stranded Posted January 1, 2007 Report Share Posted January 1, 2007 The gel coat on my boat has lost some of its shine. What should I polish it with? (I do know gel coat polish is available) I am interested to hear what products people use and what they found the best for the long term. Thanks Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRACELAND1216 Posted January 27, 2007 Report Share Posted January 27, 2007 Hi Richard, I use a product called Gamatone, about 60% Phosphric acid to clean the boat properly before polishing. Rubber gloves and safety glasses are a must when using this product as it's a bit corrosive to the skin, it also does a brillant job in removing rust stains off gelcoat and stainless steel. I normally wet down the hull than apply some Gamatone to a damp folded cloth and apply in a circular motion, allow 5 - 10 minutes for the acid to clean the gelcoat than hose off. Stubborn areas may require a second application. If the boat hasn't been polished for a long time you may need to wet and dry it using 800 - 1200 grit wet, than use a cutting compound polish. ATM I'm using 3M Marine Fibreglass Restorer and Wax first than using 3M Marine Protective Liquid Wax as a second coat. If the boat is in good condition you should be able to get away with using the restorer in the worst parts than a full wax job. Always wax the boat in the shade. Regards Graceland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stranded Posted January 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2007 Thanks for the reply Graceland. It's been a while since I posted this question and I made an educated guess about the best way to proceed. I ended up buying some cleaner and polish from BCF. After using the products the boat is much improved, however after a week at Cootharaba it needs some cleaning again. (Minor brown water stains from the lake) This time I will invest in the 3M products to see if they hold up better. Thanks for your suggestions. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRACELAND1216 Posted January 28, 2007 Report Share Posted January 28, 2007 Hi Richard, Always use Gamatone or similar before polishing if the boat has stains or it's yellowing. The Gamatone will remove all stains and waxes leaving the gelcoat raw and will need to be waxed straight away to prevent future staining. Two coats of wax is better than one. Once the boat is clean and polished additional coats of protective liquid wax can be added during the season after washing the boat with car detergent first. I have used Gamatone for over 20 years and found it to be the best boat cleaner and also used K&H polishes but found 3M products to be superior. Does anyone else want to add their thoughts or advice or recommend high quality products to this thread? Regards Graceland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xmatelot Posted January 28, 2007 Report Share Posted January 28, 2007 hi, After a week in the water at Cootharaba you will need the best cleaner you can obtain. The Ti-trees stain is one of the hardest to remove,, and Gamatone is one of the best cleaners, but as advised , use care when applying it. Next time you get to Cootharaba make sure you use heaps of wax beforehand, to help protect the gel-coat. pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stranded Posted January 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2007 Thanks for the help. I washed the boat today with ordinary car wash and the majority of the stains came off with a little rubbing. (I did put 3 coats of wax on it before I went for this reason). I used the remainder of my gel coat restorer to clean some minor stubborn stains off. The cleaner sounds similar to the Gamatone (has an acid base). Where do I get Gamatone from? (I live in Brisbane) I will give it a go next time if it is needed. Thanks for the help Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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