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Im working on a 1991 26S I just bought, the hull was redone a few years ago and is still in excellent shape, the deck however is orignal and thanks to years of sitting is chalky white and dull in several areas, there are also a few minor hairline cracks in the gelcoat in a few spots.

What should I expect to pay to have someone refinish the deck?

I was going to do it myself but have been a bit overwhelmed by the inconsistency of procedures for doing so, I swear I have read 20 different ways to do it and each of the 20 claims to be the "only way to do it right" So basically inability to come up with a game plan has put me off of doing it myself.

Hi Wingnutt, I'm going through the same process with a V17. I've searched the web and come up with many different opinions.
Have you made a decision as to how you will proceed? Can you share your experience?

Hairline crack happen to all boats. I would learn to ignore them.

Chalky deck. Try simple compound and wax. Spend $5 and buy a can of it, get a damp rag and use some on a bad spot. Then rub it off and apply some wax to see what it looks like. My guess is that it will clean up nicely.

Other choice is more costly. Paint, etc. More labor, more work to remove/mask fittings.
Yea, try some compound first.

--Russ

I second RussMT about the gelcoat minor cracks.

I'll add a twenty first method, if not already seen.

For the chalky, old gelcoat, try a semi-tough scrub brush and "Bar Keepers Friend", a powered type scrubbing compound much like Ajax.
Wet the deck, shake on some BKF on a few square feet, scrub with the brush like you mean it, then hose off the area and move to the next area.
The old white chalky stuff seems to simply wash off, leaving behind a dullish, but very cleaned, surface -- ready to take the pre cleaner and wax of your choice. (as long as Colinite is mentioned somewhere on the labels )

The brush bristles should be somewhat, but not overly, aggressive.

I think this method is a litle easier on the elbow grease as the BKF does its job, even if you need to down a few cold ones before going back and do a second round of work with a less aggresive terry cloth rag to even out the surface before the final waxing steps.

Ignore the minor cracks

Try Waxing as suggested

A redneck tip:

Rather than buy a buffer, or do it by hand, if you already have an orbital sander use that and squares of old sweatshirt inside out...

It's what I use, as I already had the sander for fiberglass work

works good too

Hardcrab wrote:For the chalky, old gelcoat, try a semi-tough scrub brush and "Bar Keepers Friend", a powered type scrubbing compound much like Ajax.

Since it has oxalic acid, it also works to remove rust stains from the carbon steel screws the PO of my boat used here and there when he ran out of SS or was too cheap to buy or whatever!!!!!!

Phew. Gotta calm down there.

What should I expect to pay to have someone refinish the deck?

I found myself in a similar situation with my X summer a year ago. I called boat detailers and got general estimates ranging from about $500-$800 to do the whole boat. That felt a little steep. What doesn't when you get in that neighborhood? So, I looked into various options on this forum regarding rubbing compounds and waxing. That seemed like a lot of hard work, and, at then 68 years old, and it being summer in Florida, a little more physical effort than I was willing to undertake. I investigated the Newglass II product and process. For the money and the methodology (essentially wipe on multiple times with a chamois), I thought it would be worth a try. I bought some, tried it out on the transom, liked what I saw and the level of effort involved, and launched into doing the whole boat. It was still a lengthy process doing every inch of the boat 6 times, one section at a time in mid-August weather, but I did it. I have been pleased with the outcome. It is time for the annual "refresher" two coats, which I am putting off to January. The chalking was totally stopped, shine lasted moderately well. I would estimate it has lasted as long as a wax job would, but that is subjective. At the time of the picture, the boat was 15 years old and I had not waxed it at all in the 10 years I had owned it. I thought the Newglass II process left it in pretty good shape for its age and the attention I had given the hull in those 10 years.

The picture is the "after" picture following the Newglass II application. I should have made that a little clearer.

I am going to be trying to make my boat shine as my Fall project.

This is pretty much how I intend to do it: http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey/re ... rglass.asp

Some more info: http://www.marinestore.com/faq-fibergla ... 8839301113