A freshly-polished boat is unmistakable—it looks new, smooth, and clean. But getting your boat to that polished look can be difficult, particularly if it’s not a new boat. So, how do you restore the look of your boat’s polish without having to labor over it constantly, consistently apply new coats of wax, or use heavy buffering machinery? It’s actually simpler than you think. Here’s how to restore boat polish as easily as possible.
Restoring Your Boat’s Fiberglass
The first thing to keep in mind is that when you restore your boat’s polish, what you’re really doing is restoring your boat’s fiberglass. More specifically, we want to restore something that’s known as the boat’s gel coat.
The gel coat of your boat is the layer on the surface that serves as the protectant between the outside world and the fiberglass itself. If your boat’s polish has worn because of sun damage or staining, it may be possible to restore much of the original look of the boat’s polish by fixing the gel coat.
The Steps
Here are the essential steps you need to know when it comes to getting your boat’s polish back up to par:
· Clear and clean. Cleaning out your boat is an essential step. Make sure you also use this as an opportunity to inspect the overall quality of your fiberglass. Apply tape to any areas around the fiberglass that you don’t want to be affected if you’re using chemical stain removers for the polishing process.
· The right polish. Once you’ve cleaned out any stains, apply boat polish like PolyShine. This is a polish designed specifically for boat fiberglass, which means that it will help it shine and protect the boat appropriately without doing any damage. When you use it in combination with LifeWax, you’ll have a boat polish that can last up to three years.
· Apply the polish by hand. The key here is that you want to do a thorough job in applying the polish, working horizontally. Make sure that you wear protective gloves and goggles to keep the polish where it belongs—on the boat.
· Apply the boat wax. Using either a cloth (for applying the wax by hand) or a buffer, it’s time to apply the wax. You may have to stick to a buffer if your boat is too large to apply by hand. Continue to reload your wax pad every few feet to ensure an even, generous coating.
If you think your boat’s gel coat still looks “dull” after applying, you can always add another coat of wax to ensure you have a polished look. From there, allow ample time for the boat to dry out and to reach its maximum effectiveness.
Restore Your Boat with BoatLIFE Products
Knowing how to restore a boat’s polish is essential as a boat owner. But there are also plenty of other ways that you can keep your craft in mint condition. Browse all of the boat cleaning and restoration products available here at BoatLIFE today. We have everything you need to keep both the interior and exterior of your boat looking brand new.
