restore finish

[charles kaufman]

Have recently bought a 1986 Catalina 34 and noticed some chalking on deck and hull What are the best products to clean and wax the fiberglass to a as good as I can expect finish ?

[Steve S.]

I had the same problem with my 88.  First, use a very mild abrasive cleaner (not softscrub, its way too abrasive) to clean off the first layer of chalk.  I use  maguires fiberglass restorer, or any good restorer will do.  After that, I've tried 3M wax, Carnauba wax, but what I have found works best is not wax, but NuFinish, a polymer coating.  Comes in an Orange Bottle.  Two coats lasts all summer, and really gives a great shine.

[Mike Vaccaro]

Charles,

There are two different options:  chemical or mechanical.  For a complete chemical restoration, you might check out Island Girl products.  They maintain a website and you may find out more at catalinaowners.com.  The other option for restoration is mechanical.  Wet sanding and then buffing with a high quality wool pad and 1500-2000 grit compound.  The topsides are more complicated to restore than the hull due to all the angles, nooks and cranny's.  Once the oxidation has been removed and the gel coat smoothed, it can be maintained with wax.  

Two different types of buffers are available for mechanical work: orbital or random-orbital.  The second type is easier to use and assures that you won't mar the gel coat, but it won't do nearly as good a job as a standard orbital polisher for restoration work.  Random-orbital types are great for maintenance or light work, however.  

The oxidation is UV damage to the gelcoat, and the "chalk" is old gelcoat that has "migrated" from the surface.  Any process you use will have to remove this, and there comes a point where there isn't any gel coat left to remove (i.e., it's been worn away from the underlying substrate).  At this point, it's time to paint or replace the gel coat.

If you do a google search of the net, you'll find plenty of information about gel coat restoration.  

For an "quicky" solution, wiping with white paper towels and plenty of acetone will remove most of the chaulk.  Any wax will help to fill the small pits in the gelcoat and will provide at least a dull shine while offering some protection.  

Most marinas have folks around that clean/wax or restore gel coat.  They can be a great resource.  You might consider hiring someone to work with you to learn what works and what doesn't--it's definitely worth the money to gain the benefit of someone else's experience!

Any protection is better than none.  Unlike some metals, gelcoat will continue to oxidize if left unprotected.  In Florida, we have to wax the smooth surfaces of the topsides every 90 days just to keep up with general wear and tear and the sun.  We put one coat of a product called "Penetrol" on the non-skid once per year.  This is a petroleum based product that helps fill the small pits in the gelcoat, retards oxidation and doesn't make the surface slippery.  There are also special "no slip" wax treatments available for the non-skid surface as well.  

You may also find that some areas have thinner gelcoat than others.  This is the result of the manufacturing process, since the gelcoat is sprayed into the mold before the substrate is layed up.  In any case, it's important to remember that gelcoat is generally less robust than paint and after about five to ten years, requires more attention to keep it looking good.

Best of luck,

Mike

[Ron Bukowski]

Hi Chuck,
I just finished cleaning my hull, above the water line with "Starbrite" one step cleaner and polisher. It did a great job with very little physical effort. There was some chalking and two years worth of dirt and grime. It all came off surprisingly easy. 3M makes a similar product that works just as well. I don't know how bad your chalking is. but I suggest getting a small bottle and giving it a test for yourself. If you have an electric polisher/buffer, it will be that much faster and easier.

[Philip Imhof]

I've had a lot of success with polyglow. You wipe it only with something like a sponge. It's so much easier that compounding and waxing. The give your every thing you need to do a great job. Nothing like it.

[Stu Jackson]

The very BEST solution is to have someone else do it  

That said, I did a "boat work swap" with a friend a year or two ago: I helped install his inverter, he waxed my hull.  He did such a great job that we had to wax the cockpit and cabintop

He noted that combined "cleaner waxers" may have a drawback, in that the cleaner is cleaning and all that the combined wax is doing is trapping that dirt right back onto the surface.

He used Collinite No. 920 Fiberglass Boat Cleaner in a plastic bottle, followed by Fleetwax, which comes in a metal can.  Collinite also makes a special heavy duty cleaner No. 885.  Collinite also has a softer wax in a plastic bottle which I have used on less damaged surfaces.

I have only been able to find this material at BoatUS.  WM doesn't seem to carry it.  We have BoatUS stores right next to WM, and I suspect with the merger that the BoatUS stores will start disappearing soon, so I've stocked up on these products.

I am very pleased with the results with this stuff.  It's much better than anything I used earlier, mostly WM products, and mostly the combined stuff.

[Ron Hill]

Guy's : This advice won't help getting your boat back to a like new condition, but it will help you keep it that way once it's restored.  Marina operators always ask me "How do you keep your older boat so clean - it looks like new".
1. Don't let the boat stay dirty
2. Polish the smooth topsides once a year.  I use McGuire's OneStep cleaner wax
3. I use Fiberglass Stain Remover on the hull from the rub rail to the water line at fall layup.  Then I put on a coat of One Step for the winter.
4. I have a full length winter cover (mast up) and a shorter (mast aft)summer cover.
5. In the spring (before launch) I put on a coat of McGuire's Perineum Wax in the sides.
6. I do nothing to the deck anti-skid, except in the cockpit.  There I use Soft scrub w/bleach.
7. Reclean/wax the transom as needed.
8. Keep the life lines and rub rails clean

I'll send Mark photo's of my cover for the projects list.  
My first mate refers to me as - Captain Clean the Amp Meister !