topside restoration - poli-glow vs wax

[kevball]

Hi guys
I have a 1985 CT 38. It's been sitting for awhile and is in need of some exterior TLC. I have repainted the deck, re-varnished the exterior teak and I am now on the topside cleaning. The gelcoat is in good condition aside from a few nicks and scratches and some oxidation. I am considering poli-glow for the topsides. Can anyone give me any kind of recommendations for the task at hand? It doesn't need paint yet but I do want to clean it up.

[High Cotton]

I'm interested in this, also.........

I've heard some really good things about POLYGLOW, including from PRACTICAL SAILOR........ somebody said it turns yellow............. is that true?

[kevball]

I have been looking for a link to practical sailors review. I have also come across " New Glass 2" ( newglass2.com ) according to their website it seems to be similar to Poli-Glow. They also boast a beaming Practical Sailor review which I am currently trying to locate as well.
Thats the first I heard about the yellowing though... food for thought!

[Pblais]

I did mine with Aquabuff 2000. It is a buffing compound with a wax. You apply it with a buffing machine. It cleans, polishes, and waxes in one operation. After you are done you just wash it. It did an exceptional job. It's a lot of work swinging a buffing machine. Probably take you two days.

[markpj23]

Originally Posted by Pblais

I did mine with Aquabuff 2000. It is a buffing compound with a wax. You apply it with a buffing machine. It cleans, polishes, and waxes in one operation. After you are done you just wash it. It did an exceptional job. It's a lot of work swinging a buffing machine. Probably take you two days.

Paul - any idea how long the polish lasts? Did you apply a wax over this?

[s/v Breakaway]

Practical Sailor did choose Poli Glow over the other similar products. As I recall, it lasts as long as 2 years- depends on your environment. You are unlikely to find a link to a "free" Practical Sailor review, since they get their revenue to stay in business through subscriptions since they don't accept advertising.

[Pblais]

Paul - any idea how long the polish lasts? Did you apply a wax over this?

No wax required it's in the mix. Not sure how long it lasts. A neighbor did his Mainship 40 with it and he just uses the car wash and wax stuff you buy in the gallon jugs and it has lasted a long time. I would guess you could go a long time at least a year or more if you washed it regular. The only really bad part about it is you need to apply it with a machine. No way to use this stuff by hand and get it done in less than a few weeks. Our 36 ft hull took 2 days with a machine. It's basically a water based 2000 grit buffing compound with a heat activated wax. If you had an old gelcoated boat that wasn't looking great this stuff would fix it.

Poliglow is more of a chemical approach and you can do it by hand. That has a lot of advantages. You need to use the Poliglow cleaner first but I think you can renew subsequently without it. The cleaner is really the secret.

[rtbates]

I did my transom 2 years ago and it's still looking shiny. The best part is how easy any potential stain cleans off. The rest of the topsides are awaiting for the day I go to the boat AND don't go sailing!

You also might want to consider 'Island Girl' products. I think I'd have gone with IG if I had know about their products back when.

[Maine Sail]

Without a doubt Poli Glow is the best of the "miracle finishes" but they are just that a finish! Poli Glow is NOT very durable and resistant to abrasion from fenders, mooring balls, dinghys or any other product or device that comes in contact with the hull for more than a few minutes.

We did my buddies Mako about five years ago and it lasted two weeks before the mooring ball, in calm weather, had worn through the PoliGlow. The two patches on the both port and starboard looked like skin cancer!

I'm of the "do it right the first time" mentality and for me that's a multi step process.

#1 - Wet sand (only if necessary)
#2 - Compound (3M Super Duty Rubbing Compound or equivalent)
#3 - Polish (3M Finesse It II or equivalent)
#4 - Wax (Collinite Fleete Paste Wax #885 or equivalent)


I have restored the shine to many, many gelcoat boats over the years and made them look like new but it's a time commitment!

An example of a failing "miracle coating" (note the yellowing)

Multi step reconditioning of a 1986 Catalina:

Buffing Supplies:


If you plan on keeping the boat, do it the right way, if your only planning to sell it use Poli Glow!!

