Best wax or UV protectant for gel coat

[SV Windrush II]

Hello all,

I am trying to restore a faded out blue hull on my 2007 Tayana 58. I just purchased the boat a few months ago and the previous owner said that the last buff job only lasted 6 months and now is oxidized again.
Is there anything out there that will protect the finish from oxidizing?

Thanks

Rob

[tkeithlu]

Ugh. Clear coat gives a car that wet shine. Oxidized paint is usually rubbed off and the "fresh" paint covered with wax with any of the combination car waxes. If it only lasted six months, that sounds like what has been done. So, two routes. Remove all oxidation and spray with clear coat, an expensive and high-skill job, or repeat the process with rub/wax, a low skill low cost but time consuming and short term solution.

I don't have a high level of expertise in this area, but no one else has spoken up. Let's see if someone confirms/challenges my thinking on it.

[CSY Man]

Wet sand, compound then this product:

[s/v Jedi]

I recommend Awlgrip LPU topcoat. Seriously, it’s the only thing that takes care of the problem in a meaningful way. The good thing is you get to choose the color, the bad news is that when you choose a dark color like the current navy blue, it’s much more difficult to paint (requires roll & tip or spray instead of just rolling).

[a64pilot]

I don’t think any wax will last longer than 6 months, and actually much less in Summer in the tropics.
When I wax which isn’t often, I like a good high quality Carnauba wax, but real Carnauba is a real bear to work with.
An issue with a lot of the synthetic coverings is when they age and need removing, that can be a real royal pain, I know because I went through it on my last boat.
If you got 6 months out of wax on a dark blue hull, I’d say that is very good.

Btw, PTFE is Teflon or similar, I wonted what PTEF is?

[Cabo Jim]

Windrush II. Are you an online member of Practical Sailor? If not I highly recommend signing up for an online subscription. As a boat owner a $20.00 US subscription will pay hundreds if not thousands in dividends. For $14.95 you can purchase this online ebook. https://www.practical-sailor.com/ppv...oduct_id=11433
No I don't get a kickback.
I wish you many hours of happy polishing/waxing (I call it making love to the boat)
Cabo Jim

[RSB333]

I PoliGlo and it goes longer than 6 months, and is much easier to apply than wax. The first application takes the longest, to remove oxidation. After that, though, it's mostly mop work.
RSB333

[Avionics_Joe]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I don’t think any wax will last longer than 6 months, and actually much less in Summer in the tropics.
When I wax which isn’t often, I like a good high quality Carnauba wax, but real Carnauba is a real bear to work with.
An issue with a lot of the synthetic coverings is when they age and need removing, that can be a real royal pain, I know because I went through it on my last boat.
If you got 6 months out of wax on a dark blue hull, I’d say that is very good.

Btw, PTFE is Teflon or similar, I wonted what PTEF is?

PTEF is Star brite's registered trademark name for polytetrafluoroethylene.

Polytetrafluoroethylene is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene that has numerous applications. The well-known brand name of PTFE-based formulas is Teflon by Chemours. Chemours was a spin-off from DuPont, which originally discovered the compound in 1938. Wikipedia

Whenever you see a registered trademark, just understand that is a legal way to lie or tell a half-truth.

[tarian]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I don’t think any wax will last longer than 6 months, and actually much less in Summer in the tropics.
When I wax which isn’t often, I like a good high quality Carnauba wax, but real Carnauba is a real bear to work with.
An issue with a lot of the synthetic coverings is when they age and need removing, that can be a real royal pain, I know because I went through it on my last boat.
If you got 6 months out of wax on a dark blue hull, I’d say that is very good.

Btw, PTFE is Teflon or similar, I wonted what PTEF is?

Much agreement , I use pure Carnuba Wax , the key is to get a wax with no silicone or other nasties, mine has lasted 2 years now but needs re done, but a good compound polish and carnuba wax will get the job done, but it is a slow and delicate process , have restored a 1977 hull to a shine were I Can see my reflection but this took 2 days and a good buffing machine with variable speeds and the proper buffing heads for each job.

[sailingchiro]

Personally, I would test several products including wet sanding and polishing. There is plenty of boat for testing areas. I have heard the marine polish is very good.
It really depends upon what grit of sandpaper you need to start. If 1000 pulls off the oxidation, fine but if you need to start with 220 then repaint. Takes alot of work. Arms falling off type work.
Please make sure it is gelcoat. If it has been previously painted with Awlgrip, then it is much harder to polish with wet-sanding, in that case, polish with 3m Perfectit with the buffing pad for that product and protect with Awlcare.

I think you need to determine if it is actually gel coat or paint.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by sailingchiro

Personally, I would test several products including wet sanding and polishing. There is plenty of boat for testing areas. I have heard the marine polish is very good.
It really depends upon what grit of sandpaper you need to start. If 1000 pulls off the oxidation, fine but if you need to start with 220 then repaint. Takes alot of work. Arms falling off type work.
Please make sure it is gelcoat. If it has been previously painted with Awlgrip, then it is much harder to polish with wet-sanding, in that case, polish with 3m Perfectit with the buffing pad for that product and protect with Awlcare.

