ways I could suggest for that however the compounds they provide in the process take care of that issue. They will kindly and patiently walk you through the steps and I can't imagine you not being pleased.They are also good at helping you determine how much of each to the steps you need to buy based on the size of your boat.

Again, Glidecoat is the product and the website is pretty impressive.

[WanderIVth]

Originally Posted by Tatheelrod22

The real key is going to be the longevity which of course I can't comment on yet, but all I can say is WOW.

How is the longevity looking now?

[Rumrace]

Well you’ve been told to use marine wax cause it’s a boat. The previous owner of one of my boats asked what did I do to the boat.
I used Mother’s wax remover. Clay bar to remove tiny specs. The 3 part mother’s Sealer filler and wax.
You can use dawn dish soap to lift wax off.
I think the biggest mistake amateurs make is picking up rubbing compound. Especially to old glass.

[CaptainMarkS]

Originally Posted by Tatheelrod22

I was logging in to see any additional responses to my most recent question and I ran across yours and I'm glad I did. I stumbled across a product online late in the fall called Glidecoat, which I have now used on my previously oxidized navy hull sailboat. Full disclaimer here. I'm in no way affiliated with this family owned FL based company, other than having developed a bit of an online and phone dialogue with one of the sons named Kyle. The product is not inexpensive and it's really a four step process but the difference in my hull is unbelievable! I actually invested in a gloss meter to allow me to objectively measure the improvement so it's for real. The real key is going to be the longevity which of course I can't comment on yet, but all I can say is WOW. To your specific question on wax removal, there are ways I could suggest for that however the compounds they provide in the process take care of that issue. They will kindly and patiently walk you through the steps and I can't imagine you not being pleased.They are also good at helping you determine how much of each to the steps you need to buy based on the size of your boat.

Again, Glidecoat is the product and the website is pretty impressive.

What's your experience with Glidecoat after a few years? Still impressed? It's on my shortlist for ceramic coatings.