Boats Boats and more Boats

**h_2_o** · 03-12-2011, 08:28 PM

OK so i like boats, live on a lake and have too many. I have but a couple questions. I am just starting to get more serious about detailing my boats, until now i've used the generic cheap-o random orbital buffer from sears. I'm probably going to get a griots da polisher for my fiberglass boats after reading this thread http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...-makeover.html it appears that he used more of a rotary polisher rather than a da. I was curious for a 20' inboard will a da do the job or would a rotary polisher really be what is needed? i am still very much a novice and one of my main concerns like many other beginners is burning through, even though gel-coats are supposedly much more forgiving than auto paint.

now question 2 about boats. I have 6 Kayak's that are well plastic, who knows what blend of plastic they all are. Anyway I use uv protectant on them but was curious if there was a better method. I saw one post on here about it but it was older and really did not go anywhere. If anyone has suggestions on those as well it would be appreciated.

thanks much for all your help.

**Perfections** · 03-12-2011, 09:45 PM

Question one, a rotary I would say on a 30+ ft boat would speed things up, but I've done boats bigger then your with a griots with great results, with heavy oxidation a rotary would make a huge difference in speed, but for just maintaining a da is great

**BillE** · 03-13-2011, 08:11 AM

Originally Posted by h_2_o

I have 6 Kayak's that are well plastic, who knows what blend of plastic they all are. Anyway I use uv protectant on them but was curious if there was a better method. I saw one post on here about it but it was older and really did not go anywhere. If anyone has suggestions on those as well it would be appreciated.

thanks much for all your help.

When you say 'plastic' are you referring to 'roto-mold' (like Tupper Ware)? If so, I never found anything that would make them 'all shiny.' Just the nature of the plastic. I must add, 99% of plastic kayaks I have been around were white water, hence they got beat to a fair thee well.

Sorry I can't help ya more.

Bill

**h_2_o** · 03-13-2011, 01:20 PM

Well i have 2 wilderness systems, 4 ocean kayaks, all are the plastic mold type, not whitewater. I don't beat them up, but they do get used a lot. I'm not as worried about getting them super pretty and shiny, but more protecting them against elements, mostly the sun. If a byproduct of that happens to be they shine up a bit i'm fine with that as well. So i guess UV rays are the big one i'm concerned with right now on those.

**FastZR1** · 03-13-2011, 04:57 PM

What you need to tell us is what condition is your boat paint. If it's in good condition, no or very little oxidation, a DA will be fine. If you have a lot of oxidation, the rotary will save you a lot of time and hard work.
I have an 19' Glastron I/O that I keep in the garage when not in the water. All I've ever used was a DA because the boat is still in a like-new condition. I also wash it from top to bottom after every use (salt water) and many people think the boat is new (2008).

**h_2_o** · 03-13-2011, 05:33 PM

I'll get some images of the oxidation as soon as i can to help out.

**ChevyZ71LTZ** · 03-14-2011, 03:22 AM

Originally Posted by FastZR1

I have an 19' Glastron I/O that I keep in the garage when not in the water. All I've ever used was a DA because the boat is still in a like-new condition. I also wash it from top to bottom after every use (salt water) and many people think the boat is new (2008).

Hey Fast,

Would you mind sharing what pad/product combination you prefer? I'm planning on detailing a 1989 19' Stingray come spring. Garage kept and only used a couple times a year. No oxidation/chalky residue, just needs a good clean up, polish & wax.

Thanks.

**FastZR1** · 03-15-2011, 09:18 AM

Originally Posted by CSI K-9

Hey Fast,

Would you mind sharing what pad/product combination you prefer? I'm planning on detailing a 1989 19' Stingray come spring. Garage kept and only used a couple times a year. No oxidation/chalky residue, just needs a good clean up, polish & wax.

Thanks.

Sure.
I use Megs #45 as the polish with an orange LC pad on my DA. I'll follow that up with Megs #56 with a red pad. Keeps the boat looking great all year long. I do this once a year before my first outing.

During the year after each trip out on the water I use Megs Shampoo to keep it looking good.

Mike Phillips · 03-15-2011, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by h_2_o

I'm probably going to get a griots da polisher for my fiberglass boats after reading this thread http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...-makeover.html it appears that he used more of a rotary polisher rather than a da.

Hi h_2_o

That would be my boat and I did use a rotary buffer for all the oxidation removal. Later I machine sanded the sides and then compounded them with a rotary buffer and then finished the boat out except a section on the back that shows how bad the entire boat was before I started. I also used around 5 different brands of products to do the restoration just to show the different products at work.

1967 Starline Deville - Extreme Makeover

She's all polished out now except for this section in the back... it's kind of a conversation starter wherever I take the boat...

Originally Posted by h_2_o

Well i have 2 wilderness systems, 4 ocean kayaks, all are the plastic mold type, not whitewater. I don't beat them up, but they do get used a lot. I'm not as worried about getting them super pretty and shiny, but more protecting them against elements, mostly the sun. If a byproduct of that happens to be they shine up a bit i'm fine with that as well. So i guess UV rays are the big one i'm concerned with right now on those.

303 Aerospace Protectant offers the most UV protection available according to Roger Dyer over at 303 Products and correct application means applying it, working it in and they wiping it till it completely dries. The end result of this application is a dirt, stain and moisture repellent coating. I recently did an extreme makeover on an original vinyl top and was completely impressed with the product application and results. I have since talked to Roger on a number of occasions and am also very impressed with his knowledge about vinyl and UV protection of vinyl.

How To Restore and Protect a Vinyl Top using 303 Products

I researched the above article very carefully, anyone wanting to know more about vinyl, check out the article and be sure to read the text, the pictures are important but the key points are contained in the text.

**boykster** · 03-15-2011, 05:23 PM

Rotary polisher with wool bonnet (white) and the 3M products. Gel coat is very different than clearcoat paint, and to eliminate oxidation you need a rotary. I have a 27' LOA SeaRay that I spent nearly a week restoring the finish on a few years ago.

Here's a before pic showing the level of oxidation, and an after pic showing off the new shine. The blue striping shows the impact the best, but the oxidation and shine were present in the white gelcoat as well.