VERTGLASS

[PAUL T.]

HELLO to all......... Has anybody ever heard of or used a gelcoat restoration product called VERTGLASS? It is sold by LOVETT marine. My friend has used the product and the gloss has lasted two years on the hull. It sounds like it's to good to be true, very easy to apply..........Thanx for any input.....PAUL

[Gary Ambrose]

Hi Paul,

I have used Vertglas on our previous boat a 1984 C25 with beige hull. I did not like the product at all and used the cleaner to remove it from the port side where I had tried it. The best description I can give is that it about like trying to produce gloss by spreading egg whites. It takes 4-5 coats to seal and get an even gloss. After the third I said the heck with this and removed it all. You will no doubt get a varied response on this but that was my reaction.

I rather like a good wax job and the honesty that that produces for surface. A gloss that is good for the gelcoat, looks terrific for awhile, and then gradually flattens during the season. The Vertglas, to me feels like the "painted hussy" look.

[Roc]

I've never used these products, But have read good reviews. The products are called 'Island Girl'.  It's a line that has different products formulated for various situations.  I think it's available on the CatalinaOwners.com website.  Maybe some on this site that have used Island Girl can give feedback on these products....

[Ken Krawford]

I've never used Vertglass but have used a competing product called Polyglow.  In my hands, I did not like the result but have seen 2 other "tired, worn" hulls treated with it that looked fantastic.

[Stu Jackson]

A good source for info on Island Girl products can be found at www.catalinaowners.com

Go to their forum archives and do a forum archive search on Island Girl.  There have been tons of discussions about the product.  Like almost everything else, there are adherents and dissenters.

I prefer the hull wax.  Less work overall and you're not slapping yet again something else on your boat.

[Jeff McKinney]

Stu,

Thinking ahead: do you prefer to hand buff or use a random orbital machine for the hull waxing process? The prospect of doing it manually seems like a lot of work, even for the "Karate Kid" (wax on-wax off)  

Thanks

[Ken Juul]

If you notice the professional buffers do not use the random orbital buffers sold at WM and most Car stores.  They refer to them as shakers.  Tend to bog down and just shake rather than spin when the going gets tough.  If you are going to use a power buffer, a constantly spinning buffer is recommended.  Just keep it moving so you don't "burn" the wax.  I have a random orbital, not happy with it's performance.  Would not buy one again.

[Michael Algase]

I use both types.  I have a random orbital WEN polisher that I load with the wax product I am using (on the tericloth bonnet), and use that for application and to apply pressure when using the wax to buff out a spot or whatever.  Than I use a DeWalt 7" polisher at ~1800-2000 RPM to knock off the hazed wax and buff.  I usually have no buildup whatsoever on the polisher.

My $.02.

Michael

[Ron Hill]

Guys : As Stu said some like it (buffers) and some don't.
I think the 10" random buffer is great for putting on the wax, and then wiping it off by hand with a soft towel.  
I like to clean the sides with FiberglassStainRemover in the fall.  You'd be surprised how WHITE the hull gets!!  Then put on a coat of McGuire's one step cleaner/wax for the winter.  In the spring I buffer on the Premium McGuire's and again wipe it off by hand.  Have been doing this for 18 seasons.  I use a new "wool" pad for each side and the transom.  Works great for me
People ask how I keep my boat so clean?  Answer - don't let it get and/or stay dirty!!  

[Marshall Tonner]

I tried Vertglas and liked when first applied. However you must not use detergent or any harsh cleansers afterward for routine cleanups as they ruin the finish.A friend uses the product annualy on a 1986 hull and it looks great ,but he's very careful about how scubs the waterline.

[Steve S.]

I tried poli-glow a few years ago and had the same experience others have had, uneven finish, washes off easily, etc.  A few years ago, I switched to the non -wax finish, Nu-Finish.   Easily recognizable in the bright orange bottle at auto stores  I have never been happier.  Apply twice in Spring and the hull stays glossy all season.  No worries about applying in sun, hazes fast and wipes off easily, and I haven't had the "Chesapeake Moustache" in years.  And, a heck of alot cheaper than 3M waxes.

[paule]

I know of other guys in our marina that have tried these and removed them because they did not work.