I think you need to determine if it is actually gel coat or paint.

I have done the 1000 grit and polish routine but when gelcoat re-oxidizes that fast, there is no good “fresh” gelcoat underneath and painting is the wiser option.

In case of Awlgrip: you can’t polish/buff Awlgrip. There are other products, like Awlcraft and other brands as well, that can be polished, but those are not as durable as Awlgrip.

[S/V Illusion]

Actually, since we don’t know if it is colored gel coat or paint, be forewarned - buffing some paints such as Awlgrip can permanently damage the finish. If the previous owner did so, it’s possible irreparable damage has been done.

While some people might “get away” with very gentle buffing, it isn’t something anyone should recommend.

If it is colored gel, you are lucky as it can be restored by following guidelines widely available to remove oxidation and fill in the porous layer remaining.

[EmeraldCoastSailor]

Following

[ramblinrod]

Originally Posted by SV Windrush II

Hello all,

I am trying to restore a faded out blue hull on my 2007 Tayana 58. I just purchased the boat a few months ago and the previous owner said that the last buff job only lasted 6 months and now is oxidized again.
Is there anything out there that will protect the finish from oxidizing?

Thanks

RobAttachment 203459

The first thing you must do is ascertain what the finish is. Dark blue is more likely paint than gelcoat. Gelcoat is relatively easy to restore. Some paints, such as Awlgrip, cannot be restored. (Their beauty is they stay beautiful for many years with little care other than Awlwash and Awlcare.)

Next, it is important to realize it is more difficult to keep deep colours, including dark blue, looking nice, as compared to light colours, such as white, (or any of the 1000s of shades thereof.

So if the finish is Awlgrip, and somebody compounded it, sorry, all the gloss that rises to the surface is likely gone. The correct course of action here is to apply an Awlgrip topcoat. If you are very particular about aesthetics, I would recommend hiring an “Awlgrip Pro” (not just someone who claims to be a “painter”, even if they actually own a compressor and spray gun.

If the finish is a type of paint that had gloss all the way through, or if it is gelcoat, it is an easy (relatively, it’s gonna be hard work) fix.

A common DIY error, is to compound, and walk away, or go directly to wax. Either of these actions will result in a very short lived shine. The reason being, that the compound, though removing oxidation and a faded layer of finish, leaves bazillions of microscratches in the surface. The untrained eye may not see them, but they are there. These microscratches will cause the surface to oxidize and fade very rapidly.

So the correct course of action is to remove oxidation and faded finish with the least aggressive abrasive you can possibly tolerate. The initial stage will take longer, but this will avoid “thinning” the finish excessively, and reduce the effort for subsequent stages.

For badly faded gelcoat, (so chalky a dark fleece wiped against it has significant oxidation transfer) wet sanding with 600 grit, or on rare occasions 320 grit may be required.

When sufficient oxidation is removed, one must then use progessively less aggressive abrasive. 320, 600, 1200, 2000.

Most course compounds are in the 600 to 1000 range, and light compounds are in the 1200 to 1800 range. (Some identify what grade of abrasive scratches they are intended to follow.)

Most polishes are in the 1800 to 3000 grit range.

It is OK to use 2 grades of compound and 2 grades of polish, getting progressively finer and finer abrasive.

The final step is at least one coat of wax. (A second coat doesn’t really do anything for you but cover areas one may have missed with the first coat, ie., compensate for lack of skills or care.

Beware any material that contains silicone or any ingredient that makes the surface look shiny, though the finish is microscratched. This includes polishes or waxes with “essential oils” or silicone, or “special ingredients”. It also includes acrylic coatings like Mop&Glow.

These don’t fix the issue, they mask it, and they can make subsequent vessel repair many times more expensive, to remove the coating, before the repair an even start. While they may appear to save time, they really don’t. Properly maintained gelcoat requires a polish and wax once per year. 2 passes. Acrylic coating maintenance requires 2 passes as well, but, the vessel must be meticulously clean or any dirt or stains are embedded until the coating is eventually stripped, which will be required in so many years. Once a person had stripped a boat of this stuff, they will rarely apply it again. A few are a buffer for punishment to stand by their preferred solution.

[sailingchiro]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

I have done the 1000 grit and polish routine but when gelcoat re-oxidizes that fast, there is no good “fresh” gelcoat underneath and painting is the wiser option.

In case of Awlgrip: you can’t polish/buff Awlgrip. There are other products, like Awlcraft and other brands as well, that can be polished, but those are not as durable as Awlgrip.

I have been polishing/buffing Awlgrip with the 3m products since new paint 4 years ago using their buff pads. I agree, awlgrip can't be wet sanded and polished to a shine because it is too hard. Each time I buff it using the 3m products it shines back to new. My painter recommended. I think Awlcraft is too soft and doesn't hold up like Awlgrip. If your opinion is once Awlgrip oxidizes then it can't be polished, I agree. I of course-reapply the awlcare after buffing.