Best topside wax, err and how to apply it

MagicalArmchair

MagicalArmchair

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Our new boat Mirage has nice, white topsides. The bottom sides are starting to brown a bit (it might just wash off, not sure yet). Whats the best process to protect the topsides and whats the best modern product set (I know waxs have come on a long way)? I use Meguiars three stage system of my car for instance.

She has a little oxidisation on some blue gelcoat strips, but very minimal.

kj84Jhph.jpg


  • Wash with soapy water first (washing up liquid) to strip off any old wax
  • Use some form of polish to restore the surface? I doubt any rubbing compound will be required?
  • Wax on, wax off, karate kid style.
 
I'm yet to get to the stage where I have enough time to polish my topsides but Oxalic acid works wonders cleaning up the gelcoat and I have been told the 3m stuff is the "nuts". Machine buffer of a bungee and a good platform to work from.
 
I use 2 coats of Meguiars 45 Polish, followed by 2 coats of Meguiars 56 Wax. All done by hand; it's incredibly easy stuff to apply and buff off by hand. Lasts 2 years.

Brown staining can be removed with an oxalic acid product, eg Y10 Fibreglass Stain Remover.
 

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pvb said:
I use 2 coats of Meguiars 45 Polish, followed by 2 coats of Meguiars 56 Wax. All done by hand; it's incredibly easy stuff to apply and buff off by hand. Lasts 2 years.

Brown staining can be removed with an oxalic acid product, eg Y10 Fibreglass Stain Remover.
Click to expand...

Maguiars paste is my wax of choice too.
If you have a machine polisher the new (purple bottle) 3m cut and wax, diluted in water and put on with a paint brush, taken off with the polisher is very very easy under the maguiers.
I’m sure your suggestion is better for hand application.

Paul my GRP repair man has banned Y10 from my boat. He says it damages the surface. I’m reporting what he said but I follow his advice as he’s generally very knowledgable.
 
Elessar said:
Paul my GRP repair man has banned Y10 from my boat. He says it damages the surface. I’m reporting what he said but I follow his advice as he’s generally very knowledgable.
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I haven't heard that, but it may be a matter of how often it is used. I use a similar product from Yachticon which is easier to apply because it is sloppier and comes in larger bottles (anti-gilb). I would like to meet a product that lasts two years, but I would probably wax yearly anyway. Normally, I only treat the yellow if it bad enough, but usually, once you have started you have to treat the whole surface or you will get a non-matching edge.
 
For brown staining, I buy oxalic acid via ebay, a small pack will last years and can have wallpaper paste added when dissolved to thicken it up. https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=oxalic acid crystals No sign of damage to gel coat after many years use.

Hull wiped over with cream cleaner and then my polish of choice is liquid Stabrite with Teflon. One coat hand applied lasts all year.
 
MagicalArmchair said:
Our new boat Mirage has nice, white topsides. The bottom sides are starting to brown a bit (it might just wash off, not sure yet). Whats the best process to protect the topsides and whats the best modern product set (I know waxs have come on a long way)? I use Meguiars three stage system of my car for instance.

She has a little oxidisation on some blue gelcoat strips, but very minimal.

kj84Jhph.jpg


  • Wash with soapy water first (washing up liquid) to strip off any old wax
  • Use some form of polish to restore the surface? I doubt any rubbing compound will be required?
  • Wax on, wax off, karate kid style.
Click to expand...

Oxalic acid first to clean off stains, buy the powder off ebay, cheap as chips. Then buff with a slight cutting compound type like 3m cleaner and restorer then Autoglym every year. Our 20 year old hull still gets admiring glances
 
ok, so we've covered the treatment for topside.
At the risk of thread drift, what do people do with the deck, coachroof and non slip areas?
 
MagicalArmchair said:
Ha, that was my next question too. Thanks all. Best get my elbow grease stocked up too...
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Buy lots of cotton stockinette too - Halfords sell it as "polishing cloth" at £8 for an 800g roll. Cut it up into foot-long pieces; you can turn each piece inside out for extra use. I get through a couple of packs doing my boat.
 
