Can you use car wax on a boat if not why not ??????????

The marine wax does protect from the marine environment more effectively - nothing to stop you doing the lower layers in car wax and then marine wax over the top!

Re Tcut - Try peek instead! you can buy it in Hal fords - its great for removing marks and stains on GRP and it doesn't harm the GRP (The tubes are better that the tins!)

T'cut on internal polished wood is OK!
 
Used to use Mer but am now a convert to Crystal-Glo Restorer and Sealant.

Got some from Silverwood Yacht services in Port Solent after having a demo from a valet who was working on a nearby boat. Hence that year the boat was half completed with Mer and half completed with Crystal-Glo. The Mer lost it protection quicker and didn't feel as smooth underhand.

This year machine polished with Crystal-Glo in the spring and the water still 'balls' on the hull. Top sides are in need of a going over though, think the sun gets to it as well as the salt water.
 
You need to build up several layers of MER to get lasting shine and protection. I normally put one on when boat comes out of water, and dont polish it off, then I will overlay this half way through winter, and again not polish off, and finally another layer just prior to launch and then polish it off - creates a good shine even on chalky GRP.
 
I believe that the conventional wisdom on this is that car polishes contain silicon compounds and that these can cause bonding problems if you have to do any GRP repairs.
Saying that I've always used car polishes and have never had any problems.
T-cut does not contain any polish,so should be alright,but when I've used it I found that it stained white gel with a slight brown tinge which was difficult to rub out.If you have to use an abrasive the Farecla products seem to work better.
 
I use Aurora boat scrub or Starbrite Easy scrub to wash, then 3M cleaner wax for the worse bits and then polish with Starbrite Premiun Teflon polish, and am happy with the results.

I have also recently discovered a product called Gel Gloss, which is a cleaner wax that comes in an aerosol can, mainly sold for cleaning baths & showers I think. I find this great for keeping everything clean and shiny as it's a quick spray and wipe on/wipe off that takes less than half an hour to around the whole boat and adds to the protection as well as shine.

You can also get it in larger non aerosol cans so I've ordered some to fill up a powermop with and see how that works.
 
Agree use car stuff

The "princess" handbook I got with my boat says to wash the boat with auto car wash and polish with good quality auto wax.

So, 1st season did it with Turtle wax extreme and was pleased with results - this year again with same stuff. Boat looks good and its easy to use. Comes up a treat each time I use the car wash soapy suds to get rid of the day to day grime/ grey streaks etc.
 
Yes you can - i used ordinary car wax

dont use T-Cut, it contains amonia and silcones which can yellow-ise gel coat, use faracla <sp> its water based and gel ok. BTW try not to cut back as you take a layer off the gel each time - after years and years there wont be any there!!
 
There are hundreds of products on the market. Most are as good as each other. Every boat is different, different gel finish etc. Also some boats are taken out to sea more often and not washed afterwards, some near road traffic, some with trees around, the list goes on. So polishes that work on some boats will not be as good on others. Automotive wax and polish does work, make sure it is suitable for GRP. It will not last as long as marine polish. I maintain boats for a living, also skippering boats, so any work I will be happy to do. Trade marine products are always superior to any other off the shelf product
 
Don't use T-Cut, it staines gel coat and it cannot be removed! use Farecula G10 which is only very mild just slightly more abrasive than polish or for heavy marks or flat chalky gel use G3.

Barry
 
I have tried them all teflon this marine that and gone back to good old automotive stuff. Autoglym Radiant wax polish, its very easy to apply & remove, together with Extra gloss protection which is liquid based and adds a tough protective sealant seems to work for me.
You can buy from Halfords or flag down one of the Autoglym vans they are all ran as a franchise so I am sure all will take your money!
 
I took the adhesive stripes off an 8 year old Sealine and tried lots of different polishes to bring the surrounding weathered areas back to the same gleaming white. The best I found was Starbrite easy scrub. You do need to use a wax polish after though.
 
Mer's the stuff as others have posted. Biggest benefit is that it somehow cuts and polishes at same time.(half the work) - longest lasting finish I have found too.
Several cardigan bay fishing charter skippers of my aquaintance use nothing else, and their boats get really messy.
 
I fully agree with you, I am in the same line of business and have tried many polishes over the last year or so, and to be really honest the only range that does what it says on the label is 3M's, it may be a pound or two dearer but it does the job and lasts. Plus you get full tech support if you have any problems.

Julian
 
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