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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

How often do you wax?

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/24/2009 : 13:46:52

OK, we are closing in on launch day. Typically I service the outboard, put on a fresh coat of VC17M and wax the hull. This year I am wondering if the wax is needed. I also wax the hull each fall right before I tarp the boat for the winter. So, is waxing again after the hull has been covered all winter overdoing it? Or am I just being lazy? How often do you all wax your hulls? I use a good hand applied paste wax and use a power buffer.

We cannot direct the winds but we can adjust our sails.

Edited by - Nautiduck on 03/25/2009 14:33:38

Unsinkable2
Captain

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USA
273 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2009 : 14:16:25

I failed to wax last fall, so I'll be doing it in another week or two. I've also got a problem with a substantial amount of algae on my hull bottom, due to lack of sailing the last few weeks before pull-out. I'm hoping a power wash at the local car wash will remove that without too much work.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2009 : 14:24:00

I only wax once a season, just before launching. I use a simple wipe on, wipe off type of wax. For me, the wax is more of a barrier to repel dirt and make cleaning easier than it is to make my nearly 30 year old hull shine like new.

Edited by - on

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3312 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2009 : 16:24:19

I gave up the hard work of waxing/power buffing 3 years ago when I was told about PoliGlow. You literally wipe on 5 coats and you can see your face in the hull. It's been on for 3 years now and "This Side Up" still has a shiny hull.

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3370 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2009 : 19:04:27

I keep my boat in year-round and use Poliglow every 6 months. This past year, I decided to do it once a year. It is almost time to redo it and the hull looks pretty good. Just have to give it a good washing, remove some of the black streaks from rain contamination and a little elbo grease on a few areas. I find that the poliglow works fothe little time spent applying it and I can do it with the boat in the water without too much trouble. After I initially applied about 6 coats 3 years ago, I now apply only 2 cots when I refresh it.

Edited by - on

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3757 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2009 : 20:08:29

Once a year, in the spring. Wax provides UV protection too. Before I started going to FL for the winter, I put a coat of liquid wax on my previous boat before winter storage, but I didn't buff until spring when I was ready to wax. That boat was smaller and easier to launch and recover, so I used a liquid and reapplied once mid season. That worked pretty well. You need sunblock, and so does your gelcoat.

Edited by - on

John P
Captain

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USA
324 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2009 : 11:29:59

Bought my boat in '05 and did not put the first (and most recent) coat of wax on until the fall of '06. Surprisingly, it still looks good!

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Sloop Smitten
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1181 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2009 : 11:45:56

From the Poli Glow website:

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">The UV inhibitors used in Poli Glow contain the latest products developed for clearcoats. The Company spends more money on UV inhibitors than all the rest of the ingredients combined in Poli Glow.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
http://www.poliglow-int.com/aboutus.phtml

Edited by - on

HeelinPatrick
Navigator

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USA
102 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2009 : 15:40:47

I assume when you say 'hull', you mean the vertical sides of the boat? What do you guys do for the deck, and/or parts you sit on?

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Steve Blackburn
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1091 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2009 : 17:41:29

Is polyglow available off the shelf at car automotive stores, walmart or something?

Edited by - on

Stu Jackson C34
Admiral

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844 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2009 : 19:25:54

A few years ago a friend with another C34 asked me to help him install a fixed mount inverter in his boat. As recompense he agreed to hand wax our hull, which he did in the water (!) with light compounding and Fleetwax by Collinite. He actually had knees left when he was done - over the course of a few weeks! Turns out the time he took was about the same amount of time I spent with him designing and installing his system on his boat, so it was a fair swap.

The wax job held up for a few years, because it was very high quality wax. For those who may not know, never use "combination cleaner and waxer" - all you're doing is moving the dirt around and waxing it in!

Last season we did two cruises up rivers here, the Napa and Petaluma. In both cases upon return we had horrible brown "boat mustaches" from the ratty river water.

What I've done to eliminate the mustache is use FSR on the bow-only mustache and just some inexpensive car wipe-on wax until I could get around to doing it right (what with my leg and all).

