First Boat! Gelcoats are no joke!😳

[MshawnBauer]

So, I did my first boat yesterday! Gel coats are NO joke! I did a basic wash followed up with a single step buff/polish and wax as a LSP. I used the Meguiars M67 one step compound with foam pads on my Rupes 21. I broke it up into sections and went to town. Two solid passes on each section with the M67/foam/Rupes gave me (although not perfect) a big noticeable difference. I finished it up with a coat of Collonite IW 845. Honestly, I love my Rupes, but I think a rotary would have been more efficient. Start to finish it took about 4.5 hours. What are you guys, that do boats on the regular, using? I would have liked faster, better cutting power but rotaries make nervous. How would a forced roatation do? Maybe the new makita or Flex? Please advise! Boats are so much different than cars, lol. Very satisfying to do, but a lot more work than I imagined! I was going to do the trailer as well (polish the wheels and dress the tires but I just ran out of time). Your input and feedback are GREATLY appreciated! 👍