DIY boat polishing

[thamesS23]

I will be taking the boat out of the water in the next month or so, to have it serviced. Whilst it is on the hard, the yard have said it will be available to myself incase I wanted access to clean and polish it.
I would like to give it a good scrub and polish, whilst I have the opportunity, but I dont have access to any equipment needed to polish it. Can anyone recommend and products and techniques to use if I was to do this job by hand (boat is 25ft). Would I be wasting my time by trying to do by hand, or can you still achieve good results?

 

[CX54WEK]

You can buy machine polishers fairly cheaply now. They are well worth the money.We did ours over the summer (well the top half, she was still in the water) and she still looks good now.

We had a few small scuffs to remove, so flatted down these areas then gave these areas a good buff with G3 compound, following that the whole boat was polished again with T-Cut which gives a finer cut and then again with Autoglym Super Resin polish before having a final once over with a good helping of Carnuba wax.

If you are going to do the job you may as well do it properly. A machine polisher will just make the job that bit easier. Just be careful not to burn the GRP by holding the polisher in one place for too long.

Ours comes out at the end of next month for the outdrive servicing. Whilst it is out we are doing an engine service, antifouling, replacing a trim tab ram and anodes and giving the boat another go over with the machine polisher to get her ready for the year ahead. Its easier to polish when the boat isnt moving around.

 

[Trundlebug]

I second the advice given above. Just go on Ebay and search for "sander polisher", they sell Silverline models for around £45 new, and well worth the investment. You can buy the rubbing compound from any good body shop or motor factors, although Farecla now do a marine compound specially for GRP that works really well, even better than G3. The best sponge I found is the white (hardest) one, replacements now also available from Screwfix.

Make sure you polish, (as opposed to compound) the hull with good quality polish straight afterwards to protect the shine. Autoglym is as good as any other, believe me I've compared all kinds of polishes but they all seem to last about the same. No need to buy expensive "marine" polishes. I've tried that Starbrite Teflon stuff, and a few others, Mer, Bilt Hamber etc but frankly they all last as long as each other and Autoglym is about the best to apply and polish off.

 

[gjgm]

yep, good advice already.
Give it a good wash, as you dont want any grit on the boat. Get the Silverline job and a few extra sponge heads as they shred if you hit a cleat! Farecla or another mild compound, and keep it damp, though not so wet is now sprays everywhere. What you are now doing is removing the grime, and if any shallow scratches, you can take them out. Dont over do it, especially on compound curves and corners where the gel might be thinner.
Now wash the boat again, Its should be shiny.
Change sponge head and go over it again with polish. Polish is also a very fine compounding cream, so, like moving to a finer grit sandpaper, you are merely refining the sheen.
You should now have a really good sheen, so you protect it with wax. Everyone has their favourite, but I reckon ease of use and life of protection is the nirvana. FWIW, I like Maguires Flagship. Is it any bettter? No idea, but its damn easy to use, so for a few quid, what the hell!!
Dont bother with the polisher for this -the Maguires anyway. With a wax-wet cloth,rub over the boat, and then with a clean cloth,wipe off. Its really that easy with this wax. Others might be alot harder...
Costs? Well I ve had the polisher for years.. I get through a few sponge heads;the farecla will probably last 10 years at this rate, and the polish and wax does a start and end of season,twice- ie two years.
Edit: have some 600+1200 wet and dry sandpaper with some water if you have some scratches the compound wont take out;then start with the compound again.
BTW, with this kit, you are also tooled up for any minor gel repairs too

 

[Harpsden]

Orbital Polisher

I did my hull with this polisher which I bought for the job early last spring.

http://www.boatsheen.com/orbital_polishing_machines.html

Did a fine job and inexpensive at £32. Planning to use it again in March when the boat comes out for a month.




Harpsden

 

[claire]

Collinite Wax Products

Have you not heard about Collinite Wax Products?
They are brill!!

www.shipshapenorfolk.co.uk

You dont need a bufferer all the products are put on and taken off by hand

For a super clean shiney you need 920 Fiberglass Boat Cleaner and 885 Fleetwax Paste

Thats what I used anyway and Im well happy

 

[oGaryo]

I'll be doing mine when the weather turns and have been advised to use nothing but 3M compound and finishing products.. will be watching this thread with interest as the 3m stuff seems quite expensive

 

[Scubadoo]

You can buy machine polishers fairly cheaply now. They are well worth the money.We did ours over the summer (well the top half, she was still in the water) and she still looks good now.

We had a few small scuffs to remove, so flatted down these areas then gave these areas a good buff with G3 compound, following that the whole boat was polished again with T-Cut which gives a finer cut and then again with Autoglym Super Resin polish before having a final once over with a good helping of Carnuba wax.

