Detailing a 23' boat

[colinc]

I'm detailing a 98 Maxum with some pretty bad oxidation. It is white with some maroon on it. I was wondering if it is ok to use automotive compounds (FI2 or Meguiars #2) on a boat's finish?

[We're Here]

Colin ... This could be a bear of a job. The cheaper gelcoats are tough to restore once they're gone. A quality gelcoat will come back and typically will not chalk (oxidize) anywhere near as badly as the cheap gelcoats do. The cheap gelcoats are soft while the quality gelcoats are hard and have a tendency to develop fine stress cracks due to that hardness. I'd walk away from this job if you determine this to be cheap gelcoat as you'll be unhappy with the results as will your customer.

A pro would probably start with wet or dry paper but, like automotive finishes, this isn't for someone who hasn't a good deal of prior experience.

3M makes a product that would likely serve the gelcoat newbie well. They call it their "Marine Preferred Oxidation Removal/Reconditioning System". I haven't used it but it is a mass market thing and is undoubtedly reasonably safe.

Gelcoat requires more effort than an oxidized paint does and I think you'd probably look like Charles Atlas before you made noticeable headway with automotive-type abrasives.

[DETAILKING]

I haev detailed many boats, and we're here is right on. If it is cauky, sometimes it is very difficult to bring back any shine at all......

I dislike 3M's marine line and their marnine cleaner wax is very difficult to work with. I use Zaino on my boat as the gel coat is in like new condition. My dads boat was slightly oxidized and we used some finesse it SMR on it with a machine. It worked great. We finished up with NU FINISH (his favorite on boats as it cleans everything...) and it looks good and lasts almost the whole season...........

[We're Here]

As detailking correctly points out, the trick is to prevent the finish from going where the Maxum's apparently is now. The UV exposure on boats is brutal but four seasons is still a bit youngish for anything but a cheap gelcoat to go belly-up. An expensive, two-part polyurethane (Awlgrip, Imron or similar) paint job, professionally-applied in a controlled environment may be the only realistic option here.

[Dave C.]

My family owned a 21' 1990 Maxum for many years. It was solid maroon and faded every year. I would recommend using something like Nu Finish, or similar abraisive. We used Soft Scrub (forget which one and it worked!!!!) As others have said, the key is preventing it from happening, the gel coat should bounce right back. Ours always did!!! How I miss that boat...it would really come in handy now...girls...coolers...err... I should stop now.

[carguy]

Yep - I'm a boat guy too. Fiberglass is porous - even gelcoat - and problems can actually crop up from the inside. Nowhere is it more true than an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This boat is only 4 years old? I bet he stored it outside, without a cover. What a shame.

Sometimes the only cure is to sand and paint with an epoxy paint, which will hold up a lot better. Make sure whatever you use has PLENTY of UV protection. since it hasn't been mentioned yet I will also let you konw that Meguiar's has a marine-specific product line.