Even the most serious and dedicated sailor, has who purchased a yacht for performance rather than looks, does care for the looks. After all, who wants a yacht that has water stains, and looks dull and chalk-like? You can restore the looks of your boat with a little boat polishing. At Freedom Yacht Services we always encourage customers to hire professionals to polish your boat, but if you want to turn it into a DIY project, here’s what you need to do:
Clean
The first step to boat polishing is actually cleaning the boat. You don’t need to do much here. Just add a cup of mild detergent to a gallon of warm water and you’re good to go. All you need to do is use this solution with a sponge to clean the surface. You might need bleach ifs the boat has problems with mildew. More stubborn stains might also require specialized fiberglass cleaners.
Removing the Grease
Waxing or polishing won’t be as effective if you don’t completely remove the grease from the surface. Even the best detergent won’t achieve that. To remove the grease completely, you need to use either methyl ethyl ketone, aka MEK, or acetone. The former is preferred as it would give the best results for your boat polishing endeavor.
Polishing
After you’re certain that the surface is clean and non-greasy, you can proceed with the polishing. Most polishing solutions are abrasive, like fine sand-paper. You’ll need to pour the solution onto a soft cloth and rub the boat surface in circular motions. This would remove any unevenness or pits in the surface. After you’ve finished boat polishing, you need to apply a coat of wax.
Waxing and Yacht Detailing
It’s always a good idea to regularly apply wax on your boat. The boat is covered with a soft resin substance that’s called a Gelcoat. This is the coating that gives your boat high-gloss sheen. This coating can fade over time, but with regular waxing you can maintain that attractive glossiness for up to 15 years. From this point on, you only have to use a soft rag to wax the boat regularly. Read the instructions given on the wax packaging carefully to get the right coating.
If you have any questions and suggestions, or want to opt for our Yacht Detailing services, just give us at Freedom Yacht Services a call at 954.732.8916. We look forward to hearing from you.