If you are going to do the job you may as well do it properly. A machine polisher will just make the job that bit easier. Just be careful not to burn the GRP by holding the polisher in one place for too long.

Ours comes out at the end of next month for the outdrive servicing. Whilst it is out we are doing an engine service, antifouling, replacing a trim tab ram and anodes and giving the boat another go over with the machine polisher to get her ready for the year ahead. Its easier to polish when the boat isnt moving around.

Out of interest after you use G3 do you then use G6 and G10 and finish off with Polish?

 

[SAMBAMAN]

Plenty of top quality boat cleaning products here - www.cleanyourcar.co.uk

for top quality wax i use ''zymol marine wax'' available from www.specialistcarsltd.co.uk

its fantastic.

 

[aquatom]

3M is expensive and hardwork but is well worth it. We are based in the med and have used many others and yes you can get cheaper and easier to use but they don't seem to last as long as 3M.

It is also recomended buy Fairline and Sunseeker (not sure about other manufacturers)

I will be watching others comment on this though!

 

[EuanMcKenzie]

I bought mine at machine mart

Their own brand unit is well priced and had a speed controller so you can slow it down for cutting.

They do sponge pads and polishing bonnets etc.

you can use wet with the G3 cutting compound we all favour

 

[gjgm]

Out of interest after you use G3 do you then use G6 and G10 and finish off with Polish?

G6 is made for harder finishes than G3. If I m just using them to clean up the grime, I might use some G3 or G6 for the worst areas and scratches (or if I' ve used some 600/1200 sandpaper first), and G 10 for the bulk. Somewhat depends how often you do it and how much grime is in the gelcoat.
And I'd use the 3/6 on a gel repair.
But there should be an OK shine before moving onto the polish, and by then you should get an OK reflection. The wax is more of a water repellant than anything else, I reckon.
But this whole topic can go on forever, with decreasing returns, I think !
And I think its probably a bit subjective...

 

[CX54WEK]

Out of interest after you use G3 do you then use G6 and G10 and finish off with Polish?

No after the G3 we went straight onto T-Cut. The gel coat polishes up quite easily on our Sealine. Then onto the Autoglym super resin polish and then carnuba wax.

If it was being a little more stubborn to polish up again we would have brought the grading up a little slower though as suggested. Starts to get expensive and more time consuming though the more times you have to go over it.

 

[CX54WEK]

The wax is more of a water repellant than anything else, I reckon.
But this whole topic can go on forever, with decreasing returns, I think !
And I think its probably a bit subjective...

The wax does repel water but it also helps stop any muck/grime sticking to the surface. Cuts down on the amount of washing needed to keep it clean. You have to be careful where you apply it though. Not too good on non slip surfaces!!!

 

[gjgm]

The wax does repel water but it also helps stop any muck/grime sticking to the surface. Cuts down on the amount of washing needed to keep it clean. You have to be careful where you apply it though. Not too good on non slip surfaces!!!

Sure, what I meant was that the wax isnt some miracle product.. the preparation needs to be underneath it, and this is just the final protective finish- in contrast to the polish, for example.

 

[CX54WEK]

Sure, what I meant was that the wax isnt some miracle product.. the preparation needs to be underneath it, and this is just the final protective finish- in contrast to the polish, for example.

Sorry i must have misunderstood, but yes i agree with what you say above.

Wax isnt some miracle and it is the preperation that counts.

 

[PhilipF]

We bought our boat new four years ago, and have never bothered to polish it! See others doing it in the marina, and puzzle why do all that?

Advantages - apart from shining it?

 

[CX54WEK]

Less boat washing on hot/warm summer days = more boating

 

[Trundlebug]

We bought our boat new four years ago, and have never bothered to polish it! See others doing it in the marina, and puzzle why do all that?

Advantages - apart from shining it?

...The same reason you would wash the car, paint the house, sweep the drive, decorate the lounge, clean a washbasin or toilet.

Apart from basic good maintenance, appearance and asset preservation reasons, when you wash, clean or polish something, you also inspect it close up and in detail whilst you're doing it. You therefore notice any small defects before they become big ones, and are able to make an early judgment on whether they need repairing or not. One day, you may spot a serious problem early on and prevent big £££ costs.

Not that I disagree with the comment that time spent cleaning / polishing is time NOT spent using it, these things have to be kept in proper balance of course.

 

[Theshipscat]

If you know of a Trade motor factor or Car Body work supplier you'll get a good polisher for under £30 (same as the one most chandlers flog for £45). They also sell all the cleaners and polish you will need at half the price of a chandler. Any doubts just ask the suppliers or the manufacturers, the telephone numbers are usually on the pack.