Poly-Glo Hull Restorer

[dakno]

Does anybody have any experience using this product? I have 8 hrs tuesday 3/11, to do something with my 1981 27' sloop freeboard before boat goes back into water. Suggestions?

[Talbot]

My suggestion is that you dont do anything to the hull until you have the time to do it properly.

Polyglo is a short cut to cutting back and re-polishing properly I have heard of different results some good, some bad, but you need to continue to apply every year. 3M seems to be the best wax system, but results with every system seem to depend on the amount of effort put into the application.

[S/V Illusion]

This is a last-resort product used when no other traditional method of topside maintenance is possible. It works and I've used it myself once on an old boat with worn gelcoat to make it look artificially good for purposes of a quick sale and it worked. The new owner, however, will spend hours/days maintaining it or removing it despite claims to the contrary.

If your topsides cannot be properly shined, this is your only option short of paint9ing it.

[hugosalt]

This is not to debate/change/convince anyone's opinion of poliglow...
However this is to answer your question about my experience with poliglow.
Facts as I have experienced them over last approx. 8-10 years...based on using the product.
Reason (right or wrong) for using product ...long time owner same vessel, 23 years..used to use good wax, very happy with results except as years past
found that I might be, little by little, cutting away the gel coat every time had to compound boat. not good.
With poli glow...1... you must apply it over a clean surface..comes with poli prep,
this removes dirt which would otherwise be sealed under.
This is most important step... takes me 2-3 hrs on 30' boat.(I usually dilute poli prep slighty less than recommeded..goes faster, less work.)
Applying poli glow is the easy part...put it on the applicator supplied and go...
Goes on fast and dries in about 90 seconds ...need to apply 5-6 coats but it really goes on fast with very little effort. Time about 2 hours..and that includes
everyone stopping by complimenting my new looking 23 year old finish.
points of info...
You can surely do the job in 1 day.
if your hull is oxided, poli glow will just make it shiny oxidation...test small area.
I have applied it, after heavy oxidation removal, to a boot stripe I thought would have to be painted... with very good results.
be careful when 1st applying... try to feather edges avoid bubbles and heavy
excess edges..won't look like much until 2nd 3rd coat.
poli glow recommeds touch ups mid season, I rarely do...but it will wear
at lower bow area after 500-1000+ mile passage.
I choose to remove and apply new each year, not necessary but find cleaner,
easier that way....and I don't cut into my gel coat every year.
if you need to do something fast for a year you won't go wrong.
if you hate it...take the poli prep and remove it in a few hours, if
nothing else you will have nice clean surface.
search forum...poli glow...it has been discussed, it's what makes this
forum great.
if you do use it, come back and post results... for better or worse.
and just in case anyone was wondering I don't have any realationship
with product, except I pay my money and use it.

[Talbot]

Originally Posted by hugosalt

This is not to debate/change/convince anyone's opinion of poliglow...However this is to answer your question about my experience with poliglow. Facts as I have experienced them over last approx. 8-10 years...based on using the product.

Thank you for posting, All other reports I have heard have been of a short term useage - Your point of removing the gel coat is well made.

[Nauticatarcher]

We use poli Glow on our top side Gelcoat and i have no problems with it as a product, we havent touched up for over two years and its looking a bit patchy, but a good clean with poli prep and we will be back in business with nice shiny new looking Gelcoat

[Ram]

Is this a silacone product?

[S/V Illusion]

It's a acrylic similar to floor wax although the marketing would dispute that. There are a few equivalent products on the market now but, if it were my boat, I'd carefully consider the more traditional acrylics manufactured by some of the premium boat paint companies as a better choice. As one example, U.S Paint/Interlux sells a product called Awlcare which is also an acrylic specifically made to protect Awlgrip paint. It is only marginally more expensive, will not peel or yellow and from my limited expereince, appears to last much longer.

[Québec 1]

2003 hull after polyglow application in May 2008:

Same hull in Mid October 2003 taken with a crappy telephone camera:



The really important part is the preparation work. Applying poly glow is anticlimactic. It goes on easy but needs at least 3 coats to start to get the shine.

I do not use it on the white gel coat cause it yellows it..just the Black and Blue gelcoat cause it gives it a really good shiny look. It stays shiny for 2 months and gradually dulls off into the end of the season.

Q1