View Full Version : best polish for fiberglass
gonzoray
10-13-2007, 03:35 PM
Plan on cleaning the boat up for winter. Its a Striper with a fiberglass hull. Wondering whats the best polish to use on it? I've got a couple of black marks from the gas dock.Ray
infinity
10-14-2007, 04:23 PM
Plan on cleaning the boat up for winter. Its a Striper with a fiberglass hull. Wondering whats the best polish to use on it? I've got a couple of black marks from the gas dock.Ray
You may want to do a search since it seems as though this has come up before but this is what I do on my glass boat. I use Aqua Buff 2000 to clean and polish the gelcoat. From what I have been told, Aqua Buff is an animal fat with aluminum dust which both cleans and removes minor scratches. This is not to be used frequently (once a year at most). I just brush this on and immediately using a polisher with a 7" pad (part no. 875D from Industrial Finishes) polish until it is basically gone. Let dry and wipe clean. (I bought the Aqua Buff from FRP Supplies in NW Portland)
I then follow up with boat polish heavy to carnuba. Again, from I was instructed, let this application dry before wiping clean.
Soulakala
10-17-2007, 07:16 PM
Infinity has it right. You can also use 3m polishing compounds available from auto paint suppliers such as NAPA. Depending on the marks you may need the heavier compound. If the marks are small use toothpaste applied and rubbed by hand confined to the marks or Bartenders Friend. Then use a cleaner followed by a hard wax like Infinity recommends Carnuba. You should do your boat once a year as a minimum. Doing so will bring that new look back for many years and make summer cleanup a breeze.
KChookem
10-17-2007, 09:29 PM
The Salty Dog Forum has a thread going about this very subject... cleaning, waxing and polishing...
http://www.ifish.net/board/showthread.php?t=171332
backlash442
10-18-2007, 07:07 AM
Car wax or car polish/compound. I wouldn't go to West Marine or some other marine store to buy boat wax or polish. If it says "Boat" on it it's going to be 3x more expensive. I stopped buying that stuff after the first bottle. Anyone who says it doesn't work as well is wrong. My boat was in excellent condition after 6 years of hard use. Then again I waxed it a couple of times a year too plus kept it fully covered.