So I innocently thought I will quickly order my polish and wax (as I'll try and get away with a three step, Wash, Polish (2 coats), Wax (2 coats) this year without any cutting), however, I arrived here:

https://www.force4.co.uk/department...-polish-teak-care/gelcoat-paint-cleaners.html

I'm thinking wash with washing up liquid, and err, a microfiber mit? Then:


Or...


And what the hell is this stuff? https://www.force4.co.uk/crystal-glo-marine-treatment-polish-m.html - replacement for the polish step above?
 
MagicalArmchair said:
So I innocently thought I will quickly order my polish and wax (as I'll try and get away with a three step, Wash, Polish (2 coats), Wax (2 coats) this year without any cutting), however, I arrived here:

https://www.force4.co.uk/department...-polish-teak-care/gelcoat-paint-cleaners.html

I'm thinking wash with washing up liquid, and err, a microfiber mit? Then:


Or...


And what the hell is this stuff? https://www.force4.co.uk/crystal-glo-marine-treatment-polish-m.html - replacement for the polish step above?
Click to expand...

As a confirmed (and happy) Meguiars user for well over 10 years, I don't think you'll be disappointed if you choose the Meguiars products. I started using them after watching the guys at Fox's boatyard commissioning a new Oyster. They said they could use any products on the market, but found Meguiars products worked so well.
 
One of the cons of keeping a boat in the Med is keeping it nice and shiny. How do these superyacht people manage it? I wonder what they use? Twenty crew to do it for them probably! Has anyone used A-Glaze? I've got a boxful of stuff I bought for a boat about 3 boats ago and have never tried it! ... Anyone .... ?
 
MagicalArmchair said:
So I innocently thought I will quickly order my polish and wax (as I'll try and get away with a three step, Wash, Polish (2 coats), Wax (2 coats) this year without any cutting), however, I arrived here:

https://www.force4.co.uk/department...-polish-teak-care/gelcoat-paint-cleaners.html

I'm thinking wash with washing up liquid, and err, a microfiber mit? Then:


Or...


And what the hell is this stuff? https://www.force4.co.uk/crystal-glo-marine-treatment-polish-m.html - replacement for the polish step above?
Click to expand...

I have used the 3M Perfect-it medium polish and the Perfect-it wax with good results.

Used a white 3M wool disc for the polish, and a yellow 3M wool disc for the wax.
 
So who knew! A bigger boat, is bigger! It took me most of the day to cream clean her and remove the slime that had dried like concrete on to the water line. :rolleyes:

RlUsCb7h.png


So now the slime is off, I am left with this nasty brown stain on the waterline.

uuctM0nh.png


So my options are:

  • Light cutting compound applied by hand to the waterline.
  • Y10 (I'm sure I have a tub of this somewhere... I think).
  • Oxalic acid (Well, Poli Ox (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Poli-Oxidation-Remover-Marine-Cleanser/dp/B00D6GMWFG) what I have, but its basically the same stuff). It says it can be used 'safely' to remove stains. Will it damage the gel coat do we thing as was suggested above?
 
Don't use cutting compound. Oxalic acid will shift it. Despite what people say about wallpaper paste etc, a tub of Y10 is an easy and convenient way to do it, and a tub lasts for ages!

However, for best results, you need an ambient temperature of at least 10degC for oxalic to work properly. It may be too cold at the moment, in which case maybe leave it until the spring.
 
johnalison said:
Y10 is OK, but as I've said before, the Yachticon stuff is much easier. It seems to be widely available but I have never seen it on the shelves in England.
Click to expand...

Out of interest, why is it easier? It's basically just 5% oxalic acid, like Y10.

I find that in summer Y10 can need some gentle scrubbing to remove it from the surface, it doesn't just rinse off.
 
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