Try the FLITZ products they work great!!!

I bought a bottle of the wax and all I get is compliments on how good the wax holds up and the shine to my hull.  The other thing is easy on and off.

Bad areas I use the 3m color restorer, also as Ron mentioned clean the hull in the fall I use on-off to remove any stains and then wax for the winter.

Paul
Yachta Yachta Yachta #1634

[mike lofstrom]

I just did my entire deck, cabin and cockpit with vertglas about 2 months ago,  It was quite a bit of work to do all of the steps including cleaning, washing and coating.  It took two solid days of work to get it all done, but it looks great.  My boat is a 92, and had a moderate amount of oxidation.  In the last 15 years, I have used just about everything under the sun on the boats that I have owned including 3m, Mcguires, West marine, Colinite and Pentrol.  I decided to try the Vertglas because I have yet to find anything that lasts more than 6 months without recoating, and because conventional compounds with buffers do remove the gelcoat over time.  So far, the finish has held up very well but I am still learning how to take care of it.  Some of my observations are as follows:

The application is very tricky,  The applicator that comes in the kit works very well, but you have to be careful to not let it get too dry or the finish will streak.  ( It is similar to varnish in that respect)

I did the small swim step non skid on my open transom boat before I committed to do the rest of the deck so I could see how the deck traction would be affected.  I really can't tell a difference in traction between a coated and non coated deck wet or dry with Vertglas.  The stuff really isn't a wax, so it is not slippery like wax.  I will keep an eye on this over time to see if the material changes as it ages.

The gloss that you get with Vertglas is very much dependent on the number of coats.  Most of my boat has 6-10 coats. some of the high traffic ares got more.  

The finish is not as hard as a wax, so deck scuffs seem to occur easier than on a waxed surface.  One of my recent passengers wore dark rubber soles on their shoes and it left marks all over the boat.  some of them came off with light scrubbing, but I think I may need to use the abrasive cleaner and re-coat those areas to get rid of all of the marks.

The total labor to do the application is similar to what I would have had to do to buff and wax the boat with a wax compound.  ( I have used a buffer in the past).  The big difference is with vertglass all of the scrubbing is by hand with wet cleaner, and you have to use a lot of coats to get a good gloss.  If the product last for a year or more, the effort will be worth it.  if not, it will end up being a similar amount of work to a conventional wax job.

Anyway,  I am officially signing myself up to be the Vertglas long term tester for the forum.  I will keep an eye on the finish over the next twelve months, record the amount of labor required to keep it up, and I will update this post as I get more experience.  Hope this helps!

[windrunr]

I used a competitive product, Poly Glow, on my 1977 Catalina 27 that I just sold prior to getting my Catalina 34. I put it on over two years ago and it still good. It made the C27 look 20 years newer. The gel coat would easily oxidized and would not keep a shine plus it was hard to keep clean.

It took one very long day to the whole boat including nonskid to clean and put on 4-5 coats. Just follow the directions, I was extremely happy with the results and my cleaning maintenance decreased. I was able to rinse and the dirt went away.

The nonskid was not slippery either.

I am planning to do the same to my Catalina 34.

[Roland Gendreau]

I used Poliglow on my 1984 C30 and got excellent results.  It took most of one day to do the topsides - I did not apply it to the non-skid areas for fear of it being a bit slippery underfoot.

I followed the directions and used the cleaner with a scotch brite pad.

Then I applied 6 coats.  It looked awful until coats 5 and 6. Then it was awesome enough that a number of people at the marina inquired what the heck I had used to make it look so good.

At least 2 other boat owners that I know of went out and purchased the same stuff for their boats.  And are still using it today.

After one season, it still looked great. I applied a single coat the following spring and the shine came right back.  I sold the boat last year but it is still at my marina and it still looks very good.

You can see pictures of my C30 right after I did the original Poliglow application here:

http://photos.yahoo.com/ferllyr  Look in the Poliglow folder.

The gel coat on my C34 stiill polishes up well so I dont plan to apply poliglow on her yet.  But I wouldn;t hesitate to use it on her if she needed it.

Roland Gendreau
C34 Gratitude #1183