How often to compound/wax?

N

nadylime

New Member
Aug 20, 2019
14
Atlanta, GA
Boat Info
2006 240 Sun Deck
Engines
5.0L Mercruiser.....replaced in 2020 with a remanufactured Engine
I just got my boat looking BEAUTIFUL by doing a 4 step compounding job:
  1. 3M 05954 Compound
  2. 3M 05973 Compound
  3. 3M Marine Finesse-it II Glaze
  4. Meguiar's M6332 Marine Wax
This took a dull/oxidized boat to a beautiful, original shine. Lot's of work, but it was worth it!!

My question are twofold: 1) how often can a boat be compounded before it starts to ruin/wear through the gel coat? 2) What can I do to prevent the oxidation in the future? Will regular applications of Meguiar's wax keep it new & shiny looking?

Thanks in advance for the advice!!
 
You really dont need to work that hard anymore..
there are good products that are easier on you and your hull and cheaper

Presta Marine
Max Complete if oxidized... then polish if needed, if not Presta Hydroprotek ceramic sealant you are done
twice a year on the Hydroprotek you should not need to anything but Polish annually and sealant after that
 
Now that you have it looking the way you want it you can just maintain it rather than go through the whole process again.
Keep up with regular waxing.
You’re location isn’t listed, but your signature indicates you tow your boat. That makes maintenance a bit easier.
If I had a trailered boat I would wash it regularly with a boat wash that contained Carnauba wax. At least weekly or after each use. I’d also wax a section at a time each week to make sure that the whole boat has a fresh coat of wax every 6-8 weeks.
If you follow that routine your boat will always look it’s best and you should be able to get away with polishing it every year or so, or if you need to correct an imperfection or marring caused by a scrape with a dock or something.
I follow that same basic routine with the topsides of my 410 that stays in the water all season.
The sides of the hull below the rubrails can’t be easily waxed during the season, so they get done before wrapping for the winter, and again with multiple coats before launch in the Spring after a machine polish.
 
Thanks for the advice. It sounds like regular waxing is the key - I will put her on a schedule ASAP. A boat wash with Carnauba in it is a great idea as well.

Thanks!
 
Carnuba yellows. Saw a twin of my boat recently that had regular use of carnauba wax and the gelcoat was noticeably yellow compared to mine. Even the owner commented how much brighter my boat looked.

One problem we have in Boating is that boaters are slow to adopt new and modern technology that is rapidly developing in gelcoat protective products. Many of the same people on CSR are advising the use of products they have been using for 20 years when a guy that had been using them for 10 years suggested they use them.

The products from Starke Yacht Care are superior to any I have ever seen. They go on easier and come off easier than any I have ever used. My professional uses them and I can certainly see why.

my pro was so busy she could not work my new boat into the rotation when I bought it. she showed me how to use the one step product so I could at least protect it until she could get to it. She loaned me a stiff foam pad and gave me the one step product. From a catch-up like squeeze bottle I put product On the foam pad smeared it on the area I was buffing, then using my harbor freight polisher at 1200 RPM ran it until the product disappeared.

I did a 30 foot open bow hull that was about half black gelcoat and used one 15 x 15 microfiber towel to do all that wipe off, and the towel is still remarkably clean, Wipe off was a breeze. The shine was incredible far better than any one step I have ever used.

I can see how in the pro does it with the with the buffing and then follows up with the sealer it makes such a difference.

https://starkeyachtcare.com/
 
MonacoMike said:
Carnuba yellows. Saw a twin of my boat recently that had regular use of carnauba wax and the gelcoat was noticeably yellow compared to mine. Even the owner commented how much brighter my boat looked.

One problem we have in Boating is that boaters are slow to adopt new and modern technology that is rapidly developing in gelcoat protective products. Many of the same people on CSR are advising the use of products they have been using for 20 years when a guy that had been using them for 10 years suggested they use them.

The products from Starke Yacht Care are superior to any I have ever seen. They go on easier and come off easier than any I have ever used. My professional uses them and I can certainly see why.

my pro was so busy she could not work my new boat into the rotation when I bought it. she showed me how to use the one step product so I could at least protect it until she could get to it. She loaned me a stiff foam pad and gave me the one step product. From a catch-up like squeeze bottle I put product On the foam pad smeared it on the area I was buffing, then using my harbor freight polisher at 1200 RPM ran it until the product disappeared.

I did a 30 foot open bow hull that was about half black gelcoat and used one 15 x 15 microfiber towel to do all that wipe off, and the towel is still remarkably clean, Wipe off was a breeze. The shine was incredible far better than any one step I have ever used.

