Newbie Detailing Question

[pfitzsim]

I got my new to me 06 185 BR home a couple of days ago and now have a couple of weeks to get it looking as new as I can before taking to the waters of Southern Ontario. A 'quick' question that I have is on detailing the white part of the boat above the rub rail. I'm sure there is a correct term for this part of the boat however I don't know what that is. I hand waxed below the rub rail yesterday/today (it is in very good shape and shiny to the touch). Above the rub rail the white is a bit dull in some spots and it's not clear to me how to get it looking as good as I can. I have searched the topic on this forum however I think I'm more confused that when I started as to what to do next. My detailing experience is limited to cars in which I would wash/wax/repeat.

Thanks in advance.

 

[BillK2632]

The top part of a boat is typically referred to as the "deck" or "topsides".

Unlike a car that is painted an clear coated, a boat's finish is gelcoat, which in simple terms is thick paint like material that gives a boat color and a smooth finish over the underlying structural fiberglass. Also unlike a car finish, gelcoat tends to fade out or oxidize much quicker than a car finish and thus requires more maintenance.

Sounds like in your case, you have some light oxidation on the areas that are exposed to sunlight etc the most:

You need a compound / polish to remove the oxidation then follow up with wax. I like Buff Magic and either Starbrite Polish with PTEF or Mequiars Flag Ship. You can do it by hand, especially on a small boat, but for anything more than light oxidation you need a buffer.


Here is a general guide to what should be used to polish / wax a gelcoat finish:

Very very light oxidation: Cleaner Wax
Mild to moderate oxidation: Buffing compound (Buff Magic, Finesse II etc)
Moderate Oxidation: Cutting compound
Severe Oxidation: Wet sand

Always finish with your favorite Wax/Polish.

I always use an orbital polisher or do it by hand, if you are using a true high speed buffer realize you can easily burn spots in the gelcoat, especially on a colored hull.

My boat is 17yrs old, when I bought it it had some mild oxidation on the topsides, I used Buff Magic to bring the shine back, since then annually I do the whole boat with a cleaner wax followed by a pure wax - lately I like StarBrite Wax with PTEF. I might hit a couple of areas with Buff Magic. Then, during the season I will use a spray wax with normal washing to keep things looking nice.

Waxing a boat is usually a multi step process, unless the finish is pristine, it is not going to be once and one, depending on the condition of the finish, you will have one or more cleaning/buffing/polishing steps with the final step always being your favorite wax.

 

[BryanOnTheBay]

I got my new to me 06 185 BR home a couple of days ago and now have a couple of weeks to get it looking as new as I can before taking to the waters of Southern Ontario. A 'quick' question that I have is on detailing the white part of the boat above the rub rail. I'm sure there is a correct term for this part of the boat however I don't know what that is. I hand waxed below the rub rail yesterday/today (it is in very good shape and shiny to the touch). Above the rub rail the white is a bit dull in some spots and it's not clear to me how to get it looking as good as I can. I have searched the topic on this forum however I think I'm more confused that when I started as to what to do next. My detailing experience is limited to cars in which I would wash/wax/repeat.

Thanks in advance.

Above the waterline, and below the deck joint is the top sides. Above the deck joint is obviously the deck. As to care and maintenance, do a search in the forums. You will literally find years and years worth of advice.

Bryan

 

[SolidSnake]

Well this thread might help you if you want some good stuff...

My post has the link where I bought micro compound and polish of this stuff!

http://clubsearay.com/showthread.ph...-My-boats-Finish-!-Re-Structure-Marine-Polish

 

[Joel_MD]

Fortunately Sea Rays tend to have high quality gelcoat that can be brought back from the dead (heavy, chalky oxidation). It's a lot of work, but if you wet sand and then polish with two different grades of polishing compound you can make it look like new. When I bought my 2005 I changed the boat names, which involved removing old lettering from the transom. Of course the area where the old lettering was was less oxidized than the surrounding area. I wet sanded it with three different grades of silicon dioxide abrasive paper, and then polished with Meguiar's 105 on a purple foamed wool pad, then Meguiar's 205 on a white foam pad. After all that work the entire transom looked like new again.

 

[KevinC]

Personally, I would go with the least aggressive cutting compound I could and use it in conjunction with a wool pad on a rotary as opposed to wet sanding. It might take some testing to see what level of cut you will need. I try to leave wet sanding to gelcoat repairs only. If you are not careful and overwork an area you can thin out the gelcoat too much revealing the fiberglass below and that will in turn make it a much bigger repair job.

-Kevin

 

[JVM225]

Personally, I would go with the least aggressive cutting compound I could and use it in conjunction with a wool pad on a rotary as opposed to wet sanding. It might take some testing to see what level of cut you will need. I try to leave wet sanding to gelcoat repairs only. If you are not careful and overwork an area you can thin out the gelcoat too much revealing the fiberglass below and that will in turn make it a much bigger repair job.

-Kevin

I agree! Always opt for the least aggressive first and only step it up if you have to.

 

[tcason]

Best stuff I have ever used - learned about it on this site

Presta 131932 Strata Ultra Cutting Crème

 

[Tonka Boater]

You have good advice on polishing.

As for your question about the area above the rub rail... it's technically called the gunnel or gunwale but most often referred to as you correctly stated, "above the rub rail," or simply the topsides.

Congrats and happy boating!!

 

[BryanOnTheBay]

You have good advice on polishing.

As for your question about the area above the rub rail... it's technically called the gunnel or gunwale but most often referred to as you correctly stated, "above the rub rail," or simply the topsides.

Congrats and happy boating!!

I hate to be nit picky, but the gunwale is the top edge of the top sides, i.e., the edge of the horizontal deck. The vertical area below would have been the top sides under old manufacturing processes, but the way modern boats are put together, the deck joint is below the gunwale, not at the gunwale. Names do matter, especially online where we aren't all standing around the boat looking at the same thing at the same time.

Bryan

 

[Tonka Boater]

I hate to be nit picky, but the gunwale is the top edge of the top sides, i.e., the edge of the horizontal deck. The vertical area below would have been the top sides under old manufacturing processes, but the way modern boats are put together, the deck joint is below the gunwale, not at the gunwale. Names do matter, especially online where we aren't all standing around the boat looking at the same thing at the same time.

Bryan

I knew someone would nitpick I refer that area as the gunwale because topsides could refer to a lot of areas. I just refer to the perimeter "rim" of the boat as the gunwale. Right or wrong but people understand what I mean.