Marine A Glaze

LionsDen

LionsDen

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www.bbiuk.com
I have recently purchased a Princess 42 flybridge which is due for its annual antifoul and buff and polish.
As an alternative to using 3M which has been applied since new I am considering having Marine A Glaze applied - Has any boat owners used this product - if so please advise on the pros and cons of using this product compared to 3M or are you aware of a better product to be used on a flybridge boat.
Normal wax only lasts a few months before having to be re-applied - I am particularly interested to hear how A Glaze performs over a season and if places like the radar arch - above the lower helm position etc suffer from the normal dull look after a few months of use. Also how easy is the boat maintained after application.

Many thanks

Terry
 
Hi Terry,

I applied A Glaze to my boat back in March. I did it myself. At first I was really pleased with the result. My expectations were that over the coming months those horrible black water marks would just wipe off without the elbow grease that is usually required. However, after 3 months I can't see any difference that A-Glaze has made over and above previous polish and wax's I've used.
Perhaps If had had the A-Glaze applied by a 'professional' the results would have been better but I have to say it is very easy to apply as DIY job. I'd say give it a try but don't expect a miracle.
 
Hi Switch,

Thanks for your reply - I have spoken to a couple of guys who apply this product and they have both said it is best to apply as many coats as possible until the gell coat does not absorb any more i.e. 4 - 6 number as opposed to the 2 number that the manufacture recommends.

Ps Are you @ Haslar Marina.
 
I use A Glaze primarily because it's easy to use.

Certainly don't need to get it professionally applied.
The instructions are really simple

One issue I have is that I often put too much of the actual A Glaze coat on.
This results in a dull finish.
Usually, I leave it for a while and then buff off to a perfect finish.

Go for it.
 
I think Switch summed it up. It is good, simple to apply but it is not a miracle cure! It is also astonishingly expensive.

I have only ever done one coat as if it is a "magic polymer that fills the microbits in the fibreglass blah blah" then applying coat after coat should not actually make any difference (A level physics of about xx years ago so thos in the know can shout me down!)
 
This is a reflection on the hull of my sealine after a light buff with 3M finesse it and one coat of Collinite 885 as recommended by Marine Reflections .
iphone024.jpg

Black streaks and dry salt just hose of easily still shining . I like the idea of being able to " top up " the wax rather than start all over again with a product like A Glaze allthough have not used it so cant make a direct comparison .
You may recognise the type of boat in the reflection ;):D .
 
HI too have a P42 and I have used a product marine 16 resin polish, very similar to the a glaze.
As others have said its easy to apply and lasts longer than polish but its not a miricle product. I still do two applications a year and I still have to light compound before each application
 
Hi all - Thanks all for your valued input to-date. By looking at the thread, it looks like there is no main preference so now a little confused but I think I will give it a go.

As an alternative solution has, anyone used either SupaGuard or Jewelultra car-valeting products which come with a 3-year guarantee as long as you use there shampoo - not sure if the guarantee would apply to boats though.
This in theory would mean that you do not have to re-polish the topside etc. on an annual basis inc Marine A Glaze which I understand you need to do a light compound annually before reapplying
I have used both these products on cars and found it easy to keep the car nice and clean.:cool:
 
LionsDen said:
Hi Switch,

Thanks for your reply - I have spoken to a couple of guys who apply this product and they have both said it is best to apply as many coats as possible until the gell coat does not absorb any more i.e. 4 - 6 number as opposed to the 2 number that the manufacture recommends.

Ps Are you @ Haslar Marina.
Click to expand...

I am indeed!!!
 
A Glaze

ANDY59 said:
This is a reflection on the hull of my sealine after a light buff with 3M finesse it and one coat of Collinite 885 as recommended by Marine Reflections .
iphone024.jpg

Black streaks and dry salt just hose of easily still shining . I like the idea of being able to " top up " the wax rather than start all over again with a product like A Glaze allthough have not used it so cant make a direct comparison .
You may recognise the type of boat in the reflection ;):D .
Click to expand...

I can certainly vouch for what ANDY59 says about using 3M Finesse and Collinite 885. I watched him do the job on his boat and the results were impressive. (The boat reflected is my boat!!)

I used Farecla G3 then applied 2 x coats of Collinite to my P42 and she polished up very well indeed.. Like Andy says.....the ability to "top up" wax is appealing as the season goes by.