I can see how in the pro does it with the with the buffing and then follows up with the sealer it makes such a difference.

https://starkeyachtcare.com/
Click to expand...
you are correct , Presta Hypdroprotek we use it on hulls, Glass, vinyl seats counter tops, painted surfaces .. its so easy to apply and maintain looks great.. pounding rainstorm and you can see clearly thru your windscreen

https://www.prestaproducts.com/HYDROPROTEK_CERAMIC_COATING-details.aspx
 
Every time you compound it you’re taking off material. It eventually becomes diminishing returns because you’ve cut too much off.
 
El Capitan said:
Every time you compound it you’re taking off material. It eventually becomes diminishing returns because you’ve cut too much off.
Click to expand...

That is why top-notch product companies offer various compounds from heavy to light to allow for the just right removal of oxidation without the product removing too much material.
 
MonacoMike said:
I am not sold on the ceramic coatings yet. I have seen some boats that really looked good when it was first applied but not sure how it’s gonna look longer-term
Click to expand...
Presta is a sealant not a $$$$ coating.. it goes on like butter on everything has great longevity
The high end stuff is harder to do ( I recommend a pro) but the correct one or marine, they are hard to beat
 
nealtrombley said:
Presta is a sealant not a $$$$ coating.. it goes on like butter on everything has great longevity
The high end stuff is harder to do ( I recommend a pro) but the correct one or marine, they are hard to beat
Click to expand...

They market it as a ceramic coating.
 
nealtrombley said:
Presta is a sealant not a $$$$ coating.. it goes on like butter on everything has great longevity
The high end stuff is harder to do ( I recommend a pro) but the correct one or marine, they are hard to beat
Click to expand...

That Presta Hydroprotect almost sounds too good to be true. But, everything Presta that I have used is top notch, so I'm tempted to give it a shot.
 
Curious if there are any more reviews on this presta product? I’ve used their compounds and polishes with impressive results. This seems easier than the collinite fleet wax for sure
 
Almightys said:
Curious if there are any more reviews on this presta product? I’ve used their compounds and polishes with impressive results. This seems easier than the collinite fleet wax for sure
Click to expand...
Pm sent
 
Neal, am curious as well. May I ask for same PM please?
 
With proper cleaning and waxing, you should not need to compound your boat for quite a long time. A good polishing (at most) is all that should be required if you have a good maintenance routine. Traditional waxes do not hold up all that well and require 4-6 applications a year to truly keep the boat protected. While I've never used the Presta products, I use a polymer sealant from Jescar as my "wax". It gets applied like a liquid wax and you have to leave it on for 30 mins before you remove it with a clean microfiber cloth, but usually if you do one side of the boat at a time that allows plenty of time to pass. In salt water, it will hold up for 5-6 months and in fresh water it will hold up to 10-12 months. It's much less of a hassle than ceramic coating and holds up for quite awhile comparatively.

It also helps to avoid soaps and cleaners that will strip your wax off. Dish soap, Simple Green, Purple Power, Magic Erasers, acetone, etc will all pull the wax off. If you do have to use one of those products, follow behind it with a touch up wax or more of the actual wax.
 
After compounding, polishing and waxing my whole boat last year I don't think I'll ever do it again :)

I'll be waxing the sides only moving forward (after a good vinegar wash). Maybe polishing and waxing the topside since it gets more sun damage. Next time she needs a full compounding I'll be paying someone!
 
so I have to disagree with one part here. I typically used collonite fleetwax as my last step and it held up all season (6 months here in Michigan). It just sucks putting on and off.
Used presta products light compound and their polish for the first two steps. You are right that with a good wax and keeping it up, you should only need to polish & wax annually.
I was just looking for a similar solution with this product which I will be trying out in a few weeks. Now I have a 50ft boat vs 33 and still kids aren’t big enough to help yet.

Cap'n Scuba Steve said:
With proper cleaning and waxing, you should not need to compound your boat for quite a long time. A good polishing (at most) is all that should be required if you have a good maintenance routine. Traditional waxes do not hold up all that well and require 4-6 applications a year to truly keep the boat protected. While I've never used the Presta products, I use a polymer sealant from Jescar as my "wax". It gets applied like a liquid wax and you have to leave it on for 30 mins before you remove it with a clean microfiber cloth, but usually if you do one side of the boat at a time that allows plenty of time to pass. In salt water, it will hold up for 5-6 months and in fresh water it will hold up to 10-12 months. It's much less of a hassle than ceramic coating and holds up for quite awhile comparatively.

It also helps to avoid soaps and cleaners that will strip your wax off. Dish soap, Simple Green, Purple Power, Magic Erasers, acetone, etc will all pull the wax off. If you do have to use one of those products, follow behind it with a touch up wax or more of the actual wax.
Click to expand...
 
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