Poli Glow

[sailorboy1]

Looking for direct experiences with Poli Glow. I've done a web and CF search and read reviews etc. and it seems they are mostly positive and the negatives appear to be from poor application or poor maintenance of the coating (not reapplying early enough).


What I am NOT looking for is a bunch of "only wax will work" posts. Due to various reasons waxing is completely out of the possibility for me this year.

[JPA Cate]

Sailorboy1,

We used PolyGlow (probably the same stuff). It's two parts, first a wash, then the polymeric finish coat. The gelcoat was 16 yrs. old, or older, and it did well. It would typically be quite good in the beginning, and then, like wax, be not so good towards the end of the year. We never did intermediate re-coatings, but put on as thick as we could, following the instructions. Definitely a product.

I believe something similar (not available to us at the time), was called TSRW (for "This Stuff Really Works"), may still available Stateside, as well.

Ann

[LeaseOnLife]

It worked pretty well for us in the tropics. It doesn't like fenders, diesel or gasoline. We use ammonia based cleaners (ZEP floor stripper) and oxalic acid to remove stains before re-coat. It does go on easy. We are back in the Great Lakes and probably will return to compound and wax, which does shine even better...

Dirk

[hugosalt]

Have used for many years, makes my 30 year beige gelcoat look like new.
As above, I also like to apply heavy (many coats) which go on and dry extremely
fast and easy and then remove annually. Stripping off isn't as easy as applying but not
bad.
Primary reason I use is that I don't have to wear out gelcoat by compounding.
But must be clean surface without oxidation before applying.
Agree fenders will wear surface and bow wave will aslo wear after say 300/400 miles.

[slowpoker]

I've used household "Mop and Glo" or similar brand stuff on the decks.
Easy to apply, 2 or 3 coats, fast shine, lasts 6 months looking well, can re-apply anytime and strips easily with ammonia.
Apply with a sponge. Bird poop comes right off with just water hose pressure.
Not slippery either.

[sesmith]

I removed poliglow from our boat when we bought it (previous owner install). It was not a good experience. In fact, on a future purchase, if the owner used poliglow, I wouldn't buy it unless it was a really good deal.

If your gelcoat is good and takes wax well, I personally wouldn't use it. That said, if mine gets to the point where I run the risk of it getting thin by buffing and waxing, I wouldn't hesitate to use it. I have a friend down at the marina that just uses floor wax on his boat. Not my cup of tea, but it looked decent all season.

[sailorboy1]

Well I finally got around to getting some and applying. Have half the hull done and it looks good and though it wasn't as easy as hoped it was pretty easy.

[geoleo]

I'm wondering if 303 protectant would work well on FG hulls ? . It is supposed to have a FPF of 57.....???

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Well I finally got around to getting some and applying. Have half the hull done and it looks good and though it wasn't as easy as hoped it was pretty easy.

sorry I didn’t see your original post sooner. I would strongly advise against it. Two or three years down the road you will be stripping this off, it’s not easy. Long-term solution is paint.

[sailorboy1]

I did my research

If you got 2-3 years out of Poli Glow and then had to strip it and paint you did lots of things wrong or it was lost cause to begin with, IMO

[rwidman]

The only good reports I've ever seen on Poli Glow are the couple in this thread. Every other review has been bad. It seems it's a quick fix. Something you might do to sell your boat. And once it fades, it's a real bear to get off.

The easiest and best way I've found to make a boat look nice is to pay someone to compound and wax it and then wax it again as needed. Get references or look at their work on other boats.

There are no shortcuts.

[Gary Mc]

When I got my current boat in 2006 the white gelcoat was very dull. Tried polishing and waxing with no luck. Used Poli grip and was happy with it. After about 8 years it builds up and gets a bit yellow so I took it off with their stripper/cleaner.

We then tried 3M Imperial Finishing compound, with a buffer and a few hours work the gelcoat was looking really good and still is about 4 years later.

The 3M compound is remarkable, highly recommend it.

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I did my research

If you got 2-3 years out of Poli Glow and then had to strip it and paint you did lots of things wrong or it was lost cause to begin with, IMO

Lost cause is probably right. You may have done your research but I’ve done research AND had the experience. My point is, polyglo is not the cure. It’s a band aid low-quality finish, and in the end if you want a good quality finish with low maintenance it’s time to paint. That’s the reality for me and for you.

PS my surface prep was “by the book”. So was my maintenance coat Here’s a prior post with my experience.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post1034203

Since that time I painted the boat and maintenance is very light: Wash and coat with Awlcare twice a year. Much happier.

[sailorboy1]

Well my boat has a good finish. Never would really expect a product like this to “fix” a lost cause finish.

[SailFastTri]

If you're boat has a good gel coat finish there's no need for polyglo imho. Compounding and waxing is the best way to go. In the end, it's less work. The finish will be better