How's the boat going Andy???
 
I am not knowledgeable about Aglaze, but I would guess, like any other finish, it is the prep that will make the difference, less so what you then apply.Regular washing etc also seems to make a big difference.3m always gets very well reviewed, and is alot cheaper !
 
LionsDen, forget the rest and use A Glaze.

Best product with minimum fuss and very easy to apply.

My boat is in Mallorca and has 4 coats of A Glaze applied twice a year, early summer and late autumn.

The Med is a true test of any finish let alone a 'polishing' product.

My boat has been A Glazed from new and is now in its 4th season and I can assure you it looks like new.

The only 'special' attention it gets is to be washed each week using the A Glaze shampoo.

A great product that cannot be bettered.

Must add that if you use any product on tired gel you will not get the permanent shine we all desire.

Yes 3M does give a good shine as do most products but they do not last thoughout the season.

TOWIA GLAZE
 
From what I'm reading above, the perceptions and reality of A Glaze differ a bit.

"Lasts thoughout the season" yet it's reapplied with 4 coats twice a year?
If the boat is washed down every week and cared for that well, it seems to me that A Glaze is unnecessary - the boat would still look great without it, especially on an almost new boat.

I use Autoglym super resin polish, twice a year (or more if I get the time / inclination / weather), and it lasts fine. Costs me about a tenner a year in polish.

In between I only wash the boat down with water, so as not to wash off the wax.

My boat is 24 years old and I get compliments on its shine.

I do wonder if there's a bit of wishful thinking going on with A Glaze: "I've spent a fortune putting this stuff on, so it must be good".

Has anyone got any experience of real direct comparisons vs wax?

FWIW I do remember a few years back going to buy a new (well 2nd hand) car for SWMBO at one of the used car supermarkets. After seeing one we liked and decided to buy it we had to endure the add-on sales patter from the oik trying to flog us everything from depreciation insurance, lost keys insurance to A-Glaze.

To demonstrate the A Glaze they had a car in the showroom that had been treated with it 12 months previously.

I smiled and took the oik outside and show him the 10 year old car we were replacing, which hadn't been treated with A-Glaze, just regular washing, polishing and TLC - it looked far better than their showroom example!

The oik just shrugged his shoulders and headed back to the showroom - enough said;)

I have to admit to being suspicious of this product's claims ever since.
 
I used A Glaze this season (based on Hurricane's suggestion). I applied it myself without difficulty. In order to avoid overdrying, SWMBO followed about 15min behind me buffing, and I then went over again for a final polish, all by hand.

This was done in March, and all is loooking good so far.

Previous season I had 3M applied professionally, and I would judge that A Glaze DIY has been the same (but much less expensive!)
 
Last edited:
LionsDen - I meant to say applied in March, but for some reason typed 'June'. Brain and fingers not connected! Have now edited.

No I did not use any cutting compound, just cleaned with the A Glaze marine Action + Heavy Duty Hull Cleaner, but Panacea is only 2 years old, so she is still in good shape surface-wise.
 
Trundlebug said:
From what I'm reading above, the perceptions and reality of A Glaze differ a bit.

"Lasts thoughout the season" yet it's reapplied with 4 coats twice a year?
If the boat is washed down every week and cared for that well, it seems to me that A Glaze is unnecessary - the boat would still look great without it, especially on an almost new boat.

I use Autoglym super resin polish, twice a year (or more if I get the time / inclination / weather), and it lasts fine. Costs me about a tenner a year in polish.

In between I only wash the boat down with water, so as not to wash off the wax.

My boat is 24 years old and I get compliments on its shine.

I do wonder if there's a bit of wishful thinking going on with A Glaze: "I've spent a fortune putting this stuff on, so it must be good".
Click to expand...


Trundlebug,

The boat is only coated twice a year because I am fastidious on how the boat is cared for.

A Glaze say only a once a year treatment is required.

I have seen many examples of polish used on boats in the Med and unless you are prepared to re-polish every 4-6 weeks you are wasting you time.

Boats in the Med fade rapidly without protection and I can assure you that your Autoglym is a very poor substitute for A Glaze under the intense temperatures and uv experienced.

I do not wish to appear rude or insulting but the River Trent (assuming that is where your boat is kept) is a very different place to the Med.
 
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