polishing hull

[lateron]

Hi .......I spent all day yesterday machine cleaning and polishing the hull of my 2004 SO32. Whilst it now looks bright and shiny from a metre away, if you look really closely the hull has patches of what looks like a mottled watemark and despite some time spent with mild cutting compound the marks persist [yes I'm Being fussy].

I haven't had the boat long and wonder if a} it hasn't been cleaned properly before or b] the marks are the remnant of some past attempt at polishing with something that seems to have sealed itself onto the surface or c] it's UV related as it seems more on the side that sits in the sun on my berth on the Orwell England.

Any comments / strategies welcomed. Cheers Ron [ Chanson]

[Phantom]

Try checking out this link. Main Sail has the process down to an science and I cannot add to perfection.
forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=117266

[lateron]

Thanks Phantom .I've checked out the link and it is very helpful and comprehensive, a lot to take in so I've saved it.

Have you ever done any sanding with wet and dry paper? That's the bit that frightens me but it may be what I need to do, next year now as my boat goes back in the water next week.

Cheers Ron

[MartyB]

I've taken some of my deck that is 25 yrs old, and used some plastic steel wool equal, 0 and 000 grade with water to remove the oxidation. Its not that bad. 600 grit wet paper or finer as MS mentions in the article will do about the same as the stuff I used. DO NOT rub too hard, or you can take off a bit more than you like. I found I could remove scuff marks too.

I did the plastic wool, then 3m rubbing compound, then wax, that cleaned up my boat pretty good. Then when I had the boat out for a quick 4 days a few weeks back, I did not do the wet sand, but the rubbing compound and wax with a Makita buffer, went pretty well. I did use some of the 000 wool for some marks, that cleaned up well.

Marty

[lateron]

Thanks Marty . I think I will be giving this a go when I have another go next year. I thought something like Y10 might have moved it. I'm beginning to wonder if this is a gel coat blemish when it came out of the mould. My wife thinks I'm obsessing [ I tend to do that] as it looks fine from most angles, it's just I know it's there!!!
I was also given advice that most boatyards use car products such as Mer. Any thoughts on that anybody?
Cheers Ron.....back to sailing next week thank goodness, been a long winter.

[davideso37]

Ron,

Obsessing is good. I would be inclined to leave it alone because if it is a gel coat blemish trying to polish it out may not improve it.

Regards

David

[MartyB]

Ron,

Not sure personally what "Mer" is. I would assume a wax product/manufacture like "Turtle wax" "Miguire" " 3M" here in the states. Some of the auto wax's probably would work on your boat. What I have noticed from one supplier locally, is the boat products can be had in larger containers. Using metric sizes. not sure if these are used, but should work as examples. car waxes come in 250-500-1000ml containers. I can get gallon, or approx 4L containers of boat wax' for a much better price than car wax's on a per ounce or 10 ml amount if you will.

I noticed a pro if you will, doing an older blue hull when I had my boat out, he was using a rubbing compound out of a gal or so container, just taking some on his leather gloved hand, putting on the hull in places, then going after it with his wool polisher. He was using the Makita as I was that MS recommends. He would go over and over a given area until the polish/shine was what he wanted. I was putting the material on the wool personally, then putting on the boat rubbing around with no power, then powering the polisher. What the other fellow was doing appeared to be working better. Then again, his product may have been better too! He had 20 yrs doing car work.

I also have what I think are the same hull water marks, especially forward in the bow wave area. I'll work on that the next time I a out in a year or two or three. Hopefully sooner as I am hoping to do a hull paint removal, epoxy then hard paint over the ablative I have. Then again, the paint amount on my 25 yr old boat was pretty thing with ablative..........I may go with a harder ablative, that I can legally in the water clean. As my marina will not allow in the water cleaning of the bottom no matter the paint, out side the marina, hard paint is legal per state law to clean....... but, not we are on to another subject..

marty

[lateron]

So David is it possible I have a hull with a slightly but all over blemished hull? Is that a Jeanneau trait cos strangely enough I have seen a similar Jeanneau hull in my marina, almost perfect but not quite. Anyone else seen this problem.
Meanwhile cheers Marty for your thughts I will certainly be having another go next year. Good luck with the antifouling removal and epoxying quite a job!
Cheers Ron

[so40gtb]

My approach (on my '01 SO34.2) is:

a) Remove scuff marks with acetone on a soft paper cloth (e.g., "shop towels"). This gets rid of most of the evidence of what my wife calls "near-death docking experiences" - especially where vinyl or crud embedded thereon rubs off dock guards onto the hull.

b) If any scuff marks survive the acetone, wet-sand lightly with 400-grit and 600-grit wet-or-dry sandpaper.

c) Clean surface with a good-quality fiberglass cleaner - I use Collinite 920. I'll do this twice when the overall condition suggests it. Whenever I'm working near the waterline, I mask the bottom paint for about 3" (7-8 cm) down from the waterline. Since it is designed to dissolve, its residue can easily be smeared onto the topsides and make the area between the bootstripe and the bottom paint look ugly, quickly.

d) Wax with a good-quality product - twice. I've used Meguiar's Flagship, but may try a paste wax this year.

[The annual springtime pre-launch ritual is to mask the bottom from the waterline down 3" (7-8 cm), clean and wax the topsides from waterline through bootstripe, re-mask 3" (7-8 cm) above waterline, paint bottom, pull masking, then work on the topsides above the bootstripe.]

--Karl

[Phantom]

Before using Acetone to wash the hull, try using orange citrus cleaner or Roll Off cleaning solution from West Marine. Acetone is a great cleaner, but it might etch the gel coat and be a cleaning overkill.

[MartyB]

Goof Off works pretty well in the place of acetone, I believe, do not quote me as to if it is less toxic to the gelcoat or not. Its worked well on my boat, including removing the original paint for the name on my boat, along with the 0 and 000 wool I mentioned above.

I have also used another lemon based cleaner, name is not ringing a bell at story three of the home, but story one has the stuff. "Greased Lightning" gee, type I do not know the stuff, and there it is on the tip of my finners ;D

marty