Visit our Popular Forums

sailorboy1 · 25-03-2012, 10:02

I hate waxing my car, image how I feel about waxing the boat! After the first 1/4 of the boat going up and down the ladder 20 times it gets old! And as every 1/4 length of the boat goes by the remainder increases 50% in size. And the forward part of the boat that I barely can reach counts as an extra 30% as I stretch to reach it with falling off the ladder. So in the end waxing increases the surface area of my hull somewhere around 300%!

thinwater · 25-03-2012, 10:08

So don't. I've never waxed a boat and never will.

http://sail-delmarva.blogspot.com/20...mmit-this.html

delmarrey · 25-03-2012, 10:19

So don't! Just let it oxidize out then after about 10 years you'll just have to start sanding and painting every 3-5 years, like the rest of us with older boats.

**nigel1** · 25-03-2012, 10:29

I wax one side from the dock, the other from the dimk. It aint the waxing, its the compounding and polish which is a chore, but it saves walking up and down ladders

barnakiel · 25-03-2012, 10:54

Our boat is painted (two parts polyurethane perhaps?) over older gelco. The paint is 10 years old now and there is no gloss loss. We only wax it when doing the bottom job, say every other year.

Our extremely low topsides (maybe 2') go a long way towards saving us back aches ...

(But she does look lovely ... the first week in the water).

b.

**minaret** · 25-03-2012, 12:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

I hate waxing my car, image how I feel about waxing the boat! After the first 1/4 of the boat going up and down the ladder 20 times it gets old! And as every 1/4 length of the boat goes by the remainder increases 50% in size. And the forward part of the boat that I barely can reach counts as an extra 30% as I stretch to reach it with falling off the ladder. So in the end waxing increases the surface area of my hull somewhere around 300%!

Your mistake is the ladder. Rent a rolling scaffold at AAA Rents or equivalent. You'll bang it out in a fraction of the time with much less work, and it'll be easier to take the time to do a really nice job. They're cheap to rent and easy to move around. I can't imagine doing hull work from a ladder, it would suck. You'd spend more time moving the ladder around than anything else, and its constantly in the way.

Paperbird · 25-03-2012, 14:18

We use 3 versions of scaffolding:

- 2x10 stretched across 2 sawhorses
- 2x10 stretched between 2 step ladders (not at the top)
- 2x10 laid onto an articulated ladder that turns into scaffolding

All work much better than a ladder. Having all makes it easy for multiple people to help (if you can find such folks...)

**David M** · 25-03-2012, 15:10

Yards usually have a rolling scaffold you can borrow for free. You're doing it the hard way.

**minaret** · 25-03-2012, 16:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by David M

Yards usually have a rolling scaffold you can borrow for free. You're doing it the hard way.

In our yard, and I suspect many others, we never loan scaffolding due to liability concerns. Most of the severe injuries I have seen in the yard over the years have been from falling off of scaffolding. The quickest way to get booted from our yard is to take the scaffolding on the weekend when no one is looking. The bosses get really pissed and there are signs everywhere and on most of the scaffolds as well. They are really cheap to rent. Broken down they fit easily in the back of a truck or even on a cartop.

sailorboy1 · 25-03-2012, 17:14

Ladder isn't my mistake, .......................... waxing is!

bobconnie · 25-03-2012, 17:38

Down the Bayou there is a LARGE, may we say border crossing population, and waxing is done in the water or out for way less then ya can believe!! and they do it by Hand !! Just outstanding shine and plenty wax lasts a Long time

!! maybe some of you folks need to vist the the bayou Country along the ICW !! just a thought

matauwhi · 25-03-2012, 20:33

G'day, mates. +1 Nigel1. Much easier from the dock. Cheers

**David M** · 25-03-2012, 21:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by minaret

In our yard, and I suspect many others, we never loan scaffolding due to liability concerns. Most of the severe injuries I have seen in the yard over the years have been from falling off of scaffolding. The quickest way to get booted from our yard is to take the scaffolding on the weekend when no one is looking. The bosses get really pissed and there are signs everywhere and on most of the scaffolds as well. They are really cheap to rent. Broken down they fit easily in the back of a truck or even on a cartop.

I didn't know that. Every yard I have gone to in the Bay Area has no problem with it. I certainly can understand with our litigious society where people are no longer responsible for their actions.