[hugosalt]

poli glow
Using poli glow for years.
Have not experienced yellowing, but my hull is beige.
Yes, use poli prep first to clean, otherwise just sealing in dirt.
I have worn through finish after a while, mostly bow wave area.
But so easy and painless to recoat. Trick is to put multiple coats on (still easy and painless) cause stuff dries in 60 seconds and can do 5-6 coats in no time and that helps protect and leaves new gel coat finish look. I probably should touch up mid season but end up using only when commissioning in spring. AND THAT BE VERY SHORTLY IN THESE PARTS...NORTHEAST USA

[schoonerdog]

Here's a link with another group discussing it as well. People who've used poli-glow have said it should:

1) provide a good finish with a lot less work than sanding, compounding, polishing and waxing.

2) it won't necessitate taking off gelcoat to work as would compounding.

3) it should last twice as long as wax and work regardless of the gelcoat condition, which traditional compounding and waxing cannot necessarily promise. (practical sailor showed a three year old boat with the poliglow bow still showing a shine, no off coloring). It also should protect against UV, that's important to me but really can't find a lot on that.

4) you need do the prep properly (everyone seems to recommend the poliprep kit).

5) All of it's long term users stress that you should apply a maintanence coat in the fall and in the spring strip and redo. They claim it's very easy to strip off with the poli prep. I'm guessing the time savings for the poliglow would be a good 4 to 1 vs compounding, polishing, waxing.

I've got both, fleetwax and poliglow, I might very well do the poliglow on the majority of the hulls and save a portion of the transom for doing the much more labor intensive fleetwax, just to see what the difference is.

Had I the money, I might have chosen Island Girl products, but I think it would be 3 times the cost of everything else.

http://archives.sailboatowners.com/p...id=458080&ptl=

[ssullivan]

This post is GOSPEL!

Acoustic couldn't be more correct. The only way to achieve good results that last and turn heads is to put in the time and effort. There is no escape from doing it right.

Also, Collinite is the only product I've found that can (after a good grinding down of chalk), make a boat look new again.

People used to come up to me and ask me how I got my old Gulfstar to look like a new boat, when their 5 yr old boat didn't shine as well. I told them, and they usually dismissed it and said, "there must be an easier way." There isn't.

Originally Posted by Acoustic

Without a doubt Poli Glow is the best of the "miracle finishes" but they are just that a finish! Poli Glow is NOT very durable and resistant to abrasion from fenders, mooring balls, dinghys or any other product or device that comes in contact with the hull for more than a few minutes.

We did my buddies Mako about five years ago and it lasted two weeks before the mooring ball, in calm weather, had worn through the PoliGlow. The two patches on the both port and starboard looked like skin cancer!

I'm of the "do it right the first time" mentality and for me that's a multi step process.

#1 - Wet sand (only if necessary)
#2 - Compound (3M Super Duty Rubbing Compound or equivalent)
#3 - Polish (3M Finesse It II or equivalent)
#4 - Wax (Collinite Fleete Paste Wax #885 or equivalent)


I have restored the shine to many, many gelcoat boats over the years and made them look like new but it's a time commitment!

An example of a failing "miracle coating" (note the yellowing)

Multi step reconditioning of a 1986 Catalina:

Buffing Supplies:


If you plan on keeping the boat, do it the right way, if your only planning to sell it use Poli Glow!!

[Nauticatarcher]

We used Poli-Glow on our topsides, worked well easy to apply, alot easier than having to Buff around deck fittings etc, been 2 years of cruising and due for redo/touch up, good product will keep using

[hugosalt]

Acoustic and Sean,
Don't beat me up I may have this all wrong , but here goes...
Between sanding and compounding that could make for a real heavy cut into the gel coat, in the hands of someone that does not have the experience and touch as you.
They just may sand/compound down the gelcoat, it may take a few times before they are real unhappy (gets real porus? after finish is gone). That's why I use poli glow...not an end all product...but I'm not cutting into my gelcoat each time I coat.
I always thought "planing to keep boat a long time don't cut away the gelcoat".
Just my misguided outlook!

[schoonerdog]

Hugosalt, that's my main fear as well. I know for a fact I would do something stupid and lean to heavily into one corner and completely destroy the gelcoat.

Originally Posted by hugosalt

Acoustic and Sean,
Don't beat me up I may have this all wrong , but here goes...
Between sanding and compounding that could make for a real heavy cut into the gel coat, in the hands of someone that does not have the experience and touch as you.
They just may sand/compound down the gelcoat, it may take a few times before they are real unhappy (gets real porus? after finish is gone). That's why I use poli glow...not an end all product...but I'm not cutting into my gelcoat each time I coat.
I always thought "planing to keep boat a long time don't cut away the gelcoat".
Just my misguided outlook!