If I paint the boat, will I stop getting streaks down the topsides?

[andyalford]

I love the teak deck on my 28 year old Hylas. But the gelcoat topsides absorbs every possible stain. I have used Big Job FSR stain remover, 3M rubbing compound, machine polishing, etc.

Every time it rains, I get new yellow stains down my white topsides. And rust streaks below the stainless fittings - even though they are polished regularly.

I'm thinking of painting the boat.

But are the promises true?
Will the dirt just wash away?

All I have to do is wash it once a month and apply a little polymer sealant every 6 months?

[Zach]

Wax it with good wax.

Try Collinites pre wax and insulator wax.

Gelcoat is porous, and wants to absorb whatever lays on it for a while. Of all the waxes in the world Collinites is the last one that can keep an old boat looking good once the surface starts getting really porous.

Cheers,

Zach

[zeehag]

buff out the oxidation and wax the fg so it wont absorb stains as readily..

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Zach

Wax it with good wax.

Try Collinites pre wax and insulator wax.

Gelcoat is porous, and wants to absorb whatever lays on it for a while. Of all the waxes in the world Collinites is the last one that can keep an old boat looking good once the surface starts getting really porous.

Cheers,

Zach

^^^^^

FSR OPENS the "pores" in the gelcoat. You MUST wax over that area immediately or the stains will reoccur.

[OS2Dude]

If your stainless fittings have rust steaks, all is NOT well with the world. You need to pull them and check their condition and rebed them properly. It sounds like you may have serious crevice corrosion.

[valhalla360]

Yes, paint will help but if your fittings are trailing rust, it's not a cure all.

[capt jgw]

And eventually the paint will oxidize and do the same thing. Better to fix the source of the stains. Don't know what to do about the teak, but removing, cleaning and rebedding the stainless will help. Back when they used bronze we didn't have this problem.

[andyalford]

Exactly right, you need to regularly wax the fibreglass or it will be porous. That's a really regular process when cruising in the tropics, and often gets forgotten / postponed.

I guess I was asking if paint will be the lazy option!?

No supporters for painting old boats?

Or just keep on with the compound until the gelcoat gets too thin?

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by yachtshah

I guess I was asking if paint will be the lazy option!?

No supporters for painting old boats?

Or just keep on with the compound until the gelcoat gets too thin?

How is doing the right and easier thing lazy?

No, no support for doing what is not necessary.

See Maine Sail's how to buff article. Too thin? Hardly.