I find that the FSR ends up opening "pores" in the fiberglass and makes the "mustache" reappear more quickly, even in the relatively less polluted Bay water, to say nothing about the "clean" ocean water outside the Gate. Even a bit of inexpensive wax not even buffed over the FSR job keeps the hull looking white. Without the cheapo wax job the mustache comes right back into the pores.

So we've come to rely on a wax job less for a beauty pageant than for keeping the mustache at bay. This is in between haulouts every two to three years. Once hauled out, two of us can light compound the hull and wax it (by hand - no electric tools) well in a day or so. Usually lasts between haulouts.

PolyGlow is a completely different material and the pros and cons of it have been discussed at www.catalinaowners.com. You may want to do a search there on it, or you may remember it from your experiences at that 'site.

Edited by - Stu Jackson C34 on 03/25/2009 19:28:16

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2009 : 20:19:59

Indeed Poly Glow is different, and not really, in Stu's words, for beauty pageants... It's a polymer finish that lasts pretty much until you remove it (with a powerful cleaner)--it doesn't shine quite like wax on new gelcoat, but it looks pretty good for a long time. Its real purpose is for older gelcoat, and its advantage are ease of application and durability. I used it on my '85 with very satisfactory results--adding a coat every year or two--I got many compliments on the boat, and comments about how easy it looked as people watched me apply the stuff. But wouldn't put it on my shiny new boat, at least not for quite a few years. For that, on the hull, I use Colonite Fleet Wax, and on the outboard, cabin sides, and other miscellaneous areas, WM's PTEF (Teflon) polish.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 03/25/2009 20:21:32

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2009 : 20:45:43

I, too, was a happy PoliGlo user on my 1986 C22 but prefer to use wax for my newer hull ("topsides", waterline to rubrail).

For the deck we use StarBrite Deck Cleaner with PTEF. It cleans great and leaves a protective finish. Arlyn Stewart recommended it so I tried it and it is a wonderful product that is easy to use and does a great job.

But, c'mon guys. For those of you you wax your hull, how often do you wax???

Edited by - Nautiduck on 03/25/2009 20:52:24

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2009 : 22:25:35

Each spring before launch. The Colonite still shines the following spring, but I do it again anyway.

Edited by - on

jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1484 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2009 : 15:26:04

wax

I thought about it once, but laid down until it passed....

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2009 : 15:32:45

Once a year. I do it in the spring because I like to leave the boat in as late as I can in the fall.

Do you not wax the non-non-skid parts of the deck?

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2009 : 16:03:36

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by John Russell
 Do you not wax the non-non-skid parts of the deck?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Just the toe-rails.

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2009 : 16:12:14

I use the StarBrite Eeck Cleaner with PTEF for the whole deck and cockpit including the non-skid. It cleans great and leves a clear, non-slippery protective coating. I do this once each month and it is a quick and easy job. No need to ever bend down and polish, all done with a deck brush. Great product.

Edited by - on

Peregrine
Admiral

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830 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2009 : 16:12:32

Every spring after rubbing out the entire hull with

I use

I use a Makita sander/buffer with the polishing head for rubbing out and a sheepskin head for the wax.

I put a double coat of wax on the water line.
This is extra work but the boat looks great and can take heavy washing through out the season.
The hull, is after all, 24 years old (#4762 - 1985)
I was considering Poli-Glo for the cockpit and top sides but it's $50!!?? and is not easily removed.

So...
Yes IMO it is best to rub out and wax your boat every year. It is standard procedure for our and most yards.

Edited by - on

dreddick
Navigator

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117 Posts

Response Posted - 03/27/2009 : 09:20:32

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Nautiduck
For the deck we use StarBrite Deck Cleaner with PTEF. It cleans great and leaves a protective finish. Arlyn Stewart recommended it so I tried it and it is a wonderful product that is easy to use and does a great job.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Thanks for this - I needed something for the deck. FYI West Marine has the quart size on sale plus free shipping through this weekend (3/29/09)

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 03/27/2009 : 10:49:46

David, be sure to follow the directions on the container and it will be an easy and effective job. We like the stuff so well I now buy it by the gallon and transfer it to a quart bottle for keeping on the boat.

Edited by - on

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