I don't know if this is a good idea or not, but it sure is easy. I used floor wax on my boat after scrubbing it clean. The attached photo shows the difference before and after on the rub rail. I left a section unwaxed to show the difference.
I learned this trick long ago cleaning dirt track race cars. It seems to work on boats also. I used a damp cloth and wiped the whole boat including windows. I may add another coat tomorrow. I'm thinking about using a paint brush and waxing the non skid areas. I used Futura, (cheap) but any would work.
This is a 2002 26x.
aya16 wrote:looks good but if you wax the non skid area you should install suction cups to the bottom of your shoes. the deck is bad enough without wax.
Actually, the smooth sections seemed less slick after waxing. go figure.
Lee, was your black stripe very dull? Mine is and I have been spot comparing different types of restorers but haven't found anything I like yet. I can get it to shine a little but not to where there is a good glossy surface. Your's looks like it is giving off a nice reflection.
It sure does look good, and may be easy, but I would be concerned about yellowing over a period of time possibly? And then if a stripper is used, would it be chemically compatable with gel, and could it cause the gel to soften possibly? What brand did you use BTW?
Too many questions, but keep us informed, and let us know what the long term effects are please! Mine looks really horrible at the moment, 10 days on the water, and probably a year since boat wax applied.
Keeping the black areas glossy seems to be a loosing battle, and with all the rain, I have tiny black spots on the white gel, that are almost impossible to get clean. A mold I am sure! I have heard that a pressure wash is the fix, but have not done this yet.
I have to get busy on her, as the elements have taken it's toll on her alot!
Carl Noble wrote:Lee, was your black stripe very dull? Mine is and I have been spot comparing different types of restorers but haven't found anything I like yet. I can get it to shine a little but not to where there is a good glossy surface. Your's looks like it is giving off a nice reflection.
No, the black strips were in pretty good shape. I keep my boat on the trailer covered by a BIG Blue tarp. The sun is what causes most of the damage to any outside surface. But the windows looked better after the wax.
The rub rails however were terrible as you can see, and where greatly improved.
you could always try a spot on the back of the boat and with the cost of about $4/bottle, what do you have to lose?
I had less than desirable results a few years ago when I tried floor wax. The black hull on our 30 year old Douglas 31 was looking pretty sad. Used Future floor wax. Went on really easy and looked incredible. Unfortunately, one she went back in the water we were left with white streaks where the waxed areas went below the waterline. Looked a bit like the notorious brown moustache you see on boats that have been on the ICW for a few weeks. Also left white streaks where water ran down the hull from the scuppers. Maybe it was the brand of wax, don't know.
Well floor wax really isn't formulated to withstand large amounts of UV rays and rain so that explains why it ends up with white streaks on the boat. Well it's back to trying to find a good rubbing compound for the black stripe. Has anyone found one that gives a good shine?
For the black strip I might suggest something we used to do in the old car days to restore rubber bits we could no longer obtain. If the strip is in reasonably sound condition then go over it with 0000 steel wool (be careful - you'll want to ensure you get ALL the steel wool bits off the rubber and boat!) .. the alternative is to use bronze wool, but I'm not sure it's available in 0000 grade - or - you may want to see if there's a very fine ScotchBrite available - not sure there is, but if so it's probably the best bet of the three choices.
In any event, mask off the fiberglass so you won't scratch it, then carefully rub down the rubber strip with the abrasive, removing all the 'chalked' rubber until you have a solid, smooth surface. Once you've got that, you can then apply a protectant. I have used ArmorAll in the past, though there are some that will say that AA actually degrades the rubber faster. Another choice is a silicone-based wax or oil... but whatever you choose, the key is get rid of all of the decomposed rubber *before* you try to apply any sort of protectant, or else you'll never get the 'shine' you really want.
I was talking about the black gelcoat stripe where the windows are at on the deck not the rub rail. I would like to get it in bristol condition if possible before I put the boat in the water. (next weekend--we're supposed to get snow this weekend )The white part is rubbing out with a decent shine but the black gelcoat doesn't look as good as I would like. The black stripe just under the rub rail is in very good condition as is the hull but these don't get the same direct sunlight as the deck surfaces. It sure is amazing how those UV rays can dull the deck.
)The white part is rubbing out with a decent shine but the black gelcoat doesn't look as good as I would like. The black stripe just under the rub rail is in very good condition as is the hull but these don't get the same direct sunlight as the deck surfaces. It sure is amazing how those UV rays can dull the deck.
go figure.
