Can I make my old boat look white and shiny? How?

[Captain Sly]

I've attached a couple pictures of a boat that has similar color to mine. It is chalky, and basically ivory instead of white.

Can I make this look bright white and shiny, where you can see your reflection? Or is it a lost cause with this boat? How would I do that?

Thanks so much

 

[MonacoMike]

Easy to do, lots of hard back breaking work. Depending on how oxidized it is you need may need to wet sand, buff with compound, buff with successive grit of compounds then polish and wax.

If one is willing to work at it even an old SR hull in a boatyard junk pile can be made to look near new. SR gelcoat is second to no one.

 

[Captain Sly]

Thanks Mike. I wonder if buffing and waxing will actually turn it white or whether it needs to be painted. I guess I can try on a small area, see if it does turn white and decide then.

 

[Lazy Daze]

You'd have to paint the boat to make it white. That off-white color IS the original color. However, you can certainly shine it up - how easy/hard it is depends on the length of time it has sat unprotected from the sun (lack of wax). The sun, over time, degrades the gelcoat and basically eats it away. The end result is that the gel coat gets thinner and thinner. So, what "could" happen, is that as you sand/compound, you actually completely go through the gel to the underlying glass. It may not happen, either - I can't tell you one way or the other from where I am!

 

[Little Ducky]

I just had mine done by the marina detail crew while it was out of the water and what a difference. I swear they polished in about $4,000 worth of value.

They almost got all the ghost lines off the sides left over from the old strips removed from the previous owners and all the chalkiness from years of sun damage is gone.

At $500 it was well worth the money it to have it done.

Depending on how long it lasts I might have it done every few years.