Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.
This year I purchased a kit from NewGlass to shine up old Passage. In the past, I used Poli-Glow, but at roughly 1/2 the price, I could not resist the savings. Practical Sailor rated NewGlass as slightly lower in sheen than Poli-Glow, but said that with careful prep, it’s difficult to tell the difference. I’ll post my results on my Flickr photos next month, and you can see for yourself whether there’s much of a difference.
Bruce Ross Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032 Port Captain — Milford, CT
An amazing thing happened this morning. The phone rings with a Florida number [not spam] and the voice on the other end says, “Hey Bruce! This is Tom from NewGlass, and I wanted to let you know that we won’t be shipping your order this week.” I said, “Oh? What’s the problem Tom?” I fully expected that my card was declined, or my address was incorrect, or they were sold out — nope! Tom told me that “we noticed that there are freezing overnight temperatures en route to your address, and we didn’t want your product to get spoiled by frost” I was dumbfounded for a moment and then said, “Tom, this is amazing! I did not expect to receive such personalized service from NewGlass. I really appreciate that you called to let me know what the situation is with the order.” Tom said, no problem, we do this for all our customers who live up in colder climates. It’s refreshing to work with a great vendor. I can’t recommend the company enough.
Bruce Ross Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032 Port Captain — Milford, CT
It's amazing how so many companies go out of their way to give poor customer service thinking it costs them money to take care of their customers. In reality, great customer service will help you grow your business. If you give great customer service you almost can't screw up (as long as you're offering a decent product).
Everyone hates bad or no customer service and we've become so used to it that when someone does give great customer service everyone talks about it (as we should) because it's such a surprise in this day and age.
I will pay more for a product or service simply because a business gives great customer service.
They just called me back yesterday to let me know that the shipment is on the way. Yet again, great service. I think New Glass is trying to enter a competitive market against Poli-Glow and the other polishes available for boaters. We’re going to see nighttime temperatures in the upper 40°s so the package will not freeze in transit. I’m looking forward to trying it out.
Bruce Ross Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032 Port Captain — Milford, CT
Hi GaryB, I used NewGlass this year on Passage after years of using Poli-Glo.
Both products work very well to restore the shine of your gelcoat.
The cleaning preparation went very similar for both : in the past I used poli-prep to strip off the old material, then washed the boat with dish detergent, a little bleach, or other cleaners like soft-scrub, then rinsed thoroughly with water and a big sponge to make sure that all the residue was gone. NewGlass also provides a stripper/prep liquid to remove the old finish. It worked as well as poli-prep, however it had less of a chemical smell.
I noticed that once I got into the swing of applying the NewGlass, it went on easier and with less caking on the applicator and my gloves than Poli-Glo. I was able to apply about six coats very quickly once I got the first coat done. The applicator was a little easier to hold and move around the nooks and crannies.
The results were similar between Poli-Glo and NewGlass.
I only treated the outside of the hull below the gunwales, since I like the grippy-ness of the old gelcoat on the cabin-top and inside the cockpit. I don’t see why others might not use it on the sides of the cabin near the windows, hatches and bulkheads where you don’t walk, but I didn’t because I would have had a hard time keeping the material confined to these surfaces.
All in all, they were comparable. NewGlass was a little less costly, and they called me on the phone to let me know that they’d ship it during a period when it would not freeze in transit, and they called me after it shipped to be sure that I prevent it from freezing after it arrived.
Bruce Ross Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032 Port Captain — Milford, CT
I also only use Poly-Glow on the hull, not in the cockpit areas or elsewhere. I initially started using it in the cockpit but I believe there was a noticeable off-white tone to it. At least it seemed noticeable to me in the cockpit area versus the hull.
Thanks Bruce. I bought the Poli-Glow kit once but never got around to using it. Pretty sure I'm going to sell Andiamo in the next month or two and may try to apply the NewGlass if it cools off even a little bit.
Supposed to be 99 on Friday with a heat index close to 110.
Larry, yes. The acrylics tend to make the color more amber or yellow, but since Passage’s gel coat is not a true white, that’s okay on the hull. For the cockpit, I didn’t try it for a few reasons. I was worried that it could make the walkable surfaces more slippery (seats, combing, gunwales, etc), and if there was any sand or grit on my shoe soles, it might scratch the gloss finish. Gary, if you’re planning to sell your boat, using a poli-glo/NewGlass prep would definitely make it pop, especially if the boat is out of the water and up on jackstands! I might suggest that you treat the cabin sides along the windows and portlights, the forward hatch area (where you don’t walk), and the cockpit bulkheads. Any visible vertical surface actually. You don’t have to go crazy with it. But preparation is key. Strip the old coating first. Then, clean everything with a low suds detergent and rinse it a LOT. Don’t use a ptfe-type cleaner, since it leaves a residue. For any green areas, scrub with dilute bleach or oxy-cleaner, and use soft scrub type cleaner for any stubborn dark spots or stains. Rinse, rinse, rinse! Then apply your acrylic over the top right away because dirt moves quickly. Give it 5-6 coats because it goes on thin. More thin coats are better, since it will drip and the drips will harden if you apply too much all at once.
You probably already know the drill - unload EVERYTHING from the boat so that it’s super clean inside too. I use Fantastic or formula 409 and bathroom spray with Clorox inside the boat to wash the cabin. Clean the nonskid sole with a scrub brush to clean it out. Air out the bilge with a big fan and spray bathroom spray inside the bilge areas and behind the drawers and doors in the galley and the head. Best of luck on your efforts!
Bruce Ross Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032 Port Captain — Milford, CT
Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